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giorgis 12:35 am on November 12, 2023 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Solo ( 176 ), Zweihander ( 3 )
The Eisenmond Blade S03 – Zweihander

Advancing to level 2 of the challenge, in The Eisenmond Blade from TSR’s Dragon Quest, going from Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game 1st Edition will be Zweihander.
After my really bad first impressions with Zweihander in the past (and some considerations about the controversial presence of it’s author) I decided to give it another shot. This time I have rolled stats for the four hero party, and used the Roll20 Character Sheet for Zweihander to do some of the heavy lifting, hoping that the experience will not be as dreadful as the first time.
I won’t be warping the adventure at all, rather I’ll be using it as is.

The Party
- Jordi, a Dwarf Slayer
- Mellory, a Human Trapper
- Soko, a Halfling Burglar
- Bianka, an Elf Diabolist
The Adventure

For the last week, Torlynn has been shaken by earthquakes. The evil beneath the mountain is stirring and you have been unable to find any trace of the missing Eisenkern. Just as you are on the verge of giving up, a messenger arrives and asks you to meet with the Burgomaster at once. You travel quickly to his home and he greets you with a smile and warm handshakes all around.
Gustovan says “Good news, my friends! I have received word of the Eisenkern. It seems that the goblins sold it to a travelling group of orcs. The orcs were headed down into the valley, but they never completed their journey. Not far from their home, they were attacked and the Eisenkern was stolen.
My scouts have given me the location of the thief’s hideout. It is an old, ruined castle about two days ride from here. You must go there at once and recover the Eisenkern. If you fail, all of Torlynn may soon be destroyed!”

After a rough trip, you have reached the ruined castle. It is nestled in a thick wood and difficult to get to. Whatever happened to destroy this keep must have been horrible. Most of it has fallen into towering piles of rock.
After a short search you found a break in one of the still-standing areas and entered.
You have stepped into what was once a kitchen. The broken remains of a large fireplace stand along the far wall. The floor is littered with dust and pieces of broken rock. A cracked doorway leads deeper into the ruin. It seems to be the only exit from this area.
Dragon Quest text

Note: again I have to warn the reader that there are huge mechanics text blocks. Zweihander combat is very crunchy, so I'm giving the reader an opportunity to read this as an example, or just skip it and jump to the narrative sections.

A. Dining Room

This area was once a beautiful dining room. Now the formerly grand decor has fallen into ruin. Bits of broken furniture are scattered about the floor and rotting old paintings hang crooked on the stone walls.
The air in here is thick and musty. Flies buzz about and little beetles scurry out from under your feet. In the center of the room is a pile of three bodies-perhaps the last group of adventurers to explore this place! They appear to have been stripped of all their weapons and valuables, tossed in a heap, and forgotten.
Dragon Quest text

Supposedly the group must disturb the zombies in some manner. I can think only of one thing that make sense that could cause the party to disturb the zombies. Perhaps the burglar notices the Dragon Fang blade in the belt of a corpse and attempts to grab it.

Soko: Awareness: 37/53: Success. Soko notices the dagger and attempts to grab it.

I rule that the characters are surprised, except for Mellory who has Danger Sense talent.

Name Initiative
Jordi 12
Mellory 17
Soko 20
Bianka 16
Zombies 7

Round 1

Mellory attacks Zombie 3 with his Woodsman’s Axe: 33/46: Critical Success: Damage: 11: Moderately Wounded. Chaos Die: 1: No Injury.
Zombie 1 attacks Soko with Tooth and Nail: 58/55: Failure.
Zombie 2 attacks Bianka with Tooth and Nail: 34/55: Success: Damage: 12: Bianka is Moderately Wounded: Chaos Die: 2: No Injury.
Zombie 3 attacks Mellory with Tooth and Nail: 90/55: Failure

Round 2

Soko attacks Zombie 1 with his Stiletto: 63/47: Failure.
Mellory attacks Zombie 3 with his Woodsman’s Axe: 26/46: Success: Damage: 21: Zombie is Slain!
Bianka casts Magick Missile at Zombie 2: 38/52: Success: Damage: 9: Zombie is Lightly Wounded.
Jordi attacks Zombie 2 with his two battle-axes: 38/63: Success: Damage: 13: Zombie is Seriously Wounded. Chaos Die: 5,4: No Injury.
Zombie 1 attacks Soko with Tooth and Nail: 22/55: Critical Success: Damage: 14: Zombie is Seriously Wounded: Chaos Die: 4,5: No Injury.
Zombie 2 attacks Biank with Tooth and Nail: 29/55: Success: Parry: 26/47: Success: Attack Parried.

Round 3

Soko attacks Zombie 1 with his Stiletto: 66/47: Critical Failure: Peril: 13: Soko is Imperiled, Ignore 1 Skill Rank.
Mellory attacks Zombie 2 with his Woodsman’s Axe: 58/46: Failure.
Bianka casts Magick Missile at Zombie 2: 73/52: Failure.
Jordi attacks Zombie 2 with his two battle-axes: 69/63: Failure, attack with 2nd battle axe: 17/63: Success: Damage: 12: Zombie is Slain.
Zombie 1 attacks Soko with Tooth and Nail: 41/55: Success: Parry: 79/47: Failure: Damage: 9: Slain! Fate Point spent: Soko is unconscious instead.

Round 4

Mellory attacks Zombie 1 with his Woodsman’s Axe: 86/46: Failure.
Bianka casts Magick Missile at Zombie 1: 55/52: Critical Failure. The Magick Missile strikes Bianka instead: Damage: 9: Grievously Wounded: Chaos Dice: 1,2,3: No Injury.
Jordi attacks Zombie 1 with his two battle-axes: 44/63: Critical Success: Damage: 10: Zombie is Lightly Wounded.
Zombie 1 attacks Bianca with Tooth and Nail: 94/55: Failure.

Round 5

Mellory attacks Zombie 1 with his Woodsman’s Axe: 77/46: Critical Failure: Peril: 17: Mellory is Imperiled, Ignore 1 Skill Rank.
Bianka casts Magick Missile at Zombie 1: 11/52: Critical Success: Damage: 9: Zombie is Moderately Wounded: Chaos Die: 6: Moderate Injury: 32: Dislocated Shoulder.
Jordi attacks Zombie 1 with his two battle-axes: 68/63: Failure, attack with 2nd battle axe: 53/63: Success: Damage: 11: Zombie is Grievously Wounded.
Zombie 1 attacks Bianca with Tooth and Nail: 22/55: Critical Success: Damage: 6: Slain! Fate Point spent: Bianca is unconscious instead.

Round 6

Mellory attacks Zombie 1 with his Woodsman’s Axe: 82/46: Failure.
Jordi attacks Zombie 1 with his two battle-axes: 80/63: Failure, attack with 2nd battle axe: 07/63: Success: Damage: 9: Zombie is Slain!

In the heart of the ruined castle, the party stumbles upon a gruesome sight – a heap of forgotten adventurers’ remains, their once-bold spirits now silenced. The air, thick with decay, hangs heavily as Mellory, with an uncanny premonition, spots a glimmering Dragon Fang blade at a corpse’s side.
Soko’s nimble fingers reach for the coveted weapon, disturbing the slumbering dead. The chamber comes alive with the groans of reanimated corpses. Chaos ensues as the party, caught off guard, faces tooth-and-nail assaults.
Mellory, guided by his Woodsman’s Axe, cleaves through the first zombie, a testament to his skill. Meanwhile, Soko, despite his awareness, falls victim to a deadly strike, imperiled and unconscious.
Bianka, in her arcane fervor, mistakenly directs a Magick Missile toward herself, grievously wounding her. Jordi, wielding two battle-axes, becomes the bulwark against the undead onslaught.
As the battle unfolds, each swing of the axe, each thrust of the stiletto, is a dance of survival. Zombie after zombie falls to the party’s resilience, yet peril shadows them. The clash is a symphony of desperation and determination.
In a cruel twist, the once-grand dining hall becomes an arena of life and death. Zombie after zombie falls, but not without cost. Bianka succumbs to the relentless assault, unconscious amidst the chaos.
The party, battered and bruised, stands victorious. The room, now silent save for the echoes of battle, bears witness to their struggle. Yet, as they catch their breath, the awareness lingers – deeper horrors await in the bowels of the ruined castle.
ChatGPT Narrative

B. Wide Hallway

This is a short, wide hallway. This area seems to have been saved from the violence that destroyed the rest of the castle. The dusty old tapestries that hang on the walls are the only sign that time has passed since the castle was left behind.
Dragon Quest text

In the corner there is a crystal ball. I decide that noone will look into it.

Amidst this tranquil respite, a crystal ball catches the party’s attention, nestled unassumingly in a corner. Its ethereal glow dances within the confines of the glass, a potential harbinger of secrets. However, a collective decision echoes through the party – a tacit agreement to avert their gaze, leaving the mysteries within the sphere undisturbed. The hallway remains undisturbed, and the crystal ball holds its enigmatic silence, a testament to the party’s caution in the face of the unknown.
ChatGPT Narrative

The dungeon splits here in two directions. There is nothing to guide the party right or left, so I'll randomly decide where they will go.

They will head East, to Room C.

Yay! at last I wanted to try the other way of the dungeon.

C. Slide Trap

This is a plain and narrow hallway. The floor has been polished smooth and so have the walls. They seem almost like mirrors.
Dragon Quest text

This entire room is a big trap. As soon as one of the heroes reaches the middle of the hallway, it tilts and becomes a dangerous slide. Any heroes in the hallway when this happens are dumped out in room D just inside the door.

D. The Spider Pit

The slide dumps you into a roughly dug chamber beneath the castle. The floor is knee deep in some bitter, evil-smelling black slime. The air smells like rotten eggs.
In the center of the room, a large black spider rises up from the sludge. It’s eyes gleam and sparkle like jewels and its jaws drip with poison that hisses when it hits the black liquid below. A more horrible monster than this would be hard to imagine!
Dragon Quest text

Name Initiative
Jordi 16
Mellory 14
Giant Spider 16

Round 1

Jordi attacks the Giant Spider with his two battle-axes: 54/63: Success: Damage: 9: Spider is Lightly Wounded.
Giant Spider attacks Jordi with Mandibles: 51/65: Success: Jordi: Parry: 86: Failure: Damage: 13: Jordi is Moderately Wounded.
Mellory attacks the Giant Spider with his woodsman’s axe: 03/46: Success: Damage: 8: Spider is Moderately Wounded.

Round 2

Jordi attacks the Giant Spider with his two battle-axes: 83/63: Failure, attack with 2nd battle axe: 57/63: Success: Damage: 9: Spider is Seriously Wounded.
Giant Spider attacks Jordi with Mandibles: 29/65: Success: Jordi: Parry: 58/63: Success: Attack is parried.
Mellory attacks the Giant Spider with his woodsman’s axe: 96/46: Failure.

Round 3

Jordi attacks the Giant Spider with his two battle-axes: 43/63: Success: Damage: 7. Spider is Grievously Wounded.
Giant Spider attacks Jordi with Wall Crawler Spinneret: 35/65: Success: Jordi: Dodge: 04/49: Success: Attack is dodged.
Mellory attacks the Giant Spider with his woodsman’s axe: 27/46: Success: Damage: 7. Spider is Slain.

The heroes find a suit of elven chain mail, and a dwarven helmet.

In the dimly lit Spider Pit, Jordi, Mellory, and the monstrous arachnid engage in a deadly dance. Jordi, wielding his twin battle-axes with finesse, lands blows upon the Giant Spider. The creature retaliates, its mandibles clashing against Jordi’s defenses, leaving him moderately wounded.
Mellory, undeterred, swings his woodsman’s axe, contributing to the spider’s growing injuries. The battle intensifies as Jordi’s axes cut through the air once more, inflicting serious wounds upon the arachnid. In a venomous rebuttal, the Giant Spider attempts to ensnare Jordi with its Wall Crawler Spinneret, but the dwarf deftly dodges the perilous attack.
Seizing the opportunity, Mellory brings his axe down, delivering the fatal blow that silences the monstrous foe. As the spider collapses, defeated, the heroes discover a trove within the pit – a suit of elven chain mail and a sturdy dwarven helmet, silent witnesses to the battles that unfolded in the castle’s forgotten depths.
ChatGPT Narrative

E. Gate House

In the days before the castle fell into ruin, this was the main entrance, called the gate house. A twisted iron gate blocks the exit. It would be impossible to clear out the dirt blocking this doorway without a great deal of effort and time.
Now this room is used by the monster that lives here, to keep it’s pet wolves! Two of the largest meanest wolves you have ever seen snarl and growl at you. Bones that are obviously the remains of the wolves’s past meals are scattered all over the floor.
As they charge toward you, you can’t help but wonder if you will be their next dinner.
Dragon Quest text

These beasts are actually dire wolves.

Name Initiative
Jordi 12
Mellory 8
Dire Wolves 22

Round 1

Dire Wolf 1 attacks Jordi with Rending Bite: 33/65: Critical Success: Damage: 8: Jordi is Seriously Wounded: Chaos Dice: 4,3,6: Serious Injury: 7: Fortune’s Mercy: Ignore Injury
Dire Wolf 2 attacks Mellory with Rending Bite: 92/65: Failure.
Jordi attacks Dire Wolf 1 with his two battle-axes: 54/63: Success: 10: Dire Wolf 1 is Lightly Wounded.
Mellory attacks Dire Wolf 2 with his woodsman’s axe: 74/46: Failure.

Round 2

Dire Wolf 1 attacks Jordi with Rending Bite: 12/65: Success: Parry: 50/63: Success: Attack is Parried.
Dire Wolf 2 attacks Mellory with Rending Bite: 77/65: Failure.
Jordi attacks Dire Wolf 1 with his two battle-axes: 56/63: Success: Damage: 10: Dire Wolf 1 is Moderately Wounded.
Mellory attacks Dire Wolf 2 with his woodsman’s axe: 77/46: Failure.

Round 3

Dire Wolf 1 attacks Jordi with Rending Bite: 67/65: Failure.
Dire Wolf 2 attacks Mellory with Rending Bite: 53/65: Success: Parry: 15/46: Attack is Parried.
Jordi attacks Dire Wolf 1 with his two battle-axes: 90/63: Failure, attack with 2nd battle axe: 02/63: Success: Damage: 12: Dire Wolf 1 is Grievously Wounded.
Mellory attacks Dire Wolf 2 with his woodsman’s axe: 80/46: Failure.

Round 4

Dire Wolf 1 attacks Jordi with Rending Bite: 70/65: Failure.
Dire Wolf 2 attacks Mellory with Rending Bite: 29/65: Success: Parry: 45/46: Attack is Parried.
Jordi attacks Dire Wolf 1 with his two battle-axes: 60/63: Success: Damage: 15: Dire Wolf 1 is Slain.
Mellory attacks Dire Wolf 2 with his woodsman’s axe: 76/46: Failure.

Round 5

Dire Wolf 2 attacks Mellory with Rending Bite: 86/65: Failure.
Jordi attacks Dire Wolf 2 with his two battle-axes: 91/63: Failure, attack with 2nd battle axe: 02/63: Success: Damage: 11: Dire Wolf 2 is Moderately Wounded.
Mellory attacks Dire Wolf 2 with his woodsman’s axe: 19/46: Success: Damage 11: Dire Wolf 2 is Grievously Wounded.

Round 6

Dire Wolf 2 attacks Mellory with Rending Bite: 37/65: Success: Parry: 36/46: Attack is parried.
Jordi attacks Dire Wolf 2 with his two battle-axes: 19/63: Success: Damage: 9: Dire Wolf 2 is Slain.

The dire wolves, fearsome and hungry, lunge at the party. Jordi faces the brunt of their assault, narrowly avoiding a critical injury, thanks to a twist of fate. Meanwhile, Mellory attempts to fend off the ferocious beasts, yet the woodsman’s axe finds no mark.
In a dance of fangs and steel, Jordi and Mellory retaliate. Axes clash with wolfish bites, creating a chaotic symphony in the confined space. Jordi, though wounded, displays resilience, landing blows that leave the first dire wolf grievously wounded.
As the battle rages on, the dire wolves persist in their assault, but the heroes, undeterred, strike back with tenacity. Jordi’s axes cleave through the air, bringing down the first dire wolf. Mellory, though facing the relentless assault, finds an opening and grievously wounds the second dire wolf.
In a final coordinated effort, Jordi and Mellory combine their strength to dispatch the remaining dire wolf. The Gate House, once a domain of menacing beasts, falls into an eerie silence.
ChatGPT Narrative

F. Overgrown Hallway

This is a long stretch of stone hallway that has many cracks in the walls and along the floors. Over the years, various grasses, weeds, and wildflowers have grown to cover the area. Splits in the ceiling allow bright streams of sunlight to shine in, brightly lighting the area. A crude path has been chopped through the middle of the vines, but the entire place reminds you of a green spider web.
Dragon Quest text

As the heroes start down this hall, a smilodon jumps down through the cracks in the ceiling. With a roar, it springs at the heroes and attacks them.

Since this is an ambush, I’ll roll Stealth for the Smilodon and make it opposed versus Perception for Jordi. Mellory has Danger Sense so he’s not surprised.
The Smilodon jumps at the rear, behind Mellory.

Smilodon: Stealth: 26/55: Success.
Jordi: Awareness: 77: Critical Failure

Jordi is surprised…

Name Initiative
Jordi 8
Mellory 10
Smilodon 9

Round 1

Smilodon attacks Mellory with Terrible Bite: 62/60: Failure
Mellory attacks Smilodon with woodsman’s axe: 33/46: Critical Success: Damage: 9: Smilodon is Lightly Wounded.
Jordi can’t reach the Smilodon.

Round 2

Smilodon attacks Mellory with Terrible Bite: 59/60: Success: Mellory Parry: 37/50: Success: Attack is Parried.
Mellory attacks Smilodon with woodsman’s axe: 35/46: Success: Damage: 8: Smilodon is Moderately Wounded.
Jordi can’t reach the Smilodon.

Round 3

Smilodon attacks Mellory with Terrible Bite: 97/60: Failure.
Mellory attacks Smilodon with woodsman’s axe: 5/46: Success: Damage: 7: Smilodon is Seriously Wounded.
Jordi can’t reach the Smilodon.

Round 4

Smilodon attacks Mellory with Terrible Bite: 56/60: Success: Mellory Parry: 26/46: Success: Attack is Parried.
Mellory attacks Smilodon with woodsman’s axe: 61/46: Failure.
Jordi can’t reach the Smilodon.

Round 5

Smilodon attacks Mellory with Terrible Bite: 83/60: Failure.
Mellory attacks Smilodon with woodsman’s axe: 66/46: Failure.
Jordi can’t reach the Smilodon.

Round 6

Smilodon attacks Mellory with Terrible Bite: 87/60: Failure.
Mellory attacks Smilodon with woodsman’s axe: 43/46: Success: Damage: 7: Smilodon is Grievously Wounded.
Jordi can’t reach the Smilodon.

Round 7

Smilodon attacks Mellory with Terrible Bite: 30/60: Success: Mellory Parry: 59/46: Failure: Damage: 10: Mellory is Moderately Wounded: Chaos Dice: 1,3: No Injury.
Mellory attacks Smilodon with woodsman’s axe: 79/46: Failure.
Jordi can’t reach the Smilodon.

Round 8

Smilodon attacks Mellory with Terrible Bite: 36/60: Success: Mellory Parry: 32/46: Success: Attack is Parried.
Mellory attacks Smilodon with woodsman’s axe: 82/46: Failure.
Jordi can’t reach the Smilodon.

Round 9

Smilodon attacks Mellory with Terrible Bite: 33/60: Critical Success: Damage: 34: Mellory is Slain! Fate Point Spent: Mellory is unconscious.
Jordi moves and attacks Smilodon with his two battle-axes: 53/63: Success: Damage: 11: Smilodon is Slain.

A Smilodon, stealthily concealed, pounces from the shadows. Jordi, caught off guard by the cunning predator, fails to perceive the imminent threat. Mellory, with his Danger Sense, senses danger but can’t evade the Smilodon’s surprise attack.
Mellory valiantly swings his woodsman’s axe, inflicting wounds upon the feline assailant. Yet, the Smilodon retaliates, its terrible bite narrowly parried by Mellory’s skill.
As the battle unfolds, Mellory and the Smilodon exchange blows. Despite Mellory’s courageous efforts, the Smilodon proves a formidable foe, its claws and teeth tearing through the air. Mellory, grievously wounded, faces the ultimate price.
In a last desperate act, Jordi, freed from the constraints of surprise, charges forward. His battle-axes swing with lethal precision, bringing down the Smilodon. Yet, the victory is bittersweet as Mellory lies unconscious, a casualty of the Overgrown Hallway’s hidden perils. The echoes of the struggle linger in the quiet hall, a testament to the dangers that lie beneath the castle’s forgotten façade.
ChatGPT Narrative

G. Prisoner in Chains

The small room is being used as a prison cell. A badly beaten orc has been chained to the wall here. When you enter, he looks up at you and looks relieved. His evil face twists into what might be called a smile and he speaks in a hoarse, croaking voice.
“Please, free me! I beg you. The monster plans to kill me! I was carrying the magic stone when I was attacked. Please, free me and I will join you in defeating the horrible beast!”
Dragon Quest text

Jordi is a dwarf who doesn’t like the Orcs, and also a slayer, so I would find it really difficult to allow the Orc to join him. I will ask the Oracle, with an unlikely probability to this.
Q: Do the heroes set the Orc free to join them?
A: (1,4): 1: No, but he’ll set him free.

Jordi, with his inherent disdain for orcs, contemplates the decision. In an unexpected turn, he decides not to allow the orc to join their party. However, recognizing a sliver of mercy, Jordi releases the beaten orc from his chains, allowing him a chance at escape. The orc, though not welcomed into the group, scampers away, grateful for the fleeting freedom afforded by the reluctant kindness of the heroes.
ChatGPT Narrative

H. Bones

The first thing that you notice about this room is that its floor is covered with bones. They are piled at least a foot deep at every point in this room. There is no smell of rotting, as all the flesh seems to have been stripped from them long ago.
Dragon Quest text

As soon as Jordi enters the room, three skeletons will spring to life from the bones and attack them.

In an instant, as the party ventured further into the chamber, the bones stirred with a sinister animation. Three skeletal figures, once dormant, now sprang to life, driven by an unholy force. With bony fingers and hollow eye sockets, they lurched forward to confront the intruders, ready to engage in a macabre dance of combat against the living.

Name Initiative
Jordi 12
Skeletons 6

Round 1

Jordi moves and attacks Skeleton 1 with his two battle-axes: 95/63: Failure, attack with 2nd Battle-axe: 35/63: Success: Skeleton Parry: 99/65: Critical Failure: Damage: 15: Skeleton 1 is Moderately Wounded.
Skeleton 1 attacks Jordi with sword: 80/55: Failure
Skeleton 2 attacks Jordi with axe: 68/55: Failure
Skeleton 3 attacks Jordi with spear: 34/55: Success: Jordi Parry: 41/63: Success: Attack is Parried.

Round 2

Jordi moves and attacks Skeleton 1 with his two battle-axes: 13/63: Success: Skeleton Parry: 20/65: Attack is Parried.
Skeleton 1 attacks Jordi with sword: 3/55: Success: Jordi Parry: 44/63: Success: Attack is Parried.
Skeleton 2 attacks Jordi with axe: 90/55: Failure
Skeleton 3 attacks Jordi with spear: 8/55: Success: Jordi Parry: 89/63: Failure: Damage: 9: Grievously Wounded: Chaos Dice: 5, 2, 6: 52: Mutilated Hand. Jordi can only use his left hand now, thankfully he’s ambidextrous.

Round 3

Jordi moves and attacks Skeleton 1 with his battle-axe: 35/63: Success: Skeleton Parry: 87/65: Failure: Damage: 15: Skeleton 1 is Grievously Wounded.
Skeleton 1 attacks Jordi with sword: 25/55: Success: Jordi Parry: 90/63: Failure: Damage: 5: No damage.
Skeleton 2 attacks Jordi with axe: 62/55: Failure
Skeleton 3 attacks Jordi with spear: 5/55: Success: Jordi Parry: 27/63: Success: Attack is parried.

Round 4

Jordi moves and attacks Skeleton 1 with his battle-axe: 49/63: Success: Skeleton Parry: 65/65: Success: Attack is Parried.
Skeleton 1 attacks Jordi with sword: 36/55: Success: Jordi Parry: 13/63: Success: Attack is Parried.
Skeleton 2 attacks Jordi with axe: 45/55: Success: Jordi Parry: 22/63: Success: Attack is Parried.
Skeleton 3 attacks Jordi with spear: 17/55: Success: Jordi has no further Action Points: Damage: 6: Jordi is Slain.

TPK

In a room strewn with bones, the heroes faced a grim challenge. As Jordi stepped forward, the skeletal remains stirred with an unnatural energy. Three skeletons emerged from the macabre heap, weapons raised, and an unholy dance of combat commenced.
Jordi, with his battle-axes in hand, clashed with the skeletal foes. In a flurry of strikes and parries, the battle unfolded. Despite Jordi’s prowess, the skeletons proved relentless. In a cruel twist of fate, Jordi’s right hand suffered a grievous injury, rendering it mutilated. Undeterred, he pressed on, ambidextrously wielding his remaining battle-axe.
As the combat escalated, the skeletons targeted Jordi with precision. Despite his valiant efforts, the relentless assault proved too much. Overwhelmed by the skeletal adversaries, Jordi succumbed to their relentless strikes, and the room, once echoing with the clatter of bone, fell silent. The heroes, defeated in this grim chamber, now rested alongside the bones that adorned the floor, victims of an undead ambush.
ChatGPT Narrative

The System

This Zweihander run was admittedly better than my first one. However I did find that it was lacking as a ruleset in several things. First of all, combat was plain and bland. The chance for a graphic injury is quite low, and dealing damage is a grind. There is no death spiral, wound thresholds are too many (5 levels), and weapons do not provide any substantial difference. Holding a Dirk is not much different than holding a Mortuary Sword, since the core damage is based on your Bonus (CB/AB/BB) and not on the weapon. Yes, the chance for Injuries (these are similar to critical effects) is affected, but this is a really low chance altogether. Scoring a critical hit doesn’t play a big role, rather than that the attack cannot be parried. Overall the combat was lacking.
The rulebook is huge (670 something pages) but the layout is chaotic, as you need to go back and forth in 4-5 different spots just for combat. I’m certain I made a few mistakes here and there, but from a point onwards I just was so confused, that I didn’t care.
I do like the character generation system, and there are a lot of information and rules for roleplaying outside of combat, but within this premise I didn’t get a chance to try them out. Overall the ruleset is soloable, but there’s quite a lot of ‘rulings over rules’, which is quite odd for a 670 page document, and which actually makes it harder for a solo player who needs to decide by themselves.

What about the Dungeon Crawl?

Again, in spite of the TPK, Zweihander allows for some decent dungeon crawling. Although I handwaived them out, resting, darkness, fear, are all mechanics that would make dungeon crawling an interesting experience. My party wasn’t ready for such a dungeon, and perhaps had they not faced off the giant spider, they’d fare better against the skeletons. Also the lack of a death spiral, means that you have a chance to recuperate, gather your strength and press on when rested.

Summary

I’ll be honest, there were points in this session, during the combat where I was bored, and wanted to get over with it. Some of it was due to my prejudice from my previous actual play in Zweihander, and some of it due to the absolutely stunning Harnmaster and Mythras sessions that preceded it. Combat was not much more interesting than Sword of Cepheus or the Dark Eye, however it was a lot more complex to run than both. I doubt I’ll be revisiting this soon, except perhaps as reading material.
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giorgis 3:50 pm on November 9, 2023 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Solo ( 176 )

Solo Roleplaying in established Settings
One topic that I discussed recently was how to solo Roleplay in established settings. Fine, one can always generate a world on the fly, so anything in the game in that case is established knowledge. This trope is common when solo Roleplaying.
But what happens when you decide to put those setting books of Dark Sun, Hârn, Middle Earth, Star Wars, Shadowrun or whatever else you have in use?
How do you handle the possibility of the Oracle turning against the written works of the setting authors?

Your world is your own

The moment your protagonist enters the established setting, it stops being canon. Writing your own story is engraved in Roleplaying, and in Solo there’s even less resistance than in a social TTRPG table where the opinions and actions of the other players may influence the result. If you’re happy with the world you play into, then it’s all good. After all we had to accept the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy discarding Star Wars EU (Legends) or Hobbit becoming a trilogy with characters from other books. Not to mention the Marvel and DC Universes which change to the whim of each author. Why can’t the Solo roleplayer do this, especially when their only audience is themselves?

But Han shot first!

Nevertheless, if you absolutely want to play in the particular universe where (your choice of) the authored works are canon, then there are some approaches you can take.

A time traveler in a short time ago, in a plain thin slice of a huge galaxy

The first thing you can do is choose a big setting with lots of room to manoeuvre. Star Wars is so big, you can add an entire sector and won’t have to ever meet Darth Vader, even if he does spend his time raining terror down on the rebellion and fleeing Jedi. The second thing to do is choose a setting where the timeline won’t impact canon even if you go big. Hârn history stops at year 720, you can do whatever you want after this.
Act like your protagonist is a time traveler and must not get entangled with things that will impact the known timeline. Known being the key word here. You can do whatever you want with unknown. So the bigger unknown you have in a setting, the more degrees of freedom you have.

And now? Borys the dragon appeared and wants 1000 lives in tribute

In the rare case when you meet with a prominent figure that affects the timeline of the setting, one option is to switch hats. Take over the GM hat, and assign the task of running your character to the Oracle. When I’m talking about GM hat I’m talking about the entirety of it. The world, the results are described by you, only the intent and actions of the protagonist are given to the Oracle. This way you have absolute control of the scene. If you want an analogy, consider this like a cutscene (non-interactive) in a video game. Your character witnesses the events but has minimal control over them.
Some leeway to the results can be given to the protagonist when the effect would be minimal – killing a Nazgûl would have them rematerialize in Saurons courtyard.

Narrative truth is in the eyes of the beholder

To avoid being limited in extremely detailed settings with little room to manoeuvre, and to keep the element of surprise and storytelling, you can always allow some freedom on the middle level. Say you meet the third cousin of Legolas, who’s not in the books, but a supplement details them. Use the technique of playing pre-written adventure modules: ask the oracle if everything is as described. If not alter them according to the answer. It could be from a cosmetic change to a major secret or completely different personality and background. Allow yourself to be surprised, by harnessing the Oracle to your setting. There is going to be some change, but nothing world breaking. This could apply from NPCs to locations monsters and quests. Treat the world as a huge prewritten adventure module and modify the likelihood to your Oracle question of altering the scene with regards to the level of importance to the world. It would be unlikely that Rivendell is altered much, but the Herubar Gûlar? more likely.

As always there’s several tricks and techniques you can use according to your needs and what you aim to accomplish. I f anything, Solo Roleplaying is tailored to the player.
giorgis 5:01 pm on November 8, 2023 Permalink | Reply

Social media sharing

Just a short update, not relevant to solo roleplaying, but relevant to this blog.

A few months ago, Twitter cut the link to WordPress blogs functionality. I had to manually post the links through Twitter. Since then, Twitter/X seems to worsening day by day, and, I’ve abandoned the platform altogether.

Now yesterday, Meta/Facebook enforced a costly paid subscription service to EU with the alternative “free” service giving explicit permission to them to track and sell user data and riddle me with personalised ads. This didn’t find me in agreement, therefore I’ve abandoned that platform as well.

What I’m getting at is that I won’t be posting there anymore. It’s a personal choice, not a boycott or anything, so feel free to share my posts on these platforms if you use them, and I’ll continue to post to Reddit and Discord. WordPress also has some Follow functionalities via WordPress and/or email, and of course one can always just periodically stop by the blog page and see if something new is up.

The blog is still alive, so no worries there.
giorgis 12:54 pm on November 4, 2023 Permalink | Reply
Tags: ClassicFantasy, Mythras ( 7 ), Solo ( 176 )
The Eisenmond Blade S02 – Classic Fantasy (Mythras)

Advancing to level 2 of the challenge, in The Eisenmond Blade from TSR’s Dragon Quest, going from Mythras will be Classic Fantasy. I might check some references from Classic Fantasy Imperative, but I’ll mostly rely on the two core books.
I went ahead and converted the Mythras party into Classic Fantasy. I rebalanced the attributes according to a Points Buy system, and the Class Requirements of Classic Fantasy. Also I committed the Skill Points according to Class, and making sure I hit the requirements for Rank 1 in the Class, otherwise the party would be too weak. While doing so, I realized how close and yet so much different Classic Fantasy is to Mythras. In Mythras you have so much more freedom to create the character you want. Minimal restrictions. Of course, this means that the character can end up being not so useful. In Class-ic Fantasy, you’re very much limited by your Class requirements.
I did all of the above within Roll20. The Character Sheet there is very useful, and I can make calculated Rolls within Roll20.
I won’t be warping the adventure at all, rather I’ll be using it as is.

Having learned my lesson from the previous session, and knowing that Mythras’ lethality is close to Harnmaster’s, after reading the Smilodon stats, I decided I’ll add a fourth party member to the mix. They’ll need a Cleric to heal their wounds, and perhaps it’s about time to use a race had overlooked over my long time of roleplaying. It will be a Gnome Cleric. I’ll be using a diverse party of 3+1 characters. I’ll try to include as many different demihuman races and professions as possible to have a party that can deal with most tasks.

The Party

I’ll be using pregens from https://www.lythia.com/game_aides/friends-foes-followers-volume-1/
- Eanfric, a male human ranger
- Malgali, a male elf magic-user
- Khari, a male dwarf fighter
- Donne, a female gnome cleric
I’ve added one member to the party, since the difficulty has increased.

The Adventure

For the last week, Torlynn has been shaken by earthquakes. The evil beneath the mountain is stirring and you have been unable to find any trace of the missing Eisenkern. Just as you are on the verge of giving up, a messenger arrives and asks you to meet with the Burgomaster at once. You travel quickly to his home and he greets you with a smile and warm handshakes all around.
Gustovan says “Good news, my friends! I have received word of the Eisenkern. It seems that the goblins sold it to a travelling group of orcs. The orcs were headed down into the valley, but they never completed their journey. Not far from their home, they were attacked and the Eisenkern was stolen.
My scouts have given me the location of the thief’s hideout. It is an old, ruined castle about two days ride from here. You must go there at once and recover the Eisenkern. If you fail, all of Torlynn may soon be destroyed!”

After a rough trip, you have reached the ruined castle. It is nestled in a thick wood and difficult to get to. Whatever happened to destroy this keep must have been horrible. Most of it has fallen into towering piles of rock.
After a short search you found a break in one of the still-standing areas and entered.
You have stepped into what was once a kitchen. The broken remains of a large fireplace stand along the far wall. The floor is littered with dust and pieces of broken rock. A cracked doorway leads deeper into the ruin. It seems to be the only exit from this area.

Note: again I have to warn the reader that there are huge mechanics text blocks. Hârnmaster combat is very detailed, so I'm giving the reader an opportunity to read this as an example, or just skip it and jump to the narrative sections.

A. Dining Room

This area was once a beautiful dining room. Now the formerly grand decor has fallen into ruin. Bits of broken furniture are scattered about the floor and rotting old paintings hang crooked on the stone walls.
The air in here is thick and musty. Flies buzz about and little beetles scurry out from under your feet. In the center of the room is a pile of three bodies-perhaps the last group of adventurers to explore this place! They appear to have been stripped of all their weapons and valuables, tossed in a heap, and forgotten.

Supposedly the group must disturb the zombies in some manner. I can think only of one thing that make sense that could cause the party to disturb the zombies. Either the ranger notices the Dragon Fang blade in the belt of a corpse and attempts to grab it, or perhaps the cleric wants to cast a passage ritual to the corpses, unbeknownst to her about the existence of zombies.

Eanfric: Perception: 55/46: Failure. Eanfric doesn’t notice the Dagger.
Donne: Clerical Oath: 82/62: Failure. Donne won’t cast a passage ritual to the corpses.
The party moves on.

Yet, the party’s presence remains undisturbed. Eanfric, the keen-eyed ranger, searches the surroundings with hopeful intent, but his efforts yield nothing as his gaze eludes the gleam of the Dragon Fang blade concealed in the corpse’s belt. Meanwhile, Donne, the devout gnome cleric, contemplates the solemn ritual of passage, unaware of the lurking horrors that might await.
With no disturbances to draw your attention, you carry on, delving deeper into the enigmatic ruin.

B. Wide Hallway

This is a short, wide hallway. This area seems to have been saved from the violence that destroyed the rest of the castle. The dusty old tapestries that hang on the walls are the only sign that time has passed since the castle was left behind.

In the corner there is a crystal ball. I doubt anyone would want to look into it, but I’ll roll randomly for one adventurer and then roll Morality to see if they withstand the temptation.
Donne: Clerical Oath: 82/62: Failure. She will look into the Crystal Ball: 6: The hero’s Wisdom Score (POW) permanently rises by 1.

Amidst the stillness of this forgotten corridor, an intriguing curiosity catches your eye. Nestled in a corner rests a crystal ball, its pristine surface shimmering with enigmatic possibilities. The very essence of temptation lingers in the air, and against her better judgment, Donne, the devoted cleric, succumbs to this alluring enchantment. Gently, she gazes into the crystal’s depths.
A subtle shift occurs, almost imperceptible, as the connection between Donne and the mystical orb transcends the boundaries of time and space. Her wisdom, her innate power, surges and deepens, forever altered by the cryptic insights the crystal imparts.

The dungeon splits here in two directions. There is nothing to guide the party right or left, so I'll randomly decide where they will go.

They will head West, to Room E.

E. Gate House

In the days before the castle fell into ruin, this was the main entrance, called the gate house. A twisted iron gate blocks the exit. It would be impossible to clear out the dirt blocking this doorway without a great deal of effort and time.
Now this room is used by the monster that lives here, to keep it’s pet wolves! Two of the largest meanest wolves you have ever seen snarl and growl at you. Bones that are obviously the remains of the wolves’s past meals are scattered all over the floor.
As they charge toward you, you can’t help but wonder if you will be their next dinner.

These beasts are actually dire wolves.

Name Initiative
Dire Wolf 2 21
Khari 19
Eanfric 18
Malgali 18
Donne 17
Dire Wolf 1 16

Round 1

Cycle 1

Dire Wolf 2 attacks Eanfric with Bite: 67/67: Success. Eanfric Parries with Dagger: 11/50: Success. The attack is Parried.
Khari turns and attacks Dire Wolf 1 with Motopua Battle Axe: 34/59: Success. Special Effect: Choose Location: Head. Damage: 4-1=3. Dire Wolf 1 suffers a Minor Wound with 3 HP at Head remaining.
Eanfric attacks Dire Wolf 2 with Broadsword: 22/50: Success. Special Effect: Bleed: Location: 6: Hindquarters: Damage: 7-1=6. Dire Wolf 2 suffers a Minor Wound with 1 HP at Hindquarters remaining. Bleed Opposed Roll: 50/62 vs 22/50: Success. Dire Wolf 2 doesn’t Bleed.
Malgali casts Shield (Intensity 1): 22/56: Success.
Donne attacks Dire Wolf 1 with Mace: 2/51: Critical Success: Special Effects: Choose Location: Head, Maximize Damage: 8-1=7. Dire Wolf 1 suffers a Serious Wound with -4 HP at Head: Endurance: 1/62: Critical Success. Dire Wolf 1 remains standing.
Dire Wolf 1 attacks Donne with Bite: 84/45: Failure.

Cycle 2

Dire Wolf 2 attacks Eanfric with Bite: 12/67: Success. Eanfric Parries with Dagger: 30/50: Success. The attack is Parried.
Khari attacks Dire Wolf 1 with Motopua Battle Axe: 1/59: Critical Success. Special Effect: Choose Location: Head, Maximize Damage. Damage: 12-1=11. Dire Wolf 1 suffers a Major Wound with -15 HP and drops unconscious, totally Incapacitated. Endurance: 5/42 vs 1/59: Critical Success. Dire Wolf 1 doesn’t die instantly.
Eanfric attacks Dire Wolf 2 with Broadsword: 31/50: Success. Special Effect: Bleed: Location: 19: Head: Damage: 8-1=7. Dire Wolf 2 suffers a Serious Wound with -1 HP: Opposed Roll: 2/62 vs 31/50: Critical Success: Dire Wolf 1 remains standing. Bleed Opposed Roll: 3/62 vs 31/50: Critical Success. Dire Wolf 2 doesn’t Bleed.
Malgali Dithers.
Donne moves and attacks Dire Wolf 2 from the Rear with Mace: 55/51: Failure.

Cycle 3

Khari turns and attacks Dire Wolf 2 with Motopua Battle Axe: 86/59: Failure.
Eanfric attacks Dire Wolf 2 with Broadsword: 80/50: Failure.
Malgali Dithers.
Donne attacks Dire Wolf 2 from the Rear with Mace: 50/51: Success. Special Effect: Choose Location: Head: Damage: 6-1=5. Dire Wolf suffers a Major Wound with -6 HP and drops unconscious, totally Incapacitated. Endurance: 11/42 vs 50/51: Success. Dire Wolf 2 dies instantly.

Before the castle’s descent into ruin, this chamber bore the proud title of the gatehouse, a once-grand entrance to the fortress. Now, time has dealt it a cruel hand, sealing the passage with a twisted iron gate, cloaked in layers of stubborn earth and debris.
Within the gatehouse, shadows dance and form a dark tapestry of despair, for it has become the lair of the menacing beast that haunts this forsaken place. Two colossal and ferocious wolves, larger than any you’ve ever encountered, snarl and growl, their menacing presence filling the chamber. Bones, the macabre remnants of past feasts, litter the floor, bearing witness to the horrors that have unfolded here.
As the dire wolves charge forth, their feral eyes lock onto your group, and a chilling question lingers in the air – will you be their next unwitting prey?
In the start of this harrowing encounter, Eanfric’s dagger skillfully parries the snapping jaws of one dire wolf, while Khari’s battle axe strikes true, targeting the head of the other. The wolf’s yelp resounds, and blood flows as it sustains a grievous wound, but it remains standing, a fierce testament to its resilience. Donne, the valiant cleric, wields her mace with mastery, delivering a critical blow to the first wolf’s head, causing it to stagger but not yet fall.
As the battle unfolds, Eanfric’s dagger once more thwarts the dire wolf’s assault. Khari’s battle axe proves relentless, landing a catastrophic blow on the second wolf’s head, sending it into a state of unconsciousness, though it still clings to life. Meanwhile, the first wolf, weakened but not defeated, endures as it tries to bite Donne.
In the end, Khari’s attack falters, and Eanfric’s broadsword misses its mark. However, Donne, undeterred by the chaos, delivers a resolute strike to the second wolf’s head from behind, ultimately sealing its fate. The dire wolf succumbs, falling unconscious and lifeless, the battle’s chilling symphony coming to an end.

F. Overgrown Hallway

This is a long stretch of stone hallway that has many cracks in the walls and along the floors. Over the years, various grasses, weeds, and wildflowers have grown to cover the area. Splits in the ceiling allow bright streams of sunlight to shine in, brightly lighting the area. A crude path has been chopped through the middle of the vines, but the entire place reminds you of a green spider web.

As the heroes start down this hall, a smilodon jumps down through the cracks in the ceiling. With a roar, it springs at the heroes and attacks them.
I’ve rolled and found out that it will jump down at the rear of the party where our weaker support members are, between Malgali and Donne. Smilodons are tough, so let’s hope our party will survive this.

Since this is an ambush, I’ll roll Stealth for the Smilodon and make it opposed versus Perception for each of the heroes.

Smilodon: Stealth: 25/69: Success.
Donne: Perception: 54/47: Failure.
Malgali: Perception: 81/51: Failure.
Khari: Perception: 90/36: Failure.
Eanfric: Perception: 13/46: Success. Smilodon wins the Opposed Roll.

All of the party is surprised…
And it seems that surprise is as potent as in Harnmaster. Things don’t bode well for the party.

Name Initiative
Smilodon 20
Eanfric 9
Malgali 8
Donne 2
Khari 0

Round 1

Cycle 1

Smilodon Leaps on Donne with Bite: 26/78: Success. Donne falls Prone. Special Effects: Impale: Location: 3: Right Leg: Damage: 19-4(Scale Armour)=15: Donne suffers a Major Wound to the Right Leg with -10 HP. She will spend a Luck Point to downgrade the injury to a Serious Wound with -4 HP. She’s also incapacitated due to the Huge Impale Size of the Bite against her 8 SIZ. Donne: Endurance: 29/36: Success. Donne’s Right Leg remains functional. She also can’t act for 2 turns.
Eanfric grapples Malgali to switch places with him: Brawn: 52/31: Failure.
Malgali is surprised and can’t act.
Donne is incapacitated.
Khari is suprised and can’t act.

Cycle 2

Smilodon yanks free from Donne: Brawn: 29/84: Success. Damage to Donne’s Right Leg: Damage: 7/2=4. Donne will spend another Luck Point to downgrade the injury to a Serious Wound with -4 HP. Endurance: 17/36: Success. Donne’s Right Leg remains functional. She also cant act for 1 turn.
Eanfric grapples Malgali to switch places with him: Brawn: 93/31: Failure.
Malgali is surprised and can’t act.
Donne is stunned.
Khari is suprised and can’t act.

Cycle 3

Smilodon attacks Donne with Bite: 66/78: Success. Donne Parry with Mace: 67/51: Failure. Special Effects: Choose Location: Hit Location: Head: Damage: 6: Donne suffers a Serious Wound to the Head with -1 Hit Points Remaining. Endurance: 58/36: Failure. Donne will spend her last Luck Point to re-roll the Endurance Roll: 43/36: Failure. She’s unconscious for 6 minutes.
Eanfric grapples Malgali to switch places with him: Brawn: 19/31: Success. He changes place with Malgali.
Malgali is surprised and can’t act.
Donne is unconscious.
Khari is suprised and can’t act.

Cycle 4

Eanfric attacks Smilodon with Dagger: 17/50: Success. Special Effect: Choose Location: Head: Damage: 4-2=2. Smilodon suffers a Minor Wound to the Head with 7 Hit Points Remaining.

It is in the midst of this verdant passageway that the tranquility shatters. With a savage roar, a smilodon pounces from above, descending through the fractures in the ceiling. It lands among your group, targeting the vulnerable rear where Malgali and Donne stand.
This ambush transpires with an almost supernatural stealth, as the smilodon’s presence eludes the perceptive senses of your party members. Surprise sweeps over you all.
In the opening moments of this perilous encounter, the smilodon’s predatory instincts come to life. It leaps at Donne, its massive jaws clamping onto her leg, delivering a grievous wound. Donne falls to the ground, incapacitated by both the severe injury and the shock of the sudden attack. Eanfric’s attempt to intervene and switch positions with Malgali proves futile in the chaos.
In the subsequent moments, the smilodon wrenches free from its hold on Donne, its savage power leaving her leg injured. She fights through the pain, preventing a complete collapse, but she remains stunned, unable to react. Khari and Malgali, caught off guard, stand momentarily bewildered by the swift and brutal assault.
As the confrontation unfolds, the smilodon relentlessly targets Donne once more, clamping its fearsome jaws around her head. Her mace is too slow to block the attack, and a serious wound is inflicted, causing her to lose consciousness. Eanfric, acting swiftly, makes a desperate effort, thrusting his dagger toward the smilodon’s head. The blade finds its mark, delivering a minor wound to the smilodon, marking the beginning of a fight for survival.

Round 2

Cycle 1

Smilodon attacks Eanfric with Bite: 25/78: Success. Eanfric Parry with Dagger: 85/50: Failure. Special Effects: Impale: Hit Location: 13: Right Arm: Damage: 14-3(Studded Leather Armour)=11: Eanfric suffers a Major Wound to the Right Arm. He will spend a Luck Point to downgrade this to a Serious Wound at -3 Hit Points. Endurance: 83/59: Failure. He will spend another Luck Point to reverse the digits of his Endurance roll: 38/59: Success. He can still fight, but is stunned for 3 Turns, and is Incapacitated due to the Huge Impale Size of the Bite against his SIZ.
Eanfric is incapacitated.
Malgali casts Magic Missile to the Smilodon: 83/56: Failure: He will spend a Luck Point to reverse the digits: 38/56: Success: Hit Location: 1: Rear Right Leg: Damage: 6-2=4. Smilodon suffers a Minor Wound to the Rear Right Leg.
Khari switches to Hatchet and Shield.

Cycle 2

Smilodon attacks Eanfric with Claws while he’s Incapacitated: 63/78: Success. Special Effects: Bleed: Hit Location: 6: Left Leg: Damage: 9-3(Studded Leather Armour)=6: Eanfric suffers a Serious Wound to the Left Leg Endurance: 8/59: Success. He can still fight, but is stunned for 1 Turns, and is still Incapacitated due to the Huge Impale Size of the Bite against his SIZ. Bleed Endurance: 55/59: Success. Eanfric doesn’t bleed.
Eanfric is incapacitated.
Malgali casts Magic Missile to the Smilodon: 90/56: Failure: He will spend a Luck Point to reverse the digits: 09/56: Success: Hit Location: 12: Front Right Leg: Damage: 4-2=2. Smilodon suffers a Minor Wound to the Front Right Leg.
Khari dithers.

Cycle 3

Smilodon yanks free from Eanfric: Brawn: 4/84: Critical Success. Damage to Eanfric’s Right Arm: Damage: 9/2=5. Eanfric will spend another Luck Point to downgrade the injury to a Serious Wound with -3 HP. Endurance: 79/59: Failure. He will spend his last Luck Point to reroll: 32/59: Success. He can still fight, but is stunned for 1 Turn.
Eanfric is stunned.
Malgali casts Magic Missile to the Smilodon: 96/56: Failure: He will spend a Luck Point to reroll: 36/56: Success: Hit Location: 20: Head: Damage: 4-2=2. Smilodon suffers a Minor Wound to the Head.
Khari dithers.

Cycle 4

Eanfric throws his dagger at the Smilodon: 97/50: Failure.

In the ongoing struggle, the smilodon, undeterred by the chaos, turns its attention to Eanfric, who remains incapacitated, his right arm bearing the burden of a severe wound. With swiftness and precision, the smilodon lunges, clamping its jaws onto Eanfric’s arm. The hero, however, manages to rally, utilizing his luck to downgrade the grievous injury to a serious wound. Although the wound remains debilitating, Eanfric’s resolve keeps him conscious, though he’s left stunned and unable to respond for several turns.
Malgali, ever the resilient mage, hurls his magical assault at the smilodon. After an initial mishap, he recalibrates his spell and directs it at the creature’s rear right leg, causing a minor wound.
Meanwhile, Khari, facing a difficult decision, switches to his hatchet and shield, his role shifting in response to the crisis. The weight of the moment leads to a momentary hesitation.
As the confrontation continues into the following cycle, the smilodon once more focuses its brutal assault on Eanfric, who remains in a vulnerable state. This time, its razor-sharp claws inflict a serious wound to Eanfric’s left leg. Despite the intense pain, he manages to stave off further complications and potential bleeding, though he remains stunned and incapacitated.
Malgali again employs his magical skills, this time targeting the front right leg of the smilodon, causing yet another minor wound.
Eanfric, in a desperate attempt to contribute, hurls his dagger at the menacing creature, but the weapon goes astray, missing its mark. The odds remain dire as the confrontation rages on.

Round 3

Cycle 1

Smilodon attacks Eanfric with Bite: 47/78: Success. Eanfric Parry with Broadsword: 38/50: Success. No Special Effects: Hit Location: 6: Left Leg: Damage is not reduced by parrying due to the Huge bite Size against Medium Broadsword Size: 17-3 (Studded Leather Armour)=14: Eanfric suffers a Major Wound to the Left Leg at -15 Hit Points. Eanfric is incapacitated, with the Left Leg chewed off. Endurance Roll: 44/59: Success: He remains conscious, but incapacitated and prone.
Eanfric is incapacitated. He is also knocked back 5 meters by the attack.
Malgali moves back and switches spots with Khari.
Donne is unconscious.
Khari throws his hatchet at the Smilodon: 85/59: Failure. He will spend a Luck Point to reverse the digits: 58/59: Success: Special Effect: Choose Location: Head: Damage: 6-2=4. Smilodon suffers a Minor Wound to the Head.

Cycle 2

Smilodon engages Khari with Claws: 6/78: Critical Success. Khari Parry with Round Shield: 85/59: Failure. He will spend his last Luck Point to reverse the digits: 58/59: Success: Attack is Parried: Special Effects: Bleed: Hit Location: 7: Abdomen: Damage is halved by parrying due to the Huge bite Size against Large Shield Size: 9/2=5-4 (Scale Armour)=1: Khari suffers a Minor Wound to the Abdomen. Bleed Endurance: 99/67: Failure. Khari is Bleeding profusely.
Malgali casts Magic Missile to the Smilodon: 46/56: Success: Hit Location: 5: Hindquarters: Damage: 3-2=1. Smilodon suffers a Minor Wound to the Hindquarters.
Donne is unconscious.
Khari draws his Motopua battleaxe.

Cycle 3

Smilodon attacks Khari with Bite: 52/78: Success. Special Effects: Impale: Hit Location: 17: Left: Damage is halved by being warded by the Shield Size: 14/2=7-4 (Scale Armour)=3: Khari suffers a Minor Wound to the Left Arm. Khari is Incapacitated due to the Huge Impale Size of the Bite against his SIZ.
Malgali casts Magic Missile to the Smilodon: 41/56: Success: Hit Location: 15: Front Left Leg: Damage: 2-2=0. Smilodon isn’t harmed.
Donne is unconscious.

Cycle 4

Malgali casts Shield: 83/56: Failure: He will spend a Luck Point to reverse the digits: 38/56: Success

Amid the relentless struggle, the smilodon, relentless and ferocious, remains focused on Eanfric. This time, Eanfric tries to parry the beast’s bite with his broadsword, but the smilodon’s immense power prevails, leaving Eanfric with a grievous wound on his left leg. The injury is so severe that Eanfric’s leg is ripped from him, leaving him incapacitated and prone. He clings to consciousness despite the excruciating pain, even as the bite sends him tumbling backward.
Malgali, seeing the dire state of affairs, quickly takes a step back, swapping places with Khari. Donne, unfortunately, remains unconscious, her absence keenly felt.
Khari, undeterred by the overwhelming odds, takes a chance and hurls his hatchet at the smilodon. His throw proves accurate, striking the beast in the head and inflicting a minor wound.
In the following cycle, the smilodon shifts its focus to Khari, lunging with its claws. Khari parries with his round shield, an act of desperation, but it proves effective, warding off the savage assault. However, Khari sustains a minor wound on his abdomen, and the attack leaves him incapacitated due to the smilodon’s overwhelming strength.
Malgali once again channels his magical energies, launching a spell at the smilodon. The bolt strikes the creature’s hindquarters, causing a minor wound, though it does little to deter the relentless predator.
Donne remains unconscious, the party teetering on the precipice of catastrophe.
As the confrontation unfolds, Malgali makes an effort to cast a protective shield spell, attempting to bolster the party’s defense in the face of impending peril.

Round 4

Cycle 1

Khari is Winded from Blood loss.
Smilodon yanks free from Khari: Brawn: 66/84: Success. Damage to Khari’s Left Arm: Damage: 7/2=4. Khari suffers a Serious Wound to the Left Arm. Endurance: 40/45: Success. Khari is stunned for 3 Turns.
Malgali casts Magic Missile at the Smilodon: 30/56: Success: Hit Location: 4: Rear Left Leg: Damage: 6-2=4. Smilodon suffers a Minor Wound to the Rear Left Leg.
Khari is stunned.

Cycle 2

Smilodon attacks Khari with Claws: 100/78: Fumble.
Malgali casts Magic Missile at the Smilodon: 73/56: Failure: He will push the spell, expunging it from his memory and casting it: Hit Location: 14: Front Left Leg: Damage: 2-2=0: Smilodon is unharmed.
Khari is stunned.

Cycle 3

Smilodon attacks Khari with Claws: 48/78: Success. Khari Parries with Shield: 88/40: Failure. Special Effect: Choose Location: Abdomen: Damage is halved by being warded by the Shield Size: Damage: 8/2=4-4 (Scale Armour)=0: Khari is unharmed.
Malgali dithers.
Khari is stunned.

In the ongoing confrontation, Khari, weakened by his injuries and blood loss, finds himself increasingly winded, struggling to maintain his composure in the face of the relentless smilodon.
The smilodon, having successfully disengaged from Khari, now turns its predatory focus back to the battle. With a powerful surge of force, it attempts to strike at Khari’s arm again. However, Khari’s determination prevails, and he parries the attack with his shield, leaving him unscathed.
Meanwhile, Malgali, striving to aid the party, unleashes another magical assault upon the smilodon. This time, the spell impacts the creature’s rear left leg, causing a minor wound. The smilodon growls, but it remains a formidable and unwavering adversary.
In the next cycle, the smilodon again directs its savage claws toward Khari, but this time, fate smiles upon the beleaguered warrior. Khari’s shield wards off the attack effectively, preventing further injury.
Malgali, his mind strained by the intensity of the battle, momentarily dithers, wrestling with the profound challenges that confront the party. The clash continues, a grueling struggle for survival.

Round 5

Cycle 1

Khari is Tired from Blood loss.
Smilodon attacks Khari with Bite: 60/78: Success. Khari Parries with Shield: 9/40: Success. No Special Effect: Damage is halved by parrying due to the Huge bite Size against Large Shield Size: Hit Location: 16: Left Arm: Damage: 19/2=10-4(Scale Armour)=6: Khari suffers a Major Wound to the Left Arm at -9 Hit Points. Khari is incapacitated, with the Left Arm chewed off. Endurance Roll: 93/45: Failure: He is also unconscious. He is also knocked back 5 meters by the attack.
Malgali casts Flaming Hands at the Smilodon: 49/56: Success: Hit Location: 3: Rear Left Leg: Damage: 2-1=1. Smilodon suffers a Minor Wound to the Rear Left Leg.
Khari is bleeding, unconscious, prone and incapacitated.

Cycle 2

Smilodon engages Malgali with Claws: 30/78: Success. Malgali Parry with Quarterstaff: 8/32: Success. Attack is Parried: No Special Effects: Hit Location: 9: Abdomen: Damage is not reduced by parrying due to the Huge bite Size against Medium Quarterstaff size: Damage: 7-4 (Shield Spell)=3: Malgali suffers a Minor Wound to the Abdomen.
Malgali attacks smilodon with Quarterstaff: 36/32: Failure.

Cycle 3

Smilodon attacks Malgali with Bite: 6/78: Critical Success. Special Effects: Choose Location, Maximize Damage: Hit Location: Head: Damage: 10+6=16: Malgali suffers a Major Wound to the Head. Malgali Endurance: 71/28: Failure. Malgali is decapitated.

In the final, fateful cycle, the weary Khari, battered and exhausted from the blood loss that has weakened him, faces a dire confrontation with the relentless smilodon. The monstrous predator lunges with its deadly bite, aiming for Khari’s arm. Despite the odds, Khari summons the last of his strength, raising his shield just in time to fend off the savage attack. However, the exertion takes a toll, and the impact sends him tumbling backward.
Malgali, undeterred, channels the last of his magical power into a fiery assault against the smilodon. The spell strikes true, targeting the creature’s rear left leg and inflicting a minor wound. Yet, the smilodon, while injured, remains a formidable foe.
As the smilodon seeks its next victim, it turns its attention to Malgali, who stands with his quarterstaff at the ready. The smilodon lunges with its claws, but Malgali parries the attack with his quarterstaff, successfully warding off the savage predator. The relentless assault leaves Malgali with a minor wound to his abdomen, but he stands undeterred, poised to strike back.
Malgali, summoning his remaining strength, makes an attempt to strike the smilodon with his quarterstaff. However, his weariness and the intensity of the battle cause his blow to miss its mark.
In the closing moments of this perilous confrontation, the smilodon strikes with ruthless precision. It lunges at Malgali with a ferocious bite, aiming for the mage’s head. The impact is devastating, inflicting a major wound. Malgali’s endurance falters, and he is fatally injured, the creature’s bite ultimately leading to his decapitation.
As Malgali’s lifeless form falls, the scene becomes one of bleak despair, with Khari incapacitated and unconscious, and Donne’s life hanging in the balance. The smilodon, though wounded, remains a menacing presence in the corridor. The party’s survival now rests in the hands of fate.

TPK

The System

First of all, I need to state, that I had to re-do the entire session from the Smilodon fight onwards (including three more fights, which in the re-do never happened due to the TPK.)
It’s been already several sessions-parts past in this, and playing Mythras/Classic Fantasy solo with such a large party was NOT easy. I made TONS of mistakes. I was confident that I was familiar with the rules, and that was my downfall. Despite my bookkeeping being correct, and using Roll20 which has an excellent Character Sheet for Mythras, I failed to follow up on Situational Rules, Monster Abilities, Special Effects, and Wounds Effects. At one point I had two options. Either finish a broken, gameplay, or use the knowledge I had already acquired, and do it all over again. I decided to go with the later option, as the concept of this challenge is to evaluate the systems and how the behave in dungeon crawl situations.
However the first lesson has been taught. Mythras is a LOT crunchier than Harnmaster when running combat, and no, the issue is not bookeeping Hit Locations Hit Points, Action Points and Luck Points. For a tabletop party, where the effort is spread among several people, it’s perfectly fine. For a solo player, it’s over the limit when dealing with such big party sizes. I did however pushed through, even if it took me twice as long to finish this challenge.
Some explanations also which became evident while I was running the coupling of the three rulesets.
Mythras is the core set of rules. It has a lighter free version called Mythras Imperative.
Classic Fantasy is an expansion book that changes Mythras from sword and sandal to traditional fantasy. It has an elegant way of using the Cults system to create Classes, so while there are Class and Levels, it makes sense on the d100 verisimilitude perspective. You can’t run Classic Fantasy without the Mythras book, and you need both books to run it. However recently an ORC-licenced free version of Classic Fantasy was released, Classic Fantasy Imperative. This is a complete ruleset, containing all the required Mythras rules, so you don’t need two books to run it. Though, it does NOT contain the bestiary (only sample monsters), and only has the four core Classes from Classic Fantasy. There are also some changes to the Classes, Alignments, and other concepts. In general it is more streamlined than the Core Classic Fantasy. I think that having to use all three books together may have caused some confusion on my part which added to the root cause of why I did the aforementioned mistakes.
Classic Fantasy deviates from the core Mythras in several places. The playable races have different stats, and some select monsters that exist in both books have different stats as well, which means that you have to keep this in mind if using these books. Classic Fantasy also focuses more on Map Grid and Miniatures playing rather than Theatre of the Mind. Some rules have changed as well, like Charging. It’s not always easy to find which rules are different, so using Classic Fantasy Imperative as the core, and expanding it with Classes, Spells, and Beasts from Classic Fantasy and Mythras is the best way to use it.
Mythras, like Harnmaster, makes combat really vivid. Knockback, Passive Blocking, Parrying all create another level of detail. I didn’t have a chance to try out the Weapon Reach rules, but this also gives more depth. On top of that there are a lot of tactical decisions to be made compared to other RPGs, which can turn the tide of combat. As I have said in previous posts, while this is great in a social TTRPG table, when playing solo, you’re met with analysis paralysis. Do I Impale? Choose Location or Maximize Damage?. When this happens quite so often, it can be a burden. In BRP, the Special Effects are tied to the weapon, and you have no choice, but they’re so fewer in comparison.

What about the Dungeon Crawl?

Despite the TPK, the Mythras system coupled with Classic Fantasy does work for dungeon crawling. The TPK happened (as in the Harnmaster session as well), because the Smilodon in D&D is not as powerful as in the d100 RPGs which focus more on verisimilitude.
Also Surprise is very detrimental in the d100 family, as Death Spiral is a thing, and Surprise can get the clock ticking. The Smilodon ambushed the party successfully in both sessions, and that set the deal for them.
I don’t know if I had increased the party to more experienced heroes, if it would have made a difference. If it plays similar to Harnmaster I guess not, since the Harnmaster party was already more experienced than new adventurers.
I can only assume that higher Ranks of the spellcasting classes can really turn the tide and give the party a fighting chance against the stronger bosses, otherwise it really evades me as to how they’d face a dragon for example (this goes to Harnmaster as well). Unfortunately I won’t get to find out in this session. Perhaps it would be fun to try this out in the future as a standalone fight.

Summary

Running this session was tiresome; so many back and forth with rules, correcting errors I made, looking into character sheets. I think three is the limit of the party I can run in this ruleset family. I can’t imagine running it without the Roll20 assistance. With two TPKs in a row, I am honestly wondering if there will be a ruleset in my challenge that can handle stronger than human foes.
However I did enjoy the visualization of the combat, and the variety of effects that occur in combat, something that is lacking from Harnmaster. Perhaps a hack of adding some special effects would be appropriate? Something I’ll keep in mind.
Overall I found the session interesting, albeit difficult to run. I will keep
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giorgis 2:54 pm on October 28, 2023 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Harnmaster ( 6 ), Solo ( 176 )
The Eisenmond Blade S01 – Hârnmaster

Advancing to level 2 of the challenge, will be Harnmaster, this time, expanded with Harnmaster Religion. If the party survives, then at level 3, I will incorporate Harnmaster Magic.
I will choose the Level 2 dungeon The Eisenmond Blade from TSR’s Dragon Quest, introductory adventure game and play it with a series of different RPG systems.
I will not be converting much, rather I will be freely translating to the nearest acceptable option. For example, if there aren’t kobolds in the RPG system under test, then I’ll choose another monster rather than try to create kobolds.
I won’t be warping the adventure at all, rather I’ll be using it as is.

I’ll be using a diverse party of 3+1 characters. I’ll try to include as many different demihuman races and professions as possible to have a party that can deal with most tasks.
If I can find pregens that can fit a slot in the party, I’ll use them.

So for this first attempt I will be using Hârnmaster 3ed. I expect combat to be deadly and slow. I’m eager to see how it will turn out.

The Party

I’ll be using pregens from https://www.lythia.com/game_aides/friends-foes-followers-volume-1/
- Eitri Terrika, a Khuzdul Clansman
- Melas Renier, a Sindarin Ranger
- Rybryn of Dara (aka Shadow), an Unguilded Thief
- Rayald Cotrael, a Priest of Larani
I’ve added one member to the party, since the difficulty has increased.

The Adventure

For the last week, Torlynn has been shaken by earthquakes. The evil beneath the mountain is stirring and you have been unable to find any trace of the missing Eisenkern. Just as you are on the verge of giving up, a messenger arrives and asks you to meet with the Burgomaster at once. You travel quickly to his home and he greets you with a smile and warm handshakes all around.
Gustovan says “Good news, my friends! I have received word of the Eisenkern. It seems that the goblins sold it to a travelling group of orcs. The orcs were headed down into the valley, but they never completed their journey. Not far from their home, they were attacked and the Eisenkern was stolen.
My scouts have given me the location of the thief’s hideout. It is an old, ruined castle about two days ride from here. You must go there at once and recover the Eisenkern. If you fail, all of Torlynn may soon be destroyed!”

After a rough trip, you have reached the ruined castle. It is nestled in a thick wood and difficult to get to. Whatever happened to destroy this keep must have been horrible. Most of it has fallen into towering piles of rock.
After a short search you found a break in one of the still-standing areas and entered.
You have stepped into what was once a kitchen. The broken remains of a large fireplace stand along the far wall. The floor is littered with dust and pieces of broken rock. A cracked doorway leads deeper into the ruin. It seems to be the only exit from this area.

Note: again I have to warn the reader that there are huge mechanics text blocks. Hârnmaster combat is very detailed, so I'm giving the reader an opportunity to read this as an example, or just skip it and jump to the narrative sections.

Some abbreviations:
CS/CF/MS/MF: Marginal/Critical, Success/Failure
EI: Effective Impact, essentially the damage points done after factoring in weapon and armor types.
DTA: Defender Tactical Advantage, an extra free move the defender gets, max 1 per round
WQ: Weapon Quality
IL: Injury Level

A. Dining Room

This area was once a beautiful dining room. Now the formerly grand decor has fallen into ruin. Bits of broken furniture are scattered about the floor and rotting old paintings hang crooked on the stone walls.
The air in here is thick and musty. Flies buzz about and little beetles scurry out from under your feet. In the center of the room is a pile of three bodies-perhaps the last group of adventurers to explore this place! They appear to have been stripped of all their weapons and valuables, tossed in a heap, and forgotten.

Normally, here are 3 zombies. Undead in Harnmaster are a unique case. They do grapple attacks in order to perform Shadow Conflict (a type of Mental Conflict) against the victim. If the victim loses they become undead too. They're very scary and very much different than your typical Zombie and Skeleton. I'd say they're on a similar challenge as level-draining undead like Wraiths and Wights. For this reason I will go with some Fanon adaptations for Zombies.

Supposedly the group must disturb the zombies in some manner. I can think only of two things that make sense that could cause the party to disturb the zombies. Either the thief notices the Dragon Fang blade in the belt of a corpse and attempts to grab it, or perhaps the priest wants to cast Passage of the Soul ritual to the corpses, unbeknownst to him about the existence of zombies.

Rybryn: Awareness: 36/75: Success. She notices the dagger.
I will have her make a Morality test. If she fails, she will attempt to take the dagger.
Rybryn: MOR: 11/10: Fail.
Rayald will also make a Morality test. If he succeeds, he will attempt to do the passage of the soul ritual.
Rayald: MOR: 11/12: Success.

A fine dagger in the belt of one of the corpses, catches Rybryn’s attention. At about the same time, Rayald brings out Larani’s holy symbol and starts the Passage of the Soul invocation. As Rybryn draws the dagger from the corpses belt, a moan is heard, and suddenly, the dead start rising and attack the party.
“Gulmorvrin!” Eitri yells as he draws his hammer-axe to fight.

I rule that the characters are surprised, and Rybryn and Rayald have their weapons sheathed. Melas and Eitri have their weapons at the ready.

Round 0

Zombie 1 attacks Melas with hands: 71/52 Marginal Failure (MF). Melas dodges: 94/103 Marginal Success (MS). Zombie 1 Missed.
Zombie 2 attacks Rybryn with Bite: 18/39 MS. Rybryn dodges: 76/75: MF. Zombie 2 A*1 Hit: 58: Thorax: Effective Impact: 5+2-1=6: S2. Rybryn suffers a Serious Cut to the Thorax.
Zombie 3 attacks Rayald with Bite: 31/39 MS. Rayald dodges: 58/35: MF.
Zombie 3 A*1 Hit: 42: Right Hand: Effective Impact: 4+2=6: ♦S2. Fumble Roll: 9/12: Success, he doesn’t drop the holy symbol. Rayald suffers a Serious Cut to the Right Hand.

Round 1

Melas attacks Zombie 1 with Long Knife: 22/109: MS. Zombie 1 Dodges: 39/40: MS. Melas Missed.
Rayald draws his broadsword (Grope Action)
Eitri attacks Zombie 1 with Hammer-axe: 78/97: MS. Zombie 1 Dodges: 43/40: MF. Eitri A*1 Hit: 13: Neck: Effective Impact: 5+6=11: S3. Zombie 1 suffers a Serious Cut to the Neck.
Rybryn draws her Shortsword.
Zombie 1 attacks Melas with hands: 17/(52-15) MS. Melas dodges: 79/103 MS. Zombie 1 Missed.
Zombie 2 attacks Rybryn with Bite: 5/39 Critical Success CS. Rybryn dodges: 62/(75-10): MS. Zombie 2 A*1 Hit: 40: Right Hand: Effective Impact: 6+2=8: ♦S2. Fumble Roll: 10/18: Success, she doesn’t drop the shortsword. Shock Roll: 12/13: Success. She doesn’t go into shock. Rybryn suffers a Serious Cut to the Right Hand. “Help me!” she yells.
Zombie 3 attacks Rayald with Bite: 34/39 MS. Rayald blocks: 20/(65-10): CS. Defender Tactical Advantage (DTA): Rayald attacks Zombie 3 with Broadsword: 34/(70-10): MS. Zombie 3 dodges: 63/40: MF. Rayald A*1 Hit: 82: Right Thigh: Effective Impact: 5+5=10: ♦S3. Stumble Roll: 10/(8-3): Failure. Zombie 3 suffers a Serious Cut to the Right Thigh and falls prone.

Round 2

Melas attacks Zombie 1 with Long Knife: 17/109: MS. Zombie 1 Dodges: 14/(40-25): MS. Melas Missed.
Q: Can Eitri maneuver to assist Rybryn?
A: No, but he can if a zombie is destroyed.
Eitri attacks Zombie 1 with Hammer-axe: 24/97: MS. Zombie 1 Dodges: 29/(40-25): MF. Eitri A*1 Hit: 70: Right Thigh: Effective Impact: 6+6=12: ♦S3. Stumble Roll: 8/(8-6): Failure. Zombie 1 suffers a Serious Cut to the Right Thigh and falls prone.
Rayald attacks Zombie 3 with Broadsword: 61/(70-10): MF. Zombie 3 dodges: 1/(40-15): MS. Rayald Missed.
Rybryn attacks Zombie 2 with Shorsword: 59/(77-20): MF. Zombie 2 dodges: 27/40: MS. Rybryn Missed.
Zombie 1 stands back up (Rise).
Zombie 2 attacks Rybryn with Bite: 9/39 MS. Rybryn dodges: 62/(75-20): MF. Zombie 2 A*1 Hit: 17: Left Shoulder: Effective Impact: 2+2-2=2: M1. Shock Roll: 12/13: Success. She doesn’t go into shock. Rybryn suffers a Minor Cut to the Left Shoulder.
Zombie 3 stands back up (Rise).

Round 3

Melas attacks Zombie 1 with Long Knife: 49/109: MS. Zombie 1 Dodges: 39/(40-40): MF. Melas A*1 Hit: 80: Right Hip: Effective Impact: 4+8=12: ♦S3. Stumble Roll: 8/(8-9): Failure. Zombie 1 suffers a Serious Stab to the Right Hip and falls prone.
Eitri attacks Zombie 1 with Hammer-axe: 10/97: CS. Zombie 1 Dodges: 85/(40-40): CF. Eitri A*3 Hit: 18: Right Shoulder: Effective Impact: 11+6=17: ♦K4. Kill Roll: 13/16: Success. Zombie 1 suffers a Mortal Wound to the Right Shoulder and is still moving.
Rayald attacks Zombie 3 with Broadsword: 76/(70-10): MF. Zombie 3 dodges: 45/(40-15): CF. Zombie Stumble: 12/(8-3): Zombie stumbles and falls prone.
Rybryn attacks Zombie 2 with Shorsword: 99/(77-25): MF. Zombie 2 dodges: 46/40: MS. Rybryn Missed.
Zombie 1 stands back up (Rise).
Zombie 2 attacks Rybryn with Bite: 59/39 MF. Rybryn dodges: 18/(75-25): MS. Zombie 2 Missed.
Zombie 3 stands back up (Rise).

Round 4

Melas attacks Zombie 1 with Long Knife: 43/109: MS. Zombie 1 Dodges: 77/(40-40): MF. Melas A*1 Hit: 51: Thorax: Effective Impact: 3+8=11: S3. Zombie 1 suffers a Serious Stab to the Thorax.
Eitri attacks Zombie 1 with Hammer-axe: 66/97: MS. Zombie 1 Dodges: 3/(40-40): MF. Eitri A*1 Hit: 55: Thorax: Effective Impact: 1+6=7: S2. Zombie 1 suffers a Serious Wound and collapses, disabled.
Rayald attacks Zombie 3 with Broadsword: 6/(70-10): MS. Zombie 3 dodges: 73/(40-15): MF. Rayald A*1 Hit: 82: Right Thigh: Effective Impact: 6+5=11: ♦S3. Stumble Roll: 9/(8-6). Zombie 3 suffers a Serious Cut to the Right Thigh and falls prone.
Rybryn attacks Zombie 2 with Shorsword: 1/(77-25): MS. Zombie 2 dodges: 56/40: MF. Rybryn A*1 Hit: 24: Right Shoulder: Effective Impact: 6+4=10: ♦S3. Zombie 2 suffers a Serious Cut to the Right Shoulder.
Zombie 2 attacks Rybryn with Bite: 54/(39-15) MF. Rybryn dodges: 30/(75-25): DTA: Rybryn attacks Zombie 2 with Broadsword: 10/(75-25): CS. Zombie 2 dodges: 41/(40-15): MF. Rybryn A*2 Hit: 82: Left Upper Arm: Effective Impact: 7+4=11: ♦S2. Zombie 2 suffers a Serious Cut to the Left Upper Arm.
Zombie 3 stands back up (Rise).

Round 5

Melas attacks Zombie 2 with Long Knife: 50/109: CS. Zombie 2 Dodges: 35/(40-35): CF. Melas A*3 Hit: 3: Skull: Effective Impact: 5+8=13: K4. Kill Roll: 14/16: Success: Zombie 2 Survives. Zombie 2 suffers a Mortal Wound to the Skull.
Eitri attacks Zombie 3 with Hammer-axe: 1/97: MS. Zombie 1 Dodges: 37/(40-40): MF. Eitri A*1 Hit: 86: Right Thigh: Effective Impact: 3+6=10: ♦S3. Stumble Roll: 18/(8-9). Zombie 3 suffers a Serious Cut to the Right Thigh and falls prone.
Rayald attacks Zombie 3 with Broadsword: 29/(70-10): MS. Zombie 3 dodges: 35/(40-15): CF. Rayald A*2 Hit: 6: Face: 25: Left Eye: Effective Impact: 8+5=13: G4. Zombie 3 suffers a Grevious Cut to the Face.
Rybryn attacks Zombie 2 with Shorsword: 21/(77-25): MS. Zombie 2 dodges: 36/40: MF. Rybryn A*1 Hit: 78: Right Hip: Effective Impact: 6+4=10: ♦S3. Stumble Roll: 6/(8-12). Zombie 2 suffers a Serious Cut to the Right Hip and falls prone.
Zombie 2 stands back up (Rise).
Zombie 3 stands back up (Rise).

Round 6

Melas attacks Zombie 2 with Long Knife: 15/109: CS. Zombie 2 Dodges: 92/(40-70): MF. Melas A*2 Hit: 42: Right Hand: Effective Impact: 6+6=12: S3. Zombie 2 suffers a Serious Cut to the Right Hand.
Eitri attacks Zombie 3 with Hammer-axe: 42/97: MS. Zombie 1 Dodges: 57/(40-75): MF. Eitri A*1 Hit: 84: Right Thigh: Effective Impact: 2+6=8: ♦S2. Stumble Roll: 14/(8-15). Zombie 3 suffers a Serious Cut to the Right Thigh and falls prone.
Rayald attacks Zombie 3 with Broadsword: 88/(70-10): MF. Zombie 3 Ignores. Rayald A*1 Hit: 48: Thorax: Effective Impact: 2+5=7: S2. Zombie 3 suffers a Serious Wound and collapses, disabled.
Rybryn attacks Zombie 2 with Shorsword: 15/(77-25): CS. Zombie 2 dodges: 99/40: MF. Rybryn A*2 Hit: 15: Neck: Effective Impact: 3+4=7: S2. Zombie 2 suffers a Serious Cut to the Neck and ollapses, disabled.

In the ensuing chaos, the combat is fierce. Melas, with her Long Knife, makes a swift, precise strike but misses her mark. Rayald, the priest, swiftly draws his broadsword, while Rybryn, though initially caught off guard, regains her composure.
The zombies attack with relentless determination. One of them lunges at Melas but misses. Another sinks its teeth into Rybryn’s arm, inflicting a serious cut. Rayald is also targeted, suffering a deep gash on his hand while keeping his holy symbol intact.
In the next round, the party rallies. Melas and Eitri deliver powerful blows, and Rayald continues to fend off the undead menace. Rybryn, despite the injury, stands her ground.
As the battle intensifies, Melas stabs with precision, causing a grave wound to one zombie, while Eitri’s hammer-axe smashes another’s thigh, sending it to the ground. Rayald strikes a critical blow to a zombie’s face, maiming it severely. Rybryn manages to land a solid hit on a zombie’s hip, and it too collapses.
In the final rounds, the party’s coordinated efforts pay off. Melas deals a crippling blow to a zombie’s hand, and Eitri’s axe inflicts a serious wound on another zombie’s thigh. Rayald, with a determined strike, wounds a zombie’s thorax, rendering it disabled. Rybryn, not to be outdone, delivers a final blow to a zombie’s neck, sending it tumbling into the darkness, lifeless once more.

Rybryn has suffered a Serious Cut to the Thorax, a Serious Cut to the Right Hand, and Minor Cut to the Left Shoulder. Rayald has suffered a Serious Cut to the Right Hand.
Rayald will perform the Invocation of the Bandage of St. Perelyne at himself at his Serious Cut to the Right Hand. He will spend 15 Piety Points.
Rayald: 40/(70-15-10+15)=CS. His wound is healed completely.

Normally, only one Injury Level is healed, and due to the Critical Success, the wound is completely healed in one day, but I will overrule due to the dungeon crawling and make it so that the wound is healed completely Now.

Rayald will perform the Invocation of the Bandage of St. Perelyne at Rybryn’s Serious Cut to the Thorax.
Rayald: 68/(70-15)=MF. The wound isn’t healed.

Rayald will perform the Invocation of the Bandage of St. Perelyne at Rybryn’s Serious Cut to the Right hand.
Rayald: 10/(70-15)=CS. Her wound is healed completely.

Rayald will perform the Invocation of the Bandage of St. Perelyne at Rybryn’s Minor Cut to the Left Shoulder.
Rayald: 12/(70-15)=MS. Her wound is healed completely.

Rayald, in the aftermath of the intense battle, turns his attention to the wounded. With a solemn demeanor and a deep connection to his faith, he invokes the Bandage of St. Perelyne. The warm glow of divine power envelops him, and he concentrates on his own wounded hand, pouring piety into the healing prayer. As the divine energy flows through him, his own injury on the right hand disappears, leaving no trace of the prior cut.
He then shifts his focus to Rybryn, whose thorax wound is still of concern. The divine power is summoned once more, but this time, the outcome is less favorable. The deep gash remains, resisting the healing touch of St. Perelyne’s Bandage.
Undeterred, Rayald proceeds to Rybryn’s right hand, channeling the divine energy once again. With the grace of his faith, he heals her hand entirely, erasing the wound’s memory. Finally, he moves on to the minor cut on her left shoulder, and with a gentle invocation, the wound vanishes, leaving Rybryn fully restored.
The echoes of Rayald’s spiritual healing resonate in the room, a testament to the strength of faith and the power of divine intervention. The party can now regroup, their injuries tended to, and continue their exploration of the ominous castle.

Also according to the previous adventure A Call to Glory Rybryn had acquired a Shield Ring. This is a +1 Armor Class ring, which I will translate to a +5 to Dodge for Rybryn. I’ll have to remember this.

Also Eitri had acquired the Motopua Battle Axe. This is a Large Axe of d8, +1 to Attack and Damage.

Rybryn takes the Dragon Fang dagger, which is made from the tooth of a Red Dragon. This is a Small Dagger of d4, +1 to Attack and Damage.

I will translate these as follows:

WEAPON SKILL OML WT WQ A/D HM B E P
Motopua Axe SBx3 6 16 25/15 -15 7 10 7
Dragon Fang Dagger SBx3 1 15 10/10 . 2 3 6

Rybryn carefully retrieves the dagger from the zombie corpse. The weapon is a unique and intriguing find, crafted from the tooth of a fearsome red dragon. As she holds it in her hand, she can feel the power and history that this blade carries. The serrated edge and the deep crimson hue of the dragon’s tooth make it an extraordinary and ominous addition to her arsenal.

B. Wide Hallway

This is a short, wide hallway. This area seems to have been saved from the violence that destroyed the rest of the castle. The dusty old tapestries that hang on the walls are the only sign that time has passed since the castle was left behind.

In the corner there is a crystal ball. I doubt anyone would want to look into it, but I’ll roll randomly for one adventurer and then roll Morality to see if they withstand the temptation.
Melas: Morality: 8/16: Success. He won’t look into the crystal ball.

In one corner of the hallway, an intriguing and somewhat ominous sight catches their attention—a crystal ball. Its surface shimmers with an otherworldly light, and the curiosity it sparks is undeniable. However, it’s not a temptation that easily ensnares the party, for they are guided by their own moral compass.
The decision falls to Melas, who contemplates whether to peer into the enigmatic orb. Yet, with a display of strong will and unwavering morals, Melas resists the allure. His conviction prevails, and the party chooses to move forward, their path unswayed by the mysterious crystal ball’s potential secrets.

The dungeon splits here in two directions. There is nothing to guide the party right or left, so I'll randomly decide where they will go.

They will head West, to Room E.

E. Gate House

In the days before the castle fell into ruin, this was the main entrance, called the gate house. A twisted iron gate blocks the exit. It would be impossible to clear out the dirt blocking this doorway without a great deal of effort and time.
Now this room is used by the monster that lives here, to keep it’s pet wolves! Two of the largest meanest wolves you have ever seen snarl and growl at you. Bones that are obviously the remains of the wolves’s past meals are scattered all over the floor.
As they charge toward you, you can’t help but wonder if you will be their next dinner.

These beasts are actually dire wolves. I will be using the White Wolf stats for them.

Round 1

Melas engages the closest wolf and attacks with the Long Knife: 76/119: MS. Wolf 1 Dodge: 39/65: MS. Wolf 1 dodges the attack.
Rayald engages Wolf 1 and attacks with his Broadsword: 99/70: MF. Wolf 1 Dodge: 33/(65-10): MS/ Wolf 1 dodges the attack.
Eitri engages Wolf 2 and attacks with the Hammer-axe: 97/92: MF. Wolf 2 Counterattack: 11/70: MS: Wolf 2 D*1 Hit: 8: Face: 40: Right Cheek: Effective Impact: 4+7-10=1: M1. Eitri suffers a Minor Bite Stab to the Face.
Rybryn engages Wolf 2 and attacks with the Dragon Fang: 94/76: MF. Wolf 2 Dodge: 85/(65-10): CF. The attack misses.
Wolf 1 attempts to bite Melas: 63/70: MS. Melas Dodge: 85/103: CS. Melas dodges the attack.
Wolf 2 attempts to bite Eitri: 63/70: MS. Eitri Block with Round Shield: 24/(87-5): MS. Attack is blocked.

Round 2

Melas attacks Wolf 1 with the Long Knife: 4/119: MS. Wolf 1 Dodge: 67/(65-10): MF. Melas A*1 Hit: 80: Abdomen: Effective Impact: 3+8-1=10: S3. Wolf 1 suffers a Serious Stab to the Abdomen. Shock Roll: 14/13: Wolf 1 falls prone in Shock.
Rayald engages Wolf 2 and attacks with his Broadsword: 64/70: MS. Wolf 2 Dodge: 70/(65-20): CF. Rayald A*2 Hit: 40: Thorax: Effective Impact: 6+5-3=8: S2. Wolf 2 suffers a Serious Cut to the Abdomen. Shock Roll: 7/13: Wolf 2 continues fighting.
Eitri attacks Wolf 2 with the Hammer-axe: 89/(92-5): MF. Wolf 2 Counterattack: 72/(70-30): MF. Standoff.
Rybryn attacks Wolf 2 with the Dragon Fang: 10/76: CS. Wolf 2 Dodge: 53/(65-30): MF. Rybryn A*2 Hit: 35: Thorax: Effective Impact: 4+6-1=9: S3. Wolf 2 suffers a Serious Stab to the Abdomen. Shock Roll: 15/13: Wolf 2 falls prone in Shock.

The dire wolves, driven by primal instincts, lunge at the party. Melas, seeks to strike the nearest wolf with his Long Knife, but the agile creature skillfully avoids his assault. Rayald, displaying unwavering determination, thrusts his Broadsword toward the same wolf, yet it narrowly escapes his blade. In the midst of the clash, Eitri finds himself facing a counterattack, as one of the dire wolves inflicts a minor bite wound to his visage.
Rybryn, wielding the Dragon Fang dagger obtained earlier, attempts to pierce the second wolf but misses her mark.
As the dire wolves, relentless in their aggression, snap their jaws menacingly, Melas skillfully dodges the lunging fangs of the first wolf. Eitri effectively parries the second wolf’s bite attempt using his round shield, effectively warding off the menacing creature.
In the ensuing round of battle, Melas delivers a well-aimed thrust to the first wolf’s abdomen, inflicting a grave injury that leaves it incapacitated in shock. Rayald, maintaining his unwavering resolve, lands a powerful strike on the second wolf’s midsection, resulting in a severe wound. Rybryn, too, finds her mark, stabbing the second wolf in the abdomen, rendering it temporarily incapacitated by shock.
The chamber reverberates with the tumult of combat as the party confronts the dire wolves, endeavoring to secure their dominance in the gatehouse.

Rayald will perform the Invocation of the Bandage of St. Perelyne at Eitri’s Minor Bite Stab to the Right Cheeck.
Rayald: 10/(70-15)=CS. Eitri’s wound is healed completely.

Rayald, the devoted priest, turns his attention to Eitri’s minor bite wound on his right cheek. With a solemn demeanor, he calls upon the divine power of St. Perelyne, invoking the Bandage of Healing. A warm, radiant energy envelops Eitri as the wound on his cheek vanishes completely, leaving no trace of the prior injury.

F. Overgrown Hallway

This is a long stretch of stone hallway that has many cracks in the walls and along the floors. Over the years, various grasses, weeds, and wildflowers have grown to cover the area. Splits in the ceiling allow bright streams of sunlight to shine in, brightly lighting the area. A crude path has been chopped through the middle of the vines, but the entire place reminds you of a green spider web.

As the heroes start down this hall, a smilodon jumps down through the cracks in the ceiling. With a roar, it springs at the heroes and attacks them.
The Harnic smilodon is the Dracofelas, let’s hope our party will survive this.

Since this is an ambush, I’ll roll Awareness for each of the heroes.
Melas: Awareness: 82/95: MS
Eitri: Awareness: 15/62: CS
Rayald: Awareness: 93/59:MF
Rybryn: Awareness: 49/(75-10): MS

Only Rayald is surprised, and won’t act at the first round.
March order for the party since this is a tight hallway, is Eitri, Melas, Rybryn, Rayald.
The Smilodon will jump down on: Melas.

Due to the surprise, but also Melas’ awareness success, I rule that Melas won’t lose his action, but will act after the Smilodon.

Round 1

Smilodon jumps down between Melas and Rybryn, and bites at Melas: 45/90: CS. Melas Dodge: 83/103: MS. Smilodon A*1 Hit: 13: Neck: Effective Impact: 4+10=14: K4. Melas suffers a Mortal Bite Stab to the Neck. Melas Shock Roll: 12/14: Succeeds. Melas Kill Roll: 16/14: Failure. Instant Death. Melas is dead from the neck wound.
Eitri charges at the Smilodon attacking with Hammer-axe and shield: 40/97: CS. Smilodon Counterstrikes with Bite: 31/95: MS. Eitri A*1 Hit: 88: Right Hind Leg: Effective Impact: 2-1+6-3=4: M1. Smilodon suffers a Minor Cut to the Right Hind Leg.
Rayald cannot reach the Smilodon.
Rybryn thrusts her Dragon Fang at Smilodon: 73/(76-10): MF. Smilodon Counterstrike with Claws: 1/(76-15): MS. Smilodon D*1 Hit: 40: Right Hand: Effective Impact: 8+8=16: G4. Rybryn suffers a Grevious Claw Stab at the Right Hand. Shock Roll: 25/13. Rybryn falls unconscious.

Round 2

Smilodon bites at Eitri, aiming Low: 53/(95-5): MS. Eitri Block with Round Shield: 7/87: MS. Attack is blocked.
Eitri attacks at the Smilodon with Hammer-axe and shield: 37/97: MS. Smilodon Counterstrikes with Claw: 85/(76-5): CF. Eitri A*3 Hit: 10: Head: Effective Impact: 9-3+6-3=8: S2. Smilodon suffers a Serious Cut to the Head.
Rayald engages at the Smilodon attacking with Broadsword: 90/70: CF. Smilodon Counterstrikes with Claw: 100/(76-15): CF. Both Fumble. Rayald Fumble Roll: 12/12: Success. Rayald doesn’t drop his sword.
Rybryn Shock Roll: 21/13: Failure.

Round 3

Smilodon bites at Eitri, aiming Low: 8/(95-15): MS. Eitri Block with Round Shield: 96/87: MF. Smilodon A*1 Hit: 45: Left Hip: Effective Impact: 5+10-12=3: M1. Minor Bite Stab to the Left Hip. Eitri’s armour took the brunt of the hit. Eitri stumble roll: 10/(15-4): Success. Eitri stands.
Eitri attacks at the Smilodon with Hammer-axe and shield: 51/(97-5): MS. Smilodon Dodges: 46/(95-15): MS. Smilodon dodges the attack.
Rayald attacks at the Smilodon with Broadsword: 70/70: CS. Smilodon Dodges: 17/(95-15): MS. Rayald A*1 Hit: 88: Right Hind Leg: Effective Impact: 3-1-3+5=4. M1. Smilodon suffers a Minor Cut to the Right Hind Leg. Smilodon Shock Roll: 15/19: Success. Smilodon keeps fighting.
Rybryn Shock Roll: 20/13: Failure.

Round 4

I think this is a good moment to test Smilodon's Morale.
Smilodon: Morale: 97/(90-20): MF. Smilodon is Cautious for this Turn.

Smilodon waits out its turn, growling at the heroes.
Eitri attacks at the Smilodon with Hammer-axe and shield: 52/(97-5): MS. Smilodon Dodges: 55/(95-20): CS. Smilodon dodges the attack.
Rayald attacks at the Smilodon with Broadsword: 24/70: MS. Smilodon Dodges: 8/(95-20): MS. Smilodon dodges the attack.
Rybryn Shock Roll: 12/13: Success. Rybryn Shock Roll: 27/13: Failure. Rybryn is in Shock, displaying a variety of symptoms including sickly pallor, cold sweats, weakness, nausea, incoherence, or gazing helplessly at her injuries.

Round 5

Smilodon bites at Eitri, aiming Low: 92/(95-20): MF. Eitri Block with Round Shield: 59/(87-5): MS. DTA. Eitri gains a Tactical Advantage and attacks the Smilodon with his Hammer-axe: 68/(97-5): MS. Smilodon Dodges: 28/(95-20): MS. Smilodon dodges the attack.
Eitri attacks at the Smilodon with Hammer-axe and shield: 22/(97-5): MS. Smilodon Dodges: 40/(95-20): CS. Smilodon dodges the attack.
Rayald attacks at the Smilodon with Broadsword: 1/70: MS. Smilodon Dodges: 13/(95-20): MS. Smilodon dodges the attack.
Rybryn: Initiative: 93/(75-30): Failure.

Round 6

Smilodon claws at Eitri, aiming Low: 51/(76-20): MS. Eitri Block with Round Shield: 99/(87-5): MF. Smilodon A*1 Hit: 94: Right Foot: Effective Impact: 1+8-3=6: S2. Eitri suffers a Serious Claw Fracture to the Right Foot. Shock Roll: 12/15: Success. Eitri Stands. Stumble Roll: 7/(15-6): Success. Eitri Stands.
Eitri attacks at the Smilodon with Hammer-axe and shield: 74/(97-15): MS. Smilodon Counterstrikes with Claws: 45/(76-20): CS. Smilodon D*1 Hit: 36: Right Forearm: Effective Impact: 8+8-1=15: S3. Eitri suffers a Serious Claw Fracture to the Right Forearm. Shock Roll: 19/15: Failure. Eitri falls unconscious.
Rayald attacks at the Smilodon with Broadsword: 54/70: MS. Smilodon Dodges: 4/(95-20): MS. Smilodon dodges the attack.
Rybryn: Initiative: 62/(75-30): Failure.

Round 7

Smilodon claws at Rayald, aiming Low: 18/(76-20): MS. Rayald Block with Broadsword: 83/65: MF. Smilodon A*1 Hit: 18: Thorax: Effective Impact: 7+8-5=10: S3. Rayald suffers a Serious Claw Fracture to the Thorax. Shock Roll: 12/13: Success. Rayald Stands.
Eitri Shock Roll: 26/15: Failure.
Rayald attacks at the Smilodon with Broadsword: 74/(70-15): MS. Smilodon Counterstrikes with Claws: 46/(76-20): MS. Smilodon D*1 Hit: 14: Neck: Effective Impact: 3+8-2=9: S3. Rayald suffers a Serious Claw Fracture to the Neck. Shock Roll: 24/13: Failure. Rayald falls unconscious.
Rybryn: Initiative: 48/(75-30): Failure.

TPK.

Suddenly, the party’s journey is disrupted by an unexpected ambush. A fearsome Smilodon, the Dracofelas, descends from above with a mighty roar, targeting Melas, who is caught off guard. The creature’s jaw clamps down on Melas’s neck, delivering a mortal wound. As the young elf succumbs to the fatal bite, the vivid world around him fades to darkness.
Eitri, Melas’s comrade, rushes to the Smilodon, wielding his hammer-axe and shield. Their combat unfolds in this confined space, the mighty dwarf managing to wound the Smilodon’s hind leg.
As for Rayald, he is momentarily stunned by the sudden attack, unable to respond in the first round. The ferocious Smilodon’s claws strike at Rybryn, leaving her unconscious, her body bearing the scars of a grievous wound.
The fierce battle continues with Eitri and Rayald, attempting to fend off the relentless Smilodon. They land a few hits, but the creature remains resolute.
As time passes, the Smilodon’s morale wavers, and it hesitates for a brief moment. However, the battle takes its toll. Eitri is grievously injured, and the shock of his wounds overwhelms him, causing him to fall unconscious. Rayald, too, faces the creature’s relentless onslaught, enduring severe injuries. Eventually, he succumbs, losing consciousness.
Rybryn is left as the sole conscious member of the party, but the odds are against her. The Smilodon’s final assault proves overwhelming.

The System

I won’t detail the basics of the system, as I’ve continued over my previous Level 1 A Call to Glory S01 – Harnmaster adventure. However this time I added a fourth party member, a Laranian Priest. These dudes are the closest I found to a D&D Cleric/Paladin type, and I wanted to add a healer to the party. Unfortunately little good did it make.
The Invocation casting system (the casting of clerical spell Harnmaster equivalent) is quite straightforward. It’s a skill roll, with a penalty based on the level of the skill. I couldn’t find any hard limit on how many invocations the priest can cast in a given time period which is odd, as this could potentially lead to a full healing exploit (Piety Points are only spent optionally to increase one’s chance of success). However, the healing spell allows for the healing of 1 Injury Level per Wound, which means, that for anything other than a Minor Injury, something will persist. Also according to RAW, a Critical Success will heal the entire wound in the course of a day. I houseruled that it happens instantly as per the Minor Injury, to align with the dungeon crawl of Dragon Quest. Perhaps in a big D&D-esque dungeon where the party would camp and rest, it would make sense to keep RAW. I also ruled that you can have only one attempt of healing a particular Wound. Otherwise the exploit kicks in.
Priests can also ask for Divine Intervention which is a really cool mechanic that reminds me of Mythras Theism, and some Runequest roots or osmosis. However I never got a chance to try it out. Never got a chance to try out any other spells as well.
I should have gone reading all the Invocations Rayald knows, as he also could cast Herald of the End of Life to give his sword a nice +3 Impact, with a duration of several days worth. Oh well.

What about the Dungeon Crawl?

As in the previous dungeon level, the pregenerated characters were a tad bit strong (they were rolled by their authors), which is also in line with the Draqon Quest adventure where the heroes are full hit die. Also I did not want to spend time generating characters (even using points) because it wasn’t the aim of my experiment.
There were times where rolling felt a bit redundant, as two of the heroes (Melas and Eitri respectively) had stats near 100 OML, which meant a Failure at only 95+ rolls. Nevertheless, failures did happen.
Fighting the Zombies was an odd experience. Surprise can be a really battle-changing factor in Harnmaster, as the surprised heroes got wounded. Also having the Zombies not make Shock Rolls, made the fight drag on, and the rules were not absolutely clear on some regards. There was no guidance to this, so I did give the Zombies Injury Penalties, as it made sense that they would be less functional after receiving multiple hits.
The fight with the wolves was quite undramatic, the poor beasts didn’t stand a chance. And then, the Smilodon fight changed everything. I liked how it jumped in the middle of the party, and I could even visualize the Dracofelas grabbing the poor elf ranger by the neck and snapping him in two. The rest of the party surrounding the beast, and it growling and attacking on both ends like a feline. Unfortunately the deadliness of the system caused a TPK. A meta currency mechanic as in Mythras could have given the heroes a second chance.
Also it was a balance issue. The power level of a beast in D&D doesn’t translate equally to other systems. And to think that my heroes were stronger than average. It’s a pity, because I really wanted to see how the other beasts would fare against them.

Summary

What a combat! Despite the unfavorable end result, Hârnmaster is still on the list of my favorite RPG systems. There was a critical point where the resolution hanged by a thread. If the Dracofelas would have received a few more wounds, there’s a good chance that it would flee or collapse due to shock. Unfortunately it hit (aimed one would say) at unarmored parts of the heroes.
I wanted to see the heroes reach the next dungeon level, as I intended to also add a Shek-Pvar (a mage) to the party mix, and the BBEG in Level 3 is a common but very interesting dungeon trope.
Perhaps I’ll take another one of the successful dungeon runs I’ve done and convert it to Harnmaster, because I literally love this system.
A takeaway for general solo playing (and not the system testing this actual play is about), is that you absolutely need to add a metacurrency Luck/Fate Point Mechanic, or avoid combat as much as possible.
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giorgis 10:34 am on October 22, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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A Call to Glory S10 – The Dark Eye

Continuing at the same challenge in the Level 1 dungeon A Call to Glory from TSR’s Dragon Quest, introductory adventure game, I aim to try more of the fantasy RPGs in my collection, this time with The Dark Eye.

The Dark Eye is a well developed RPG with its own fantasy world. It’s a d20-roll-under skill based game. Reading through it, felt like Dragonbane‘s crunchier brother.
For ease of first play, I will use the Dark Eye Quickstart to run the game, as it will be more condensed and faster.

Going through all these RPGs using the same dungeon is a fun challenge, but at the same time it is starting to become a chore. I also want to try systems that are inspired, or are variants of systems I did run in the challenge, but doing the same things again and again won’t be much fun, especially in similar systems.
So, I’m considering of adding more levels to the challenge, and going to the next dungeon level using the RPG variant if applicable and if the party survived.
For example using Classic Fantasy Imperative to run The Eisenmond Blade with my survivors (if possible) from the Mythras party in A Call to Glory. This means that if there wasn’t a TPK, the same party will go on (with additions if needed). Against the Darkmaster after MERP, MiniSix Barebones after OpenD6 Fantasy, Zweihander after Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition, and so on…
New RPGs that are completely different will enter the challenge at A Call to Glory. I haven’t decided yet what will happen with the third and last level of the dungeon. I’ll decide when the time comes. So, overall this could turn into an RPG system funnel challenge.

I don't have the Dark Eye Aventuria Bestiary or the Almanac, so I will substitute of this adventure with Orcs, as depicted in the Quickstart. I would expect a few more basic entries in the Core Rules, but it is what it is. I considered modifying a bit the orc stats to represent Kobolds, Goblins, Gnolls, etc, but in the end I decided against it. If they happen to meet a bugbear or hobgoblin, I'll use the orc leader's stats instead.

The Party

The Dark Eye has 12! Sample Characters. But I will choose the first four from the list of 6 sample characters described in the Quickstart.
- Geron Bladebreaker, Human mercenary
- Layariel Treetopglint, Elven wyldrunner
- Arbosh, Dwarven warrior
- Mirhiban al’Orhima, Human mage
The Adventure

The heroes have been called before Gustovan, the Burgomaster of Torlynn. Torlynn is a small village set in a quiet, hilly area near the mountains. The heroes have lived here for many years and think of Torlynn as home. Gustovan is known as a wise and kind mayor.
He asks of the heroes to go explore the old, abandoned, dwarven, iron mine, because strange lights and sounds come from within. They’re to find out if there is something wrong there or if the reports are false.

The heroes enter the dungeon. It’s entrance is a rough cavern, cut from the stone long ago by dwarves. They check their weapons and start down into the mine, with the wind blowing in their backs.

A. Tunnel

Wandering Monster Check: None
Wandering Monster Check: Orc

Name Initiative
Geron 19
Layariel 16
Arbosh 15
Mirhiban 16
Monsters 19

While running the battle I realized that some rules are simplified for the Quickstart so I turned to the Core Rules, and used Critical Successes and Botches for a more interesting combat.

Orc moves closer and draws his sabre
Geron draws his sword and moves facing the orc
Layariel, Mirhiban and Arbosh all move behind Geron in the tunnel

Orc attacks with Sabre: 6/13: Hit. Geron parries with Sword: 11/7: Fail. Geron is hit. Damage: 6+3-3=6. Geron Life Points (LP) 31-6=25.
Geron attacks with Sabre: 15/14: Miss.
Layariel, Mirhiban and Arbosh all wait behind Geron in the tunnel

Orc attacks with Sabre: 19/13: Miss.
Geron attacks with Sabre: 5/14: Hit. Orc parries with Sabre: 3/7: Success. Attack is parried.
Layariel, Mirhiban and Arbosh all wait behind Geron in the tunnel

Orc attacks with Sabre: 3/13: Hit. Geron parries with Sword: 16/7: Fail. Geron is hit. Damage: 3+3-3=3. Geron Life Points (LP) 25-3=22. Geron is at Slight Pain.
Geron attacks with Sabre: 5/14: Hit. Orc parries with Sabre: 4/7: Success. Attack is parried.
Layariel, Mirhiban and Arbosh all wait behind Geron in the tunnel

Orc attacks with Sabre: 8/13: Hit. Geron parries with Sword: 5/7-1: Success. Attack is parried.
Geron attacks with Sabre: 4/14-1: Hit. Orc parries with Sabre: 3/7: Success. Attack is parried.
Layariel, Mirhiban and Arbosh all wait behind Geron in the tunnel

Orc attacks with Sabre: 20/13: Botch: 12/13: Simple Failure.
Geron attacks with Sabre: 13/14-1: Hit. Orc parries with Sabre: 15/7: Fail. Orc is hit. Damage: 2+4-1=5. Orc Life Points (LP) 36-5=31.
Layariel, Mirhiban and Arbosh all wait behind Geron in the tunnel

Orc attacks with Sabre: 7/13: Hit. Geron parries with Sword: 8/7-1: Fail. Geron is hit. Damage: 2+3-3=2. Geron Life Points (LP) 22-2=20.
Geron attacks with Sabre: 6/14-1: Hit. Orc parries with Sabre: 10/7: Fail. Orc is hit. Damage: 6+4-1=9. Orc Life Points (LP) 31-9=22. Orc is at Slight Pain.
Layariel, Mirhiban and Arbosh all wait behind Geron in the tunnel

Orc attacks with Sabre: 1/13-1: Critical: 14/13-1: Simple Critical. Geron parries with Sword: 6/4-1: Fail. Geron is hit. Damage: 4+3-3=4. Geron Life Points (LP) 20-4=16.
Geron attacks with Sabre: 13/14-1: Hit. Orc parries with Sabre: 5/7-1: Success. Attack is Parried.
Layariel, Mirhiban and Arbosh all wait behind Geron in the tunnel

Orc attacks with Sabre: 3/13-1: Hit. Geron parries with Sword: 7/7-1: Fail. Geron is hit. Damage: 6+3-3=6. Geron Life Points (LP) 16-6=10. Geron is at Disturbing Pain.
Geron attacks with Sabre: 3/14-2: Hit. Orc parries with Sabre: 7/7-1: Fail. Damage: 1+4-1=4. Orc Life Points (LP) 22-4=18. Orc is at Disturbing Pain.
Layariel, Mirhiban and Arbosh all wait behind Geron in the tunnel

Orc attacks with Sabre: 18/13-2: Miss.
Geron attacks with Sabre: 12/14-2: Hit. Orc parries with Sabre: 15/7-2: Fail. Damage: 2+4-1=5. Orc Life Points (LP) 18-5=13.
Layariel, Mirhiban and Arbosh all wait behind Geron in the tunnel

Orc attacks with Sabre: 5/13-2: Hit. Geron parries with Sword: 1/7-2: Success. Attack is Parried.
Geron attacks with Sabre: 14/14-2: Miss.
Layariel, Mirhiban and Arbosh all wait behind Geron in the tunnel

Orc attacks with Sabre: 10/13-2: Hit. Geron parries with Sword: 17/7-2: Fail. Damage: 5+3-3=5. Geron Life Points (LP) 10-5=5. Geron is incapacitated.
Arbosh moves and attacks Orc with Dwarf Cudgel: 5/14: Hit. Orc parries with Sabre: 14/7-2: Fail. Damage: 6+7-1=12. Orc Life Points (LP) 13-12=1. Orc is incapacitated.

The party bandages Geron, and continues without him.

In the dim, echoing depths of the ancient mine, our stalwart party delves deeper into the ominous tunnels. Geron Bladebreaker, clad in sturdy leather armor and wielding a gleaming sword, takes the lead. His every step resonates against the stone walls. Following close behind, Layariel Treetopglint, the nimble Elven wyldrunner, and Mirhiban al’Orhima, the enigmatic mage, keep a vigilant watch. Arbosh, the resolute Dwarven warrior, adds his unyielding presence to the group.
But as they progress, their journey takes an unexpected turn. A wandering orc, dressed in heavy, tattered garments and brandishing a weathered sabre, emerges from the shadows. The confrontation is inevitable.
The orc advances with a menacing intent, drawing his sabre, and Geron responds swiftly, his own blade gleaming in the dim light. The clash of steel against steel reverberates through the tunnel. Layariel, Mirhiban, and Arbosh stand poised, ready to assist if needed.
The battle unfolds with a series of strikes and parries. Both Geron and the orc exchange blows, with their blades clashing and sparks flying. Geron takes a few painful hits, his life force dwindling. But his determination remains unwavering.
In a fateful moment, the orc’s sabre strikes true, landing a critical blow on Geron. With a valiant effort, Arbosh rushes forward, wielding his Dwarf Cudgel, to help his fallen comrade. The orc’s last stand proves futile, and with a resounding thud, it succumbs to the combined might of the party.

B. The First Lair

Name Initiative
Layariel 21
Arbosh 17
Mirhiban 14
Monsters 19

Layariel moves inside and loads her elf bow.
Orc 1 moves and attacks Layariel with Sabre: 7/13: Hit. Layariel Dodge: 11/8. Damage: 5+3=8. Layariel Life Points (LP) 24-8=16. Layariel is at Slight Pain.
Orc 2 moves and attacks Arbosh with Sabre: 9/13: Hit. Arbosh Parry: 15/7: Fail. Damage: 3+3-4=2. Arbosh Life Points (LP) 38-2=36.
Arbosh attacks Orc 2 with Cudgel: 19/14: Miss.
Mirhiban moves inside.

Layariel draws her dagger and attacks Orc 1: 6/9-1: Hit. Orc 1 Parry: 8/7: Fail. Damage: 3+2-1=4. Orc 1 Life Points (LP) 36-4=32.
Orc 1 attacks Layariel with Sabre: 17/13: Miss.
Orc 2 moves and attacks Arbosh with Sabre: 15/13: Miss.
Arbosh attacks Orc 2 with Cudgel: 10/14: Hit. Orc 2 Parry: 3/7: Success. Attack is Parried.
Mirhiban casts Ignifaxius at Orc 1: 14/14, 12/15, 16/14: 2 Skill Points (SP) of 8 available needed. Quality Level (QL) 2. Orc 1 Dodge: 1/4-3: Critical Success. Orc dodges the jet of flame cast against it.

Layariel attacks Orc 1: 3/9-1: Hit. Orc 1 Parry: 4/7: Success. Attack is Parried.
Orc 1 attacks Layariel with Sabre: 5/13: Hit. Layariel Parry: 11/9-1: Fail. Damage: 6+3=9. Layariel Life Points (LP) 16-9=7. Layariel is at Disturbing Pain.
Orc 2 attacks Arbosh with Sabre: 9/13: Hit. Arbosh Parry: 3/7: Success. Attack is Parried.
Arbosh attacks Orc 2 with Cudgel: 4/14: Hit. Orc 2 Parry: 4/7: Success. Attack is Parried.
Mirhiban casts Ignifaxius at Orc 1: 1/14, 14/15, 4/14: 0 Skill Points (SP) of 8 available needed. Quality Level (QL) 3. Orc 1 Dodge: 17/4-3: Fail. Orc receives: 2+6-1= 7 Damage. Orc 1 Life Points (LP) 36-7=29.

Layariel attacks Orc 1: 9/9-1: Miss.
Orc 1 attacks Layariel with Sabre: 8/13: Hit. Layariel Parry: 14/9-1: Fail. Damage: 4+3=7. Layariel Life Points (LP) 7-7=0. Layariel is down and dying.
Orc 2 attacks Arbosh with Sabre: 14/13: Miss.
Arbosh attacks Orc 2 with Cudgel: 11/14: Hit. Orc 2 Parry: 18/7: Fail. Damage: 4+7-1=10. Orc 2 Life Points (LP) 36-10=26. Orc 2 is at Slight Pain.
Mirhiban casts Ignifaxius at Orc 1: 12/14, 11/15, 12/14: 0 Skill Points (SP) of 8 available needed. Quality Level (QL) 3. Orc 1 Dodge: 1/4-3: Critical Success. Orc dodges the jet of flame cast against it.

Orc 1 attacks Mirhiban with Sabre: 8/13: Hit. Mirhiban Parry with Staff: 11/7: Fail. Damage: 4+3=7. Mirhiban Life Points (LP) 25-7=18. Mirhiban is at Slight Pain.
Orc 2 attacks Arbosh with Sabre: 1/13-1: Critical Success: 14/13: Halve Arbosh Parry. Arbosh Parries: 6/4: Fail. Damage: 3+3-5=1. Arbosh Life Points (LP) 36-1=35.
Arbosh attacks Orc 2 with Cudgel: 9/14: Hit. Orc 2 Parries: 2/7-1: Success. Attack is Parried.
Mirhiban casts Ignifaxius at Orc 1: 5/14-1, 12/15-1, 4/14-1: 0 Skill Points (SP) of 8 available needed. Quality Level (QL) 3. Orc 1 Dodge: 7/4-3: Fail. Orc receives: 8+6-1=13 Damage. Orc 1 Life Points (LP) 29-13=16. Orc 1 is at Disturbing Pain.

Orc 1 attacks Mirhiban with Sabre: 11/13-2: Hit. Mirhiban Parry with Staff: 9/7-1: Fail. Damage: 6+3=9. Mirhiban Life Points (LP) 18-9=9. Mirhiban is at Disturbing Pain.
Orc 2 attacks Arbosh with Sabre: 19/13-1: Miss.
Arbosh attacks Orc 2 with Cudgel: 17/14: Miss.
Mirhiban casts Ignifaxius at Orc 1: 16/14-2, 9/15-2, 18/14-2: Not enough Skill Points (11 needed). Spellcasting fail.

Orc 1 attacks Mirhiban with Sabre: 19/13-2: Miss.
Orc 2 attacks Arbosh with Sabre: 16/13-1: Miss.
Arbosh attacks Orc 2 with Cudgel: 13/14: Hit. Orc 2 Parries: 9/7-1: Fail. Damage: 5+7-1=11. Orc 2 Life Points (LP) 26-11=15. Orc 2 is at Disturbing Pain.
Mirhiban casts Ignifaxius at Orc 1: 19/14-2, 20/15-2, 18/14-2: Not enough Skill Points.

Orc 1 attacks Mirhiban with Sabre: 2/13-2: Hit. Mirhiban Parries: 1/7-2: Critical Success. Attack Parried.
Orc 2 attacks Arbosh with Sabre: 4/13-2: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 9/7: Fail. Damage: 4+3-5=2. Arbosh Life Points (LP) 35-2=33.
Arbosh attacks Orc 2 with Cudgel: 5/14: Hit. Orc 2 Parries: 15/7-2: Fail. Damage: 5+7-1=11. Orc 2 Life Points (LP) 15-11=4. Orc 2 is incapacitated.
Mirhiban casts Ignifaxius at Orc 1: 12/14-2, 11/15-2, 20/14-2: 8 Skill Points (SP) of 8 available needed. Quality Level (QL) 0. Orc 1 Dodge: 2/4-3: Fail. Orc receives: 8-1=7 Damage. Orc 1 Life Points (LP) 16-7=9. Orc 1 is at Severe Pain.

Orc 1 attacks Mirhiban with Sabre: 18/13-3: Miss.
Arbosh attacks Orc 1 with Cudgel: 11/14: Hit. Orc 2 Parries: 12/7-3: Fail. Damage: 2+7-1=8. Orc 1 Life Points (LP) 9-8=1. Orc 1 is incapacitated.

Arbosh will attempt to Treat Wounds on Layariel: 16/13, 20/13, 18/15: Failure.
Mirhiban will attempt to Treat Wounds on Layariel: 3/12, 13/12, 13/10: Failure.
Layariel dies.

Searching the room, the party finds a warhammer and a battle axe.

In the dimly lit chamber, relics of a bygone mining era loom large, their rusty, abandoned tools a silent testament to long-forgotten labor. The heavy scent of ages-old sweat and toil hangs in the air, a stark contrast to the grim scene that unfolds before our heroes.
As the door swings open, the cruel, menacing gazes of two orcs meet our adventurers. The makeshift beds behind them suggest a sordid history of trespassers in this forsaken place.
Layariel, undeterred by the ominous sight, boldly steps forward and readies her finely crafted elf bow. The orcs, driven by their savage instincts, attack. Layariel nimbly dodges one attack but isn’t quick enough to avoid the other, the orc’s sabre slicing through her, leaving her in distress.
Meanwhile, Arbosh swings his cudgel at one of the orcs, but his blow meets a swift parry. Mirhiban, the mage, moves closer, her mystical powers at the ready.
In the ensuing chaos, Layariel, determined to retaliate, draws her dagger and delivers a well-aimed strike to one of the orcs, who manages to parry it. The other orc continues to press the attack, landing another brutal hit on Layariel, leaving her in dire straits.
Arbosh, unwavering in his resolve, attempts to land a blow with his cudgel but finds his efforts thwarted by the orc’s defense. Mirhiban, with her mystical incantations, endeavors to unleash a fiery spell, but the orc manages to dodge the flames, avoiding harm.
The battle rages on, with injuries accumulating. Layariel’s attempts to strike back are met with evasive parries, while the orc’s relentless assault leaves her incapacitated.
Arbosh and the remaining orc exchange blows, with Arbosh managing to land a hit, pushing the orc further into pain. However, Mirhiban’s attempt to scorch the orc with magic fails.
As the combat continues, Mirhiban herself becomes the target of the orc’s aggression, sustaining a hit but parrying a critical attack with expert finesse.
With a final strike from Arbosh, the orc is incapacitated, its cruel reign of terror at an end. As the battle ends, the party attempts to tend to Layariel’s wounds, but despite their efforts, she succumbs to her injuries.
With somber hearts, the adventurers search the room, discovering a warhammer and a battle axe, silent remnants of the past and grim reminders of the challenges they must face in this foreboding dungeon.

C. Jagged Cavern

Due to the condition of the party, I'm stopping any wandering monster checks.

Nothing of interest in this narrow cut cavern in the stone. Only the occasional splashing of water driping from the ceiling.

D. Orc Lair

Name Initiative
Arbosh 13
Mirhiban 18
Monsters 15

Orc attacks Arbosh with Saber: 9/13: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 3/7: Success. Attack is Parried.
Arbosh moves and attacks Orc with Cudgel: 11/14: Hit. Orc Parries: 17/7: Fail. Damage: 4+7-1=10. Orc LP 36-10=26. Orc is at Slight Pain.

Mirhiban moves inside and attacks Orc with Staff: 3/9-2: Hit. Orc Parries: 4/7-1: Success. Attack is Parried.
Orc attacks Arbosh with Saber: 5/13-1: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 15/7: Fail. Damage: 4+3-5=2. Arbosh LP 33-2=31.
Arbosh attacks Orc with Cudgel: 1/14: Critical Success: 13/14: Critical: Halve Defense, Double Damage. Orc Parries: 13/4-1: Fail. Damage: (6+7)x2-1=25. Orc LP: 26-25=1. Orc is incapacitated.

In this cramped, noisome chamber, the foul stench of decaying meat assails the heroes’ senses as they advance with infravision piercing the shadows. A lone orc figure, tainted by malevolence, stands before them, ready for a final confrontation.
The orc strikes first, swinging its sabre at Arbosh, but the Dwarven warrior’s sturdy parry deflects the blow. In response, Arbosh steps forward, his trusty cudgel held high, and lands a powerful strike on the orc. The orc grimaces in pain as its life force dwindles, but it remains standing, albeit slightly weakened.
Mirhiban, the mage, enters the fray, wielding her staff with determination. Her strike, while swift and precise, is met with an agile parry from the orc, who defends itself valiantly.
The orc attempts to retaliate, focusing its assault on Arbosh. Its sabre connects, albeit with limited force, leaving Arbosh with minor injuries. In response, the resolute Dwarven warrior, now driven by determination, unleashes a critical attack. His cudgel lands with devastating force, leaving the orc incapacitated, its reign of darkness at an end.
With the threat vanquished, Arbosh’s keen eye catches sight of a loose stone slab on the chamber floor. Pushing it aside, he uncovers a bag of gold, likely spoils belonging to the now-defeated orc. The party’s discovery is a welcome reward for their courage and tenacity.

E. Trapped Room

Arbosh Perception: 14/14, 19/11, 18/15: Failure, not enough Skill Points.
Arbosh fails to detect the trap. Arbosh: Dodge: 16/4: Fail. Damage: 10-5=5. Arbosh Life Points (LP) 31-5=26. Arbosh is in Slight Pain.

A small empty room, with a funny smell. Black ash and soot cover the floors and walls. A steel door with an iron handle sits in the middle of the floor.
As the dwarf tries to open the door he hears a clicking noise. He’s a bit late, and a jet of greek fire, lets of to his head. The helmet protects him, but without avoiding a slight burn. What’s even worse is that the whole door was a trap as behind it is only rock.

F. Gnoll Lair

Name Initiative
Arbosh 17
Mirhiban 17
Monsters 14

Arbosh moves and attacks Orc with Cudgel: 2/14-1: Hit. Orc Parries: 9/7: Miss. Damage: 3+7-1=9. Orc LP 36-9=25. Orc is in Slight Pain.
Mirhiban moves and attacks Orc with Staff: 15/9-2: Miss.
Orc attacks Arbosh with Saber: 5/13: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 1: Critical Success: 4/7-1: Attack of Opportunity: Arbosh attacs Orc: 14/14-1: Miss.

Arbosh attacks Orc with Cudgel: 7/14-1: Hit. Orc Parries: 13/7: Miss. Damage: 2+7-1=8. Orc LP 25-8=17. Orc is in Disturbing Pain.
Mirhiban attacks Orc with Staff: 1/9-2: Critical: 18/9-2: Simple Critical. Orc Parries: 11/4-3: Miss. Damage: 3+2-1=4. Orc LP 17-4=13.
Orc attacks Arbosh with Saber: 4/13-2: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 11/7-1: Fail. Damage: 4+3-5=2, Arbosh LP 26-2=24.

Arbosh attacks Orc with Cudgel: 7/14-1: Hit. Orc Parries: 19/7: Miss. Damage: 4+7-1=10. Orc LP 13-10=3. Orc is incapacitated.

They find Kur’s Drink. Arbosh drinks: restores 6 LP and is back to 30/38, no longer in Slight Pain. Mirhiban drinks: restores 9 LP and is back to 18/25, no longer in Disturbing Pain, but in Slight Pain. Mirhiban drinks: restores 8 LP and is back to full health.

As the heroes step into the room, they are greeted by a swarm of small, pesky insects. Biting flies, relentless and bothersome, assail them from all angles. In the corner of the chamber, a hulking, furred orc sharpens its saber, its malevolent eyes locking onto our brave adventurers. With a guttural growl, it lunges into action.
Arbosh, the Dwarven warrior, takes the initiative, charging toward the orc with cudgel in hand. A powerful blow connects, the orc’s attempts at parrying futile. The orc staggers under the force of the strike, visibly wounded but not incapacitated.
Mirhiban, the mage, attempts to aid her comrade, but her strike with the staff misses its mark, leaving the orc unscathed. The orc, not missing the opportunity, counters with a swift saber strike against Arbosh. This time, Arbosh’s well-timed parry manages to thwart the orc’s attack.
Arbosh, relentless in his assault, strikes again, this time landing a solid hit on the orc. The orc’s defense proves insufficient, leaving it further wounded and teetering on the edge of defeat. Meanwhile, Mirhiban’s staff finds its mark, the blow striking true and adding to the orc’s injuries.
However, the orc refuses to back down and continues its assault, slicing Arbosh with its saber. The dwarf endures the hit but is not left unscathed.
Arbosh retaliates with another mighty blow, and this time, his cudgel connects with devastating force, leaving the orc incapacitated, its reign of menace at an end.
With the immediate threat vanquished, the heroes decide to inspect the fallen orc. Their search yields a honey-like potion, known as Kur’s Drink, a healing elixir. Mirhiban, recognizing its properties, encourages her comrades to partake in the invigorating potion, offering them renewed strength and vitality for the challenges that lie ahead.

G. Empty Room

The heroes go through a rough room like a cave, a small pile of dirt is at one corner of the room. The party moves onward.

H. Broken Room

Arbosh: Dodge: 20/6: Botch: Damage: 7-5=2. Arbosh LP 30-2=28. Arbosh is in Slight Pain.
Mirhiban: Dodge: 12/6: Failure: Damage: 1. Mirhiban LP 25-1=24.

As the party goes through this large chamber cut from the stone, they notice the walls and ceiling are cracked, and huge chunks of stone have fallen on the floor. Their vibrations cause some more to fall as they pass through, hitting them both.

I. Narrow Tunnel

Name Initiative
Arbosh 17
Mirhiban 19
Monsters 17

Arbosh moves and attacks Orc with Cudgel: 3/14-1: Hit. Orc Parries: 13/8: Fail. Damage: 2+7-1=8. Orc LP 36-8=28.
Mirhiban waits behind Arbosh.
Orc attacks Arbosh with Axe (Orc-Nose): 18/15: Miss.

Arbosh attacks Orc with Cudgel: 15/14-1: Miss.
Mirhiban waits behind Arbosh.
Orc attacks Arbosh with Axe (Orc-Nose): 3/15: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 15/7-1: Fail. Damage: 3+5-5=3. Arbosh LP 28-3=25.

Arbosh attacks Orc with Cudgel: 14/14-1: Miss.
Mirhiban waits behind Arbosh.
Orc attacks Arbosh with Axe (Orc-Nose): 9/15: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 15/7-1: Fail. Damage: 4+5-5=4. Arbosh LP 25-4=19.

Arbosh attacks Orc with Cudgel: 16/14-1: Miss.
Mirhiban waits behind Arbosh.
Orc attacks Arbosh with Axe (Orc-Nose): 18/15: Miss.

Arbosh attacks Orc with Cudgel: 5/14-1: Hit. Orc Parries: 15/8: Fail. Damage: 3+7-1=9. Orc LP 28-9=19. Orc is in Slight Pain.
Mirhiban waits behind Arbosh.
Orc attacks Arbosh with Axe (Orc-Nose): 18/15-1: Miss.

Arbosh attacks Orc with Cudgel: 17/14-1: Miss.
Mirhiban waits behind Arbosh.
Orc attacks Arbosh with Axe (Orc-Nose): 16/15-1: Miss.

Arbosh attacks Orc with Cudgel: 20/14-1: Botch: 14/14-1: Botch: 4: Weapon Damage. Cudgel is damaged.
Mirhiban waits behind Arbosh.
Orc attacks Arbosh with Axe (Orc-Nose): 2/15-1: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 4/7-1-2: Success. Attack Parried.

Arbosh attacks Orc with Cudgel: 9/14-1-2: Miss.
Mirhiban waits behind Arbosh.
Orc attacks Arbosh with Axe (Orc-Nose): 15/15-1: Miss.

Arbosh attacks Orc with Cudgel: 18/14-1-2: Miss.
Mirhiban waits behind Arbosh.
Orc attacks Arbosh with Axe (Orc-Nose): 5/15: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 4/7-1-2: Success. Attack Parried.

Arbosh attacks Orc with Cudgel: 11/14-1-2: Hit. Orc Parries: 9/8-1: Fail. Damage: 4+7-1=10. Orc LP 19-10=9. Orc is in Severe Pain.
Mirhiban waits behind Arbosh.
Orc attacks Arbosh with Axe (Orc-Nose): 17/15-3: Miss.

Arbosh attacks Orc with Cudgel: 2/14-1-2: Hit. Orc Parries: 6/8-3: Fail. Damage: 6+7-1=12. Orc is dead.

Arbosh switches to the Orc-Nose axe (+2/+1).

In the confines of the narrow tunnel, our heroes move in single file, with the stout dwarf, Arbosh, leading the way and the mage, Mirhiban, following closely behind. The tension in the air is palpable as they advance with cautious steps, unknowing of what lies ahead.
Abruptly, the door at the end of the hall swings open with a creak, revealing a malevolent orc wielding a gleaming black axe. With a menacing stride, the orc advances toward our heroes, its intent clear.
Arbosh seizes the initiative, swiftly bringing down his cudgel upon the orc. His blow connects with precision, and the orc’s attempt to parry is in vain. Though wounded, the orc remains on its feet, albeit in pain.
Mirhiban, ever watchful, holds her position behind Arbosh, ready to lend her aid if necessary. The orc, filled with rage, raises its menacing axe but fails to land a blow.
Arbosh’s next strike, however, misses its mark, leaving the orc relatively unscathed. The orc retaliates, landing a hit on Arbosh, though the dwarf’s skillful parry lessens the impact of the attack.
The battle continues, with a series of exchanged blows. Arbosh and the orc engage in a fierce dance, each attempting to strike a decisive blow. Mirhiban, still biding her time, stands prepared to support her comrade when the opportunity arises.
Despite their efforts, neither Arbosh nor the orc can claim the upper hand, their strikes frequently missing or being parried. The tension in the cramped tunnel reaches its zenith as the battle rages on.
Then, in a critical moment, Arbosh’s cudgel sustains damage, but it doesn’t deter him. He lands a powerful blow on the orc, finally incapacitating it. The orc falls, its life force extinguished.
With the threat vanquished, our heroes take a moment to regroup, knowing that in these perilous tunnels, danger can lurk around every corner.

J. The Story Room

The heroes enter a large chamber that has been polished smooth. Ancient dwarvish runes are carved into the walls. Arbosh reads them out aloud. They tell of the story of the digging of the mine and the work that the dwarves did there. Near the end, it mentions that the dwarves found a vein of glowing iron unlike anything they had seen before. They mined this strange ore, which they called eisenmond and found they could make weapons of great magic with it.
As they mined for more eisenmond they discovered some dark and evil secret about the mountain, without saying anything more than that they packed up and left overnight.
The story ends by saying that they left behind a large nugget of eisenmond which glowed brighter than the rest, in the care of someone called the Stone King.
The heroes realize that this is the key to the secret of the mountain, and what Gustovan sent them there to find.

K. The Iron Mine

Name Initiative
Arbosh 15
Mirhiban 16
Monsters 19

Orc 1 moves and attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 2/13-1: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 17/9: Fail. Damage: 4+2-5=1. Arbosh LP 19-1=18. Arbosh is in Disturbing Pain.
Orc 2 moves and attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 12/13-1: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 17/9-3: Fail. Damage: 1+2-5=0. No damage.
Orc 3 moves and attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 18/13-1: Miss.
Orc 4 moves and attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 3/13-1: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 4/9-6: Fail. Damage: 3+2-5=0. No damage.
Mirhiban steps aside to let Arbosh retreat.
Arbosh moves back in the previous room.

Orc 1 attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe through the opening: 5/13-1: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 2/9-2: Success. Attack Parried.
Orc 2 moves and attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 16/13-1: Miss.
Orc 3 moves and attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 10/13-1: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 19/9-3-2: Fail. Damage: 4+2-5=1. Arbosh LP 18-1=17.
Orc 4 waits behind.
Mirhiban attacks Orc 2 with the staff: 10/9: Miss.
Arbosh attacks Orc 2 with the axe: 16/16-2: Miss.

Orc 1 attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 7/13-1: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 18/9-2: Fail. Damage: 6+2-5=3. Arbosh LP 17-3=14.
Orc 2 attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 2/13-1: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 16/9-3-2: Fail. Damage: 4+2-5=3. Arbosh LP 14-1=13.
Orc 3 attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 9/13-1: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 12/9-6-2: Fail. Damage: 1+2-5=0. No damage.
Orc 4 waits behind.
Mirhiban attacks Orc 2 with the staff: 3/9: Hit. Orc 2 Parries: 15/7-2: Fail. Damage: 3+2-1=4. Orc 2 LP 36-4=32.
Arbosh attacks Orc 2 with the axe: 4/16-2: Hit. Orc 2 Parries: 10/7-3-2: Fail. Damage: 2+4-1=5. Orc 2 LP 32-5=27/36. Orc 2 is in Slight Pain.

Orc 1 attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 15/13-1: Miss.
Orc 2 attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 2/13-1-1: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 20/9-2: Botch: 18/9-2: Botch: 5: Weapon Lost. Arbosh’s Weapon Falls to the ground. Damage: 2+2-5=0. No damage.
Orc 3 attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 20/13-1: Botch: 11/13-1: Simple Botch.
Orc 4 waits behind.
Mirhiban attacks Orc 2 with the staff: 8/9: Hit. Orc 2 Parries: 6/7-2: Fail. Damage: 6+2-1=7. Orc 2 LP 27-7=20/36.
Arbosh draws warhammer and attacks Orc 2 with the axe: 8/14-2: Hit. Orc 2 Parries: 7/7-3-2: Fail. Damage: 6+5-1=10. Orc 2 LP 20-10=10/36. Orc 2 is in Disturbing Pain.

Orc 1 attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 2/13-1-1: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 10/9-2: Fail. Damage: 4+2-5=1. Arbosh LP 13-1=12/38.
Orc 2 attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 1/13-1-2: Critical: 2/13-1-2: Critical Hit. Arbosh Parries: 12/5-2: Fail. Damage: (3+2)x2-5=5. Arbosh LP 12-5=7/38. Arbosh is in Severe Pain.
Orc 3 attacks Arbosh with Pickaxe: 4/13-1: Hit. Arbosh Parries: 17/9-3-6: Fail. Damage: 5+2-5=2. Arbosh LP 7-2=5. Arbosh is incapacitated.
Orc 4 waits behind.
Mirhiban casts Ignifaxius at Orc 2: 11/14, 13/15, 19/14: 5 Skill Points (SP) of 8 available needed. Quality Level (QL) 1. Orc 2 Dodge: 2/4-2: Success. Orc dodges the jet of flame cast against it.

Orc 1 waits.
Orc 2 moves inside and attacks Mirhiban with Pickaxe: 4/13-1-2: Hit. Mirhiban Parries with Staff: 16/6: Fail. Damage: 3+2=5. Mirhiban LP 25-5=20.
Orc 3 moves and attacks Mirhiban from the opening with Pickaxe: 10/13-1-2: Hit. Mirhiban Parries with Staff: 1/6-3: Critical Success: 11/6-3: Simple Success. Attack Parried.
Orc 4 waits behind.
Mirhiban casts Ignifaxius at Orc 2: 20/14, 10/15, 2/14: 6 Skill Points (SP) of 8 available needed. Quality Level (QL) 1. Orc 2 Dodge: 16/4-2: Fail. Damage: 12+2-1=13. Orc 2 LP 10-12=-2. Orc 2 is dead.

Orc 1 waits.
Orc 3 moves inside and attacks Mirhiban with Pickaxe: 13/13-1-2: Miss.
Orc 4 moves and attacks Mirhiban from the opening with Pickaxe: 17/13-1-2: Miss.
Mirhiban casts Ignifaxius at Orc 3: 4/14, 5/15, 13/14: 0 Skill Points (SP) of 8 available needed. Quality Level (QL) 3. Orc 3 Dodge: 5/4: Fail. Damage: 5+6-1=10. Orc 3 LP 36-10=26. Orc 3 is in Slight Pain.

Orc 1 waits.
Orc 3 attacks Mirhiban with Pickaxe: 13/13-1-2: Miss.
Orc 4 attacks Mirhiban from the opening with Pickaxe: 9/13-1-2: Hit. Mirhiban Parries: 20: Botch: 11/9: Botch: 5: Weapon Lost. Mirhiban drops her staff. Damage: 5+2=7. Mirhiban LP 20-7=13. Mirhiban is in Slight Pain.
Mirhiban casts Ignifaxius at Orc 3: 2/14-1, 7/15-1, 7/14-1: 0 Skill Points (SP) of 8 available needed. Quality Level (QL) 3. Orc 3 Dodge: 6/4: Fail. Damage: 12+6-1=17. Orc 3 LP 26-17=9. Orc 3 is in Severe Pain.

I just noticed that I missed the bookkeeping of Arcane Energy. Mirhiban is well over the AE she should have spent. I'll consider that drinking Kur's Drink might have also restored some AE points, but whatever the case, I'll stop spellcasting now.

Orc 1 waits.
Orc 3 attacks Mirhiban with Pickaxe: 2/13-1-2-3: Hit. Mirhiban Dodges: 19/6-3: Fail. Damage: 5+2=7. Mirhiban LP 13-7=6. Mirhiban is in Severe Pain.
Orc 4 attacks Mirhiban from the opening with Pickaxe: 2/13-1-2: Hit. Mirhiban Dodge: 13/6-3-3: Fail. Damage: 3+2=5. Mirhiban LP 6-5=1. Mirhiban is incapacitated.
TPK

In the vast and roughly hewn chamber, our heroes find themselves surrounded by the lingering echoes of labor. Small veins of iron ore still grace the walls, remnants of the miners who toiled here. The relentless sound of pickaxes striking the rock fills the air, a testament to the cruel overseers behind this enterprise.
As they make their way further into the chamber, four hulking, monstrous figures come into view. These beings, undoubtedly the architects of the mining operation, spot our party and their work is abruptly abandoned. With a chorus of enraged howls, they lurch forward, pickaxes in hand, ready to spill blood.
The first orc makes a fierce strike at Arbosh, landing a hit with its pickaxe. The dwarf attempts to parry, but the attack still grazes him, leaving him in a state of disturbing pain.
The second orc’s pickaxe also finds its mark, but due to Arbosh’s skillful parry, it fails to inflict any damage.
Orc three’s attack misses, providing a momentary reprieve, while the fourth orc’s strike similarly misses, offering a glimmer of hope.
Mirhiban, recognizing the peril Arbosh is in, steps aside to allow him to retreat, the wise decision given their dire circumstances.
But the orcs aren’t about to let their prey escape easily. The first orc’s pickaxe strike is parried by Arbosh, while the second orc’s attack misses its mark.
However, the third orc’s pickaxe lands a hit, dealing a small amount of damage and worsening Arbosh’s condition.
As the battle rages on, the exchange of blows becomes a frenzied dance, with each side attempting to seize the upper hand.
Arbosh, losing his weapon due to a botched parry, draws his warhammer and continues to press the attack, damaging the second orc in the process. Mirhiban, though faced with danger, makes a valiant attempt to assist, but her efforts fall short.
The first orc’s strike once again connects with Arbosh, causing him further harm. The second orc, in a cruel stroke of fate, lands a critical hit on Arbosh, further diminishing his life force.
As the skirmish continues, Arbosh’s condition worsens, leading to his incapacitation. Mirhiban, valiant in her resolve, attempts to cast a spell, but the orcs’ presence interferes, causing her to fail.
With Arbosh incapacitated, the situation takes a grim turn. The first orc waits, biding its time. The second orc, having disarmed Arbosh, moves in to attack Mirhiban. The attack connects, injuring the mage.
Orc three advances but fails to hit Mirhiban, while orc four’s strike connects with her, causing her to drop her staff.
Mirhiban’s desperate attempt to cast a spell ends in failure, and the orcs close in. Orc three’s pickaxe lands a hit, wounding her further. Orc four’s attack also connects, incapacitating Mirhiban.
As our heroes fall one by one, the chamber’s harsh reality sets in—this is where their journey comes to an end. The darkness of defeat descends, the pickaxes resume their relentless rhythm, and the hopes of the brave adventurers are extinguished.

The System

The Dark Eye is a nice crunchy system. I liked how it featured a death spiral with the Pain Conditions based on the wound thresholds, but at the same time it was smooth enough that it wasn’t game breaking.
I also liked the skill checks where you roll 3d20, compare to the respective attributes and apply your skill points to succeed. It’s quite different from any other RPG I’ve tried, but a nice mechanic.
And… now it struck me as to what does this skill check system accomplish. The obvious connection is that of the governing attributes, it’s nothing new, we’ve seen it in several RPGs before (Harnmaster, BRP derivatives, D6). It does it in a new way so that you don’t have to pre-calculate the attribute factor, but by rolling 3d20 it’s done on the fly. Okay sofar. The not-so obvious mechanism is the QL. Say you have 8 Skill Points to succeed which represent your skill level and expertise. What this means is that you can “save” a failure and turn it into a success, but also that higher levels of success are only available to people who have skill expertise. There just isn’t a way for untrained people to have a high QL, because they won’t have enough Skill Points available to start with. All this, without hindering their attribute-based chance of success. Which is pretty neat. It allows for talent to show, but only a trained craftsman can do something exquisite. Otherwise it’s just not possible. Other systems have tried something similar with Success Levels, but it’s not the same, because Attributes and Skills are entered in the same success chance pool, whereas The Dark Eye, keeps them separate.
I loved the Latin-style spell names on the Magic rules. They give a nice touch compared to the blunt descriptions we’re used to.
Combat left me wanting more. While it did have pain conditions and critical successes, and dodges and blocks, and the damage resolution made sense, I would like critical hit tables or hit locations, and stronger criticals. I mean if you have all this crunch, it’s best to have the complete effectiveness out of it. I understand that there is a Companion book that adds some things like that, but with a 400+ pages big core book, I’d expect it there.

What about the Dungeon Crawl?

The Dark Eye is well suited to Dungeon Crawls. I’m confident that the TPK was due to the Orcs strength mostly and my feebly armoured party. If I had used Kobolds and Goblins perhaps it wouldn’t have been so bad. Plus, I needed more armoured warriors, but without having tested the system before, I couldn’t have known.

Summary

Overall I liked the Dark Eye, it has great potential and a lot of material to read.
I can see it working great for someone getting out of D&D, and looking for a system with a similar theme, but more down to earth balance, where heroes can, and will die. It doesn’t win my preference on combat of Hârnmaster, Mythras or MERP, but it passes. It is my understanding that this is a fully-fledged system, with great capabilities on the overall adventuring theme, so that warriors don’t steal the spotlight.
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giorgis 10:06 pm on October 20, 2023 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Cepheus, Solo ( 176 )
A Call to Glory S09 – Sword of Cepheus/Westlands

Continuing at the same challenge in the Level 1 dungeon A Call to Glory from TSR’s Dragon Quest, introductory adventure game, I aim to try more of the fantasy RPGs in my collection, this time with Sword of Cepheus/ Westlands.

Both these are RPGs are fantasy, using the Cepheus Engine, but they’re not well polished or well balanced. Some rules are wonky, so I’m going to try to use the best of both worlds.

There are some pre-generated characters, but half the fun in this engine is the character generation, so I’ll go ahead and roll some dudes. My aim is to have a party of 3, but with better than average attributes. So I’ll use the optional rules of Heroic Heroes.

The Party

So my first character was a Noble with excellent stats rolled, survived a War, advanced to Tribune in the second term, and… died. Yes, in Sword of Cepheus without the Mishaps Optional Rule, characters can die during generation. RIP, to the next one.
- ~~Noble BAA9AB, 1-Tribune, (Recon-1, Riding-0, Carousing-2, Rulership-1, Leadership-0, Melee Combat-0, Archery-2, Tactics-0)~~
My second attempt with a first character is a Priest, who managed to survive four terms, including a Holy War, a Local Noble Enemy, learning Secret Knowledge and being Recruited. They mustered out at the rank of Vicar, have a holding, a mount, 210 gold, a talisman and several spells. Unfortunately their one and only Aging roll, reduced their DEX by 1.

My second character is a Rogue, who entered the Thieves Guild, Betrayed a friend and gained an Enenmy, was Arrested and had to hire a Barrister to get out and Mustered out with 200 gold at the rank of Soldier.

Finally, my third character is a Barbarian, who only qualified for one term, and was Enslaved, losing their Muster out benefits, and failed to re-enlist afterwards. So they will be without any equipment. I intend to use a party pool for this.
- Father Marcus, Male 30 Priest 67C7B7, Qualified, Vicar-2 (Athletics-1, Religion-1, Liaison-0, Leadership-0, Rulership-0, Streewise-0, Art-0, Investigation-1, Deception-1, Sorcery-2, Medicine-0, Carousing-1, Melee Combat-0), Trait: Talisman, Spells. Equipment: Holding, Mount, Warhammer, Chain Armor, Healer’s Kit, Holy Symbol, Spells: Destroy Dead, Thunderclap, Respite, Bless, Knock, Dispel Magic
- Vasili Winoskas, Male 26 Rogue BB8986, Qualified, Soldier-2 (Survival-1, Streetwise-2, Craft-0, Carousing-0, Deception-1, Stealth-0, Recon-0, Melee Combat-1), Trait: Combat Readiness, Equipment: Short Sword, Dagger, Leather Armor, Thief’s Tools
- Korr Male 18 Barbarian A8B646, Qualified, Brave-0 (Recon-1, Survival-1, Animals-0, Melee Combat-0, Archery-0, Athletics-1, Riding-1, Survival-0), Trait: Fast Healing, Equipment: Sword, Shield, Scale Armor
The Adventure

The heroes have been called before Gustovan, the Burgomaster of Torlynn. Torlynn is a small village set in a quiet, hilly area near the mountains. The heroes have lived here for many years and think of Torlynn as home. Gustovan is known as a wise and kind mayor.
He asks of the heroes to go explore the old, abandoned, dwarven, iron mine, because strange lights and sounds come from within. They’re to find out if there is something wrong there or if the reports are false.

The heroes enter the dungeon. It’s entrance is a rough cavern, cut from the stone long ago by dwarves. They check their weapons and start down into the mine, with the wind blowing in their backs.

A. Tunnel

Wandering Monster Check: None
Wandering Monster Check: None
Wandering Monster Check: None
Wandering Monster Check: None

B. The First Lair

Name Initiative
Korr 9
Father Marcus 5
Vasili Winoskas 6
Monsters 10
- Goblin 898764, Thug, (Athletics−1, Melee Combat−0, Archery-0) Equipment: Spear +0 (2D); walks 10 m/action
- Kobold 898764, Thug, (Athletics−1, Melee Combat−0, Archery-0) Equipment: club +0 (1D); walks 10 m/action
Goblin moves and thrusts spear at Korr. 11/8: Hit. Damage: 6-5=1.
Kobold moves and swings club at Korr. 6/8: Miss.
Korr swings sword at Goblin: 7/8: Miss.
Korr swings sword at Kobold: 12/8: Hit. Damage: 12. Kobold END=0, STR=4. Kobold has minor wounds.
Father Marcus moves in and swings warhammer at Goblin: 2/8: Miss.
Vasili moves in and thrusts shortsword at Kobold: 10+1/8: Hit. Damage: 3. Kobold DEX=6. Kobold has minor wounds.

Goblin thrusts spear at Korr. 4/8: Miss.
Goblin thrusts spear at Korr. 7/8: Miss.
Kobold swings club at Korr. 6-1/8: Miss.
Kobold swings club at Korr. 2-1/8: Miss.
Korr swings sword at Goblin: 6/8: Miss.
Korr swings sword at Kobold: 3/8: Miss.
Father Marcus swings warhammer at Goblin: 8/8: Hit. Damage: 8. Goblin END=0. Goblin has minor wounds.
Father Marcus swings warhammer at Goblin: 8/8: Hit. Damage: 4. Goblin STR=4. Goblin has minor wounds.
Vasili thrusts shortsword at Kobold: 10+1/8: Hit. Damage: 7. Kobold DEX=0, STR=3. Kobold has serious wounds. Kobold: 6/8: Fail. Kobold is unconscious.
Vasili moves next to Goblin.

Goblin thrusts spear at Korr. 5-1/8: Miss.
Goblin thrusts spear at Korr. 5-1/8: Miss.
Korr swings sword at Goblin: 5/8: Miss.
Korr swings sword at Goblin: 7/8: Miss.
Father Marcus swings warhammer at Goblin: 8/8: Hit. Damage: 7. Goblin DEX=2. Goblin has minor wounds.
Father Marcus swings warhammer at Goblin: 10/8: Hit. Damage: 11. Goblin DEX=0, STR=0. Goblin has mortal wounds and falls.

As the intrepid heroes step into the room, their eyes fall upon a pair of humble beds, likely once occupied by weary miners. However, their peace is shattered as a menacing duo emerges – a snarling goblin and a wiry kobold. The goblin, with a cruel glint in its eye, lunges at Korr, grazing him with a spear. The kobold, wielding a crude club, attempts an attack but misses.
In the fray, Korr takes a swing at the goblin, but his blade narrowly misses. Father Marcus, with unwavering determination, brandishes his warhammer, striking down the goblin, who now lies with minor wounds. Vasili, nimble and quick, drives a shortsword into the kobold, causing it to wince in pain.
The goblin attempts more strikes but fails to connect. Meanwhile, the kobold’s club swings wide of its target. The battle rages on, and while the heroes struggle to land successful blows, Father Marcus delivers a final, powerful blow to the goblin, who falls mortally wounded.
Amidst the aftermath, your party discovers darts, a hammer and spikes among the scattered debris.

C. Jagged Cavern

Wandering Monster Check: None

Nothing of interest in this narrow cut cavern in the stone. Only the occasional splashing of water driping from the ceiling.

D. Orc Lair

Name Initiative
Korr 5
Father Marcus 10
Vasili Winoskas 3
Monsters 8
- Orc 989764, Thug, (Athletics−1, Melee Combat−1, Archery-0) Equipment: Cutlass +0 (3D); walks 10 m/action
Father Marcus has no room to maneuver inside.
Orc swings cutlass at Korr: 4+1-1/8: Miss.
Orc swings cutlass at Korr: 9+1-1/8: Hit. Damage: 11-5=6.
Korr swings sword at Orc: 5/8: Miss.
Korr swings sword at Orc: 7/8: Miss.
Vasili finds no room to maneuver inside.

Father Marcus has no room to maneuver inside.
Orc swings cutlass at Korr: 7+1-1/8: Miss.
Orc swings cutlass at Korr: 11+1-1/8: Hit. Damage: 10-5=5. Korr END=0. STR=9. Korr has suffered a minor wound.
Korr moves to side and swings sword at Orc: 9-1/8: Hit. Damage: 10-1=9. Orc END=0. Orc has suffered a minor wound.
Vasili moves in the room and swings shortsword at Orc: 10+1/8: Hit. Damage: 4-1=3. Orc STR=8.

Father Marcus has no room to maneuver inside.
Orc swings cutlass at Korr: 9+1-1-1/8: Hit. Damage: 13-5=8. Korr STR=1.
Orc swings cutlass at Korr: 7+1-1-1/8: Miss.
Korr swings sword at Orc: 6-1/8: Miss.
Korr swings sword at Orc: 5-1/8: Miss.
Vasili swings shortsword at Orc: 9+1/8: Hit. Damage: 3-1=2. Orc STR=6.
Vasili swings shortsword at Orc: 6+1/8: Miss.

Father Marcus has no room to maneuver inside.
Orc swings cutlass at Korr: 5+1-1-1/8: Miss.
Orc swings cutlass at Korr: 4+1-1-1/8: Miss.
Korr swings sword at Orc: 7-1/8: Miss.
Korr swings sword at Orc: 4-1/8: Miss.
Vasili moves to side and swings shortsword at Orc: 7+1/8: Hit. Damage: 8-1=7. Orc DEX=1.

Father Marcus moves inside and swings warhammer at Orc: 12/8: Hit. Damage: 5-1=4. Orc STR=2.
Orc swings cutlass at Korr: 3+1-1-1/8: Miss.
Orc swings cutlass at Korr: 9+1-1-1/8: Hit. Damage: 15-5=10. Korr is down. STR, DEX, END at 0. INT=4. Korr has suffered a Mortal Wound and drops.
Vasili swings shortsword at Orc: 9+1/8: Hit. Damage: 8-1=7. Orc is down with a mortal wound.

Since we have noone with a Medicine-1 skill. Korr will die untreated.

A grim scene unfolds as the valiant heroes venture into a cramped chamber, where a putrid stench pervades the air. Their torchlight reveals an orc looming in the shadows, poised for battle.
Despite the limited space, the orc’s cutlass slashes wildly but misses its intended target, Korr, initially. Korr’s retaliatory swings with his sword also fail to find their mark. Vasili, trying to maneuver in the tight quarters, struggles to make effective strikes.
In the close confines of the room, the battle continues. The orc’s cutlass connects, inflicting harm upon Korr. The barbarian, determined, manages to land a powerful blow on the orc, causing it to stagger with a minor wound. Vasili joins the fray, finding an opening and wounding the orc as well.
Despite the continuous attacks, the orc maintains its aggressive assault. Korr takes another hit, his strength waning. However, Vasili’s shortsword pierces the orc’s defenses, further weakening it. Father Marcus, previously hindered by space, manages to strike the orc with his warhammer, leaving it with diminished strength.
In the final exchange, Korr succumbs to his injuries, falling unconscious with a mortal wound. The combined efforts of Vasili and Father Marcus bring the orc to its knees, with the room now echoing with silence.

E. Trapped Room

Vasili: DEX: 7+1/8: Successful.

A small empty room, with a funny smell. Black ash and soot cover the floors and walls. A steel door with an iron handle sits in the middle of the floor.
As Vasili tries to open the door he hears a clicking noise. He’s fast enough to avoid a jet of greek fire, that lets off to his head. Thanking his quick reflexes it didn’t manage to hurt him.

F. Gnoll Lair

Name Initiative
Father Marcus 4
Vasili Winoskas 7
Monsters 4
- Gnoll 998764, Thug, (Athletics−1, Melee Combat−1, Archery-0) Equipment: Cutlass +0 (3D); walks 10 m/action
Vasili steps to the side and thrusts at the Gnoll with his shortsword: 3+1/8: Miss.
Father Marcus steps inside.
Gnoll swings cutlass at Father Marcus: 9+1/8: Hit: Damage: 14-6=8. Marcus END=4.
Marcus swings warhammer at Gnoll: 6/8: Miss.
Gnoll swings cutlass at Father Marcus: 8+1/8: Hit: Damage: 12-6=6. Marcus END=0 STR=4. Marcus has suffered a minor wound.

Vasili thrusts shortsword at Gnoll: 7+1/8: Hit. Damage: 7-3=4. Gnoll END=4.
Vasili thrusts shortsword at Gnoll: 5+1/8: Miss.
Father Marcus swings warhammer at Gnoll: 6-1/8: Miss.
Gnoll swings cutlass at Father Marcus: 7+1/8: Hit: Damage: 11-6=5. Marcus DEX=2.
Father Marcus swings warhammer at Gnoll: 5-1/8: Miss.
Gnoll swings cutlass at Father Marcus: 7+1/8: Hit: Damage: 12-6=6. Marcus STR=0, DEX=0, END=0. Father Marcus has suffered a mortal wound and is down.

Vasili thrusts shortsword at Gnoll: 5+1/8: Miss.
Vasili thrusts shortsword at Gnoll: 7+1/8: Hit. Damage: 8-3=5. Gnoll END=0, STR=8. Gnoll has suffered a minor wound.
Gnoll swings cutlass at Vasili: 5+1-1/8: Miss.
Gnoll swings cutlass at Vasili: 3+1-1/8: Miss.

Vasili thrusts shortsword at Gnoll: 12+1/8: Hit. Damage: 3-3=0. No damage.
Vasili thrusts shortsword at Gnoll: 9+1/8: Hit. Damage: 4-3=1. Gnoll STR=7.
Gnoll swings cutlass at Vasili: 4+1-1/8: Miss.
Gnoll swings cutlass at Vasili: 9+1-1/8: Hit. Damage: 10-4=6. Vasili END=2.

Vasili thrusts shortsword at Gnoll: 5+1/8: Miss.
Vasili thrusts shortsword at Gnoll: 5+1/8: Miss.
Gnoll swings cutlass at Vasili: 11+1-1/8: Hit. Damage: 14-4=10. Vasili END=0 STR=3. Vasili has suffered a minor wound.
Gnoll swings cutlass at Vasili: 12+1-1/8: Hit. Damage: 16-4=12. Vasili END=0 STR=0 DEX=2. Vasili has suffered a serious wound.
Vasili: END 7/8: Failure. Vasili is down.
TPK.

As your fearless heroes advance further into the dungeon, they stumble upon a chamber filled with the persistent drone of biting flies. A swarm of these vexing insects buzzes around them. Yet, a more immediate danger presents itself in the form of a hulking gnoll, its blade honed and ready for their arrival.
Vasili, attempting to strike first, thrusts his shortsword at the gnoll but misses. Father Marcus steps inside to engage the menacing foe. In a swift, brutal assault, the gnoll strikes Father Marcus twice, leaving the priest with minor wounds.
Vasili manages to connect with a shortsword thrust, wounding the gnoll. However, their adversary retaliates with another assault on Father Marcus, who now lies with a mortal wound. Father Marcus valiantly tries to strike back but misses, weakened by the gnoll’s blows.
Vasili continues to duel with the gnoll, inflicting minor wounds upon the creature. In a frenzy, the gnoll misses Vasili in two successive swings. But Vasili’s attacks are not as precise as before, with the gnoll striking a heavy blow that leaves Vasili with minor wounds.
Despite his determination, Vasili ultimately falls, his wounds proving too much to bear. The battle ends in tragedy, with the gnoll standing triumphant over the fallen heroes.

The System

I’ll be honest, Sword of Cepheus is a very blunt system. I absolutely loved the character generation mini game. It’s excellent for generating a backstory for characters. I can imagine using it alongside of UNE and BOLD and building up a fully fledged PC. But that’s where it stops. The system is clunky. Perhaps for Sci-Fi it’s great where you don’t want to have more detailed combat, but in fantasy it just doesn’t cut it. The combat options are very basic, and having to find out the injuries by splitting damage points among the physical characteristics, is just weird.
The fact that the rulebook has a few issues such as lack of proper proofreading, and some rules that make no sense (having to drink a huge quantity of water per day to survive, bronze being weaker than iron, irrational costs for some items) didn’t help either. There are also problems with balance between different weapons. There needed to be some granularity which is missing so some are particularly strong while others too weak for their class.

What about the Dungeon Crawl?

Sword of Cepheus is not cut out for dungeon crawling. A dungeon should be only a very small endeavor of the party. I can see it working fine for overland travel, urban adventures in medieval fantasy cities, and sailing the high seas. But the quick deadliness of combat coupled with some issues, clearly show that this game isn’t meant with dungeon crawling in mind.

Summary

The Traveller and it’s derivatives are known for their unique character generation system, and Sword of Cepheus delivers this. I strongly recommend this even just for this fun tool. I could see myself rolling a few characters just for the fun of the process.
Unfortunately this system doesn’t work for me as a ruleset, I can’t see myself trying it out further in the future, unless as part of a serious hack of rules.
Links | Solo, Pen, Paper and Dice, giorgis, and Shawn ("soypunk") Medero are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Shawn ("soypunk") Medero 7:06 am on October 21, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  
  You should really take a look at Worlds Apart, as that’s a more detailed version of fantasy Traveller and more care was taken in the editing and writing process.
  
  LikeLiked by 2 people
  - giorgis 8:47 am on October 21, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    
    Thanks for the proposal! I’ll check this out
    
    LikeLike
giorgis 8:28 pm on October 15, 2023 Permalink | Reply
Tags: GURPS ( 2 ), Solo ( 176 )
A Call to Glory S08 – GURPS

Continuing at the same challenge in the Level 1 dungeon A Call to Glory from TSR’s Dragon Quest, introductory adventure game, I aim to try more of the RPGs in my collection, this time with GURPS Lite.

I’ll be using a party of 4 characters created using GCS. They’re 150 points builds. They’re meant to be a Rogue, a Scout, a Knight and a Wizard. Gurps Lite 4th Edition didn’t include any Magic Examples, but I could find one in GURPS Lite 3rd Edition, so I made a pyromancer (Ignite Fire, Create Fire, Shape Fire and Fireball spells).

There’s also an extensive database of converted D&D monsters to GURPS, so I expect the playthrough to go smoothly. My main issue with GURPS is that it is way too modular. When creating a character you can choose pretty much anything, which can be a problem if you don’t know what you’re doing. Should I have given more points to base stats? more to skills? did I miss something important? No clue. There’s a learning curve based on player experience here, that I have yet to conquer. It could be a reason for a TPK.

The Party
- Sherwood Gaugler, Rogue
- Luis Chuc, Scout
- Caprice Chehebar, Knight
- Glen Klitzing, Wizard
The Adventure

The heroes have been called before Gustovan, the Burgomaster of Torlynn. Torlynn is a small village set in a quiet, hilly area near the mountains. The heroes have lived here for many years and think of Torlynn as home. Gustovan is known as a wise and kind mayor.
He asks of the heroes to go explore the old, abandoned, dwarven, iron mine, because strange lights and sounds come from within. They’re to find out if there is something wrong there or if the reports are false.

The heroes enter the dungeon. It’s entrance is a rough cavern, cut from the stone long ago by dwarves. They check their weapons and start down into the mine, with the wind blowing in their backs.

A. Tunnel

Wandering monster check: None
Wandering monster check: Gnoll

The wind fades away as the heroes move into the mine. A long tunnel leads onward, to the next room.

I’ll be using the Orc Hunter stats for the Gnoll.
Gnoll readies throwing axe.
Sherwood readies sword.
Caprice readies sword.
Luis readies readies spear.
Glen waits behind Sherwood.

Gnoll aims throwing axe to Caprice.
Sherwood waits behind Caprice.
Caprice moves towards Gnoll.
Luis waits behind Sherwood.
Glen waits behind Luis.

Gnoll throws axe to Caprice. 13/16+2-5: Hit. Caprice: Block: 13/12: Fail. Damage: 2+4-4=2×1.5=3. Hit at: 8: Right Arm. 11/14 Hit Points remaining.
Sherwood moves behind Caprice.
Caprice moves towards Gnoll.
Luis moves behind Sherwood.
Glen moves behind Luis.

Gnoll readies another axe.
Sherwood moves behind Caprice.
Caprice move and swing sword at Gnoll. 6/14-4: Hit. Gnoll: Parry: 12/12: Success. Attack Parried.
Luis moves behind Sherwood.
Glen moves behind Luis.

Gnoll swings axe at Caprice: 11/18: Hit. Caprice: Block: 10/12: Success. Attack Blocked.
Sherwood moves behind Caprice.
Caprice swings sword at Gnoll: 6/14: Hit. Gnoll can’t Parry as the weapon is unwieldly. Gnoll: Dodge: 9/10: Success. Attack Dodge.
Luis moves behind Sherwood.
Glen moves behind Luis.

Gnoll swings axe at Caprice: 15/18: Hit. Caprice: Block: 10/12: Success. Attack Blocked.
Sherwood waits.
Caprice swings sword at Gnoll: 12/14: Hit. Gnoll can’t Parry as the weapon is unwieldly. Gnoll: Dodge: 12/10: Fail. Damage: 9+1-0=10×1.5=15. Gnoll HT Roll: 12/11: Fail. Gnoll is dead.

In the dimly lit dungeon, the tension was palpable. The gnoll raised its throwing axe, eyes fixed on Caprice. Sherwood stood ready with his sword, and Caprice mirrored his stance. Luis held his spear in readiness, while Glen, ever watchful, waited behind Sherwood.
The gnoll hurled its axe toward Caprice. The weapon struck, landing a hit on her right arm. Caprice winced but pressed on. Sherwood and the others closed ranks behind her.
Caprice, undeterred, advanced on the gnoll. She swung her sword, connecting with the gnoll’s unwieldy axe, but the gnoll managed to parry her attack skillfully.
Gnoll, now determined, swung its axe at Caprice once more, but her quick reflexes allowed her to block the blow. The dance of combat continued.
In the end, Caprice’s relentless assault paid off. Her final sword swing found its mark, bypassing the gnoll’s defenses. The gnoll fell lifeless, its threat extinguished in the dark dungeon.

B. The First Lair

As the heroes enter the room, they notice a couple of beds. Probably used to be the miners’, but now they have new occupants. A kobold and a goblin get up, pick their weapons and attack.

Sherwood waits behind Caprice.
Caprice moves and swings sword at Kobold: 14/14-4: Miss.
Luis waits behind Sherwood.
Glen waits behind Luis.
Kobold thrusts halfspear at Caprice: 13/12: Miss.
Goblin moves and swings cleaver at Caprice: 12/12-4: Miss.

Sherwood moves in the room.
Caprice swings sword at Kobold: 12/14: Hit. Kobold: Parry: 4/9: Success. Attack Parried.
Luis moves in the room.
Glen moves in the room.
Kobold thrusts halfspear at Caprice: 12/12: Hit. Caprice: Parry: 9/12: Success. Attack Parried.
Goblin swings cleaver at Caprice: 13/12: Miss.

Sherwood move and swing short sword at Goblin: 15/15-4: Miss
Caprice swings sword at Kobold: 12/14: Hit. Kobold: Parry: 11/9: Fail. Damage: 7+1-2=6×1.5=9. Kobold HT Roll: 12/10: Fail. Kobold is dead.
Luis move and thrust spear at Goblin: 10/14-4: Hit. Goblin: Parry: 11/9: Fail. Damage: 6+1-2=5×2=10. Goblin HT Roll: 8/11. Success. Goblin stands.
Glen waits.
Goblin swings cleaver at Caprice: 13/12-4: Miss.

Sherwood swings short sword at Goblin: 7/15: Hit. Goblin: Parry: 14/9: Fail. Damage 2-2: 0.
Caprice swings sword at Goblin: 10/14: Hit. Goblin: Parry: 12/9: Fail. Damage 5+1-2=4×1.5=6.
Luis thrust spear at Goblin: 13/4: Hit: Goblin: Parry: 9/9: Success. Attack Parried.
Glen waits.
Goblin HT Roll: 8/11. Success. Goblin stands. Goblin swings cleaver at Caprice: 10/12-4: Miss.

Sherwood swings short sword at Goblin: 10/15: Hit. Goblin: Parry: 11/9: Fail. Damage 4-2: 2. Goblin is at -7 HP.
Caprice swings sword at Goblin: 4/14: Critical Hit. Damage 4+1-2=3×1.5=4. Goblin is at -11 HP. Goblin HT Roll: 16/11-1: Fail. Goblin is dead.
Searching, the party finds a Pouch Belt and a Mace.

The battle in the miners’ resting quarters was intense. Caprice and her companions faced off against the kobold and goblin assailants.
Caprice’s initial swing at the kobold narrowly missed, and the goblin’s cleaver attack also failed to find its mark. But Caprice soon got her revenge, her sword striking the kobold. Despite the kobold’s attempts to parry, Caprice’s blow was too much, and the kobold fell lifeless, vanquished.
Luis joined the fray, thrusting his spear at the goblin. The goblin tried to parry but couldn’t, suffering a significant hit. However, it managed to stay on its feet.
In the end, it was Sherwood and Caprice who sealed the fate of the goblin. Sherwood’s short sword and Caprice’s blade struck with precision, ending the goblin’s threat. Their thorough search afterward revealed a Pouch Belt and a Mace among the spoils of battle.

C. Jagged Cavern

Wandering monster: Kobold

The Kobold appears as Caprice opens the door to Jagged Cavern.
Sherwood moves and waits behind Caprice.
Caprice swings sword at Kobold: 11/14: Hit. Kobold: Parry: 11/9: Fail. Damage: 5+1-2=4×1.5=6.
Luis waits behind Glen.
Glen swings quarterstaff at Kobold: 7/11: Hit. Kobold: Parry: 16/9: Fail. Damage: 3+4-2=5. Kobold HT Roll: 11/10: Fail. Kobold falls unconscious.

As Caprice pushed open the door to Jagged Cavern, the narrow stone corridor revealed nothing of interest, except for the echoing sound of water dripping from the ceiling.
However, their tranquility was short-lived as a kobold suddenly emerged. Caprice, with quick reflexes, swung her sword, striking the kobold who failed to parry. The kobold’s health diminished, but it was still standing.
Then, Glen stepped forward and brought down his quarterstaff upon the kobold, rendering it unconscious and no longer a threat.

D. Orc Lair

Sherwood moves and waits behind Caprice.
Caprice swings sword at Orc: 14/14: Hit. Orc: Dodge: 12/7: Fail. Damage: 8+1-2=7×1.5=10.
Luis moves and waits next to Sherwood.
Orc readies falchion.
Glen moves and waits behind Sherwood.

Sherwood waits behind Caprice.
Caprice swings sword at Orc: 9/14: Hit. Orc: Parry: 10/13-4: Fail. Damage: 11+1-2=10×1.5=15. Orc HT Roll: 13/11: Fail. Orc falls unconscious.

Luis: Observation: 10/13: Success.
Luis notices a loose stone slab on the floor. Pushing it aside he finds a bag of gold, probably spoils belonging to the defeated orc.

The stench of decaying meat overwhelmed the heroes as they entered the small room. In the corner, they spotted the looming figure of an orc, and battle was imminent.
Caprice swiftly swung her sword, connecting with the orc as it failed to dodge the attack. The orc staggered under the blow, but it remained standing.
In a coordinated effort, Caprice struck again, this time overpowering the orc’s parry. The orc collapsed, unconscious and defeated.
Luis, with a keen eye, noticed a loose stone slab on the floor. He pushed it aside, revealing a hidden bag of gold, likely the spoils belonging to the now-defeated orc. A rewarding find for their efforts.

E. Trapped Room

Caprice: Dexterity: 14/11: Failure: Damage: 4-4: 0.

A small empty room, with a funny smell. Black ash and soot cover the floors and walls. A steel door with an iron handle sits in the middle of the floor.
As Caprice tries to open the door she hears a clicking noise. She’s not fast enough to avoid a jet of greek fire, but her armour protects her.

F. Gnoll Lair

Gnoll swings axe at Caprice: 12/18: Hit. Caprice: Block: 8/12: Success. Attack Blocked.
Sherwood moves behind Caprice.
Caprice swings sword at Gnoll: 14/14: Hit. Gnoll can’t Parry as the weapon is unwieldly. Gnoll: Dodge: 11/10: Fail. Damage: 4+1-0=5×1.5=7.
Luis moves behind Sherwood.
Glen moves behind Luis.

Gnoll swings axe at Caprice: 6/18-4: Hit. Caprice: Block: 13/12: Fail. Damage: 4+4-4=4×1.5=6.
Sherwood waits behind Caprice.
Caprice swings sword at Gnoll: 9/14-4: Hit. Gnoll can’t Parry as the weapon is unwieldly. Gnoll: Dodge: 10/10: Success. Attack Dodged.
Luis waits behind Sherwood.
Glen waits behind Luis.

Gnoll swings axe at Caprice: 7/18: Hit. Caprice: Block: 11/12: Success. Attack Blocked.
Sherwood waits behind Caprice.
Caprice swings sword at Gnoll: 11/14: Hit. Gnoll can’t Parry as the weapon is unwieldly. Gnoll: Dodge: 3/10: Success. Attack Dodged.
Luis waits behind Sherwood.
Glen waits behind Luis.

Gnoll swings axe at Caprice: 8/18: Hit. Caprice: Block: 16/12: Fail. Damage: 2+4-4=2×1.5=3. Caprice is reeling from her wounds.
Sherwood steps back to let Caprice move out.
Caprice moves out.
Luis waits in the corridor.
Glen waits behind Luis.

Gnoll moves and attacks Caprice: 11/18-4: Hit. Caprice: Block: 11/12: Success. Attack Blocked.
Sherwood thrusts shortsword at Gnoll. 7/15: Hit. Gnoll: Dodge: 12/10: Fail. Damage: 2-2=0: 1×2=2 Damage.
Caprice swings broadsword at Gnoll. 11/14: Hit. Gnoll: Dodge: 8/10: Success. Attack Dodge.
Luis thrusts spear at Gnoll. 13/14: Hit. Gnoll: Dodge: 11/10: Fail. Damage: 6+2=8×2=16. Gnoll HT Roll: 10/11. Success. Major Wound HT Roll: 9/11 Success. Gnoll Hit Points @ -11.

I ruled that in order to hit the gnoll diagonally from the sides of the opening only thrust attacks are possible.

Gnoll HT Roll: 8/11: Success. Gnoll still stands. Gnoll attacks Caprice: 12/18-4: Hit. Caprice: Block: 8/12: Success. Attack Blocked.
Sherwood thrusts shortsword at Gnoll. 13/15: Hit. Gnoll: Dodge: 7/10: Fail. Success. Attack Dodged.
Caprice swings broadsword at Gnoll. 8/14: Hit. Gnoll: Dodge: 14/10: Fail. Damage: 7+1=8×1.5=12. Gnoll HT Roll: 12/11-1: Fail. Gnoll falls.

Searching the creature, they find an invigorating honey-like potion. Glen recognizes it for a potion of healing. Kur’s Drink. Caprice drinks.

Caprice: Heal: 8 Hit Points. Caprice is back at 10 Hit Points.

In this room, the heroes encountered a swarm of biting flies, and a large gnoll, axe in hand, ready to attack.
The gnoll swung its axe at Caprice, but her quick reflexes allowed her to block the blow. Caprice retaliated with a precise sword strike, inflicting damage on the gnoll.
The gnoll’s next attack landed, causing Caprice to reel from her wounds. Sherwood stepped back to allow her to retreat, and Caprice moved out to regroup.
In a coordinated assault, the heroes took down the gnoll. Sherwood’s shortsword hit, but the gnoll dodged Caprice’s broadsword. Finally, Luis’s spear thrust struck true, inflicting a major wound on the gnoll. Though the gnoll attempted to stand, it ultimately succumbed to its injuries.
After the battle, the heroes found a potion of healing on the gnoll, which Glen recognized as “Kur’s Drink.” Caprice drank it, and her wounds healed.

G. Empty Room

Wandering Monster Check: No monster

I decide no to search the pile of dirt in the room.

The heroes go through a rough room like a cave, a small pile of dirt is at one corner of the room. The party moves onward.

H. Broken Room

Caprice: Dexterity: 8/11: Success.
Sherwood: Dexterity: 17/14: Fail. Hit: 2-2=0 Damage.

Caprice: Dexterity: 13/11: Fail. Hit: 2-4=0 Damage.
Sherwood: Dexterity: 12/14: Success.
Luis: Dexterity: 7/12: Success.
Glen: Dexterity: 13/10: Fail. Hit: 2 Damage.

As the party goes through this large chamber cut from the stone, they notice the walls and ceiling are cracked, and huge chunks of stone have fallen on the floor. Their vibrations cause some more to fall as they pass through, with Glen receiving a minor bruise from a chunk of rock.

I. Narrow Tunnel

Orc moves and swings his black axe at Caprice: 4/13-4: Critical Hit: Damage: 6+5-4=7×1.5=10. Caprice HT Roll: 9/12: Success. Caprice stands. Major Wound: Caprice HT Roll: 7/12: Success. Caprice stands.
Sherwood waits in the previous chamber.
Caprice swings sword at orc: 10/14-4: Hit. Orc Parry: 14/10: Fail. Damage: 8+1-2=7×1.5=10. Major Wound: Orc HT Roll: 8/11: Success. The orc stands.
Luis stands in wait in the previous chamber.
Glen stands in wait in the previous chamber.

Orc swings his black axe at Caprice: 11/13-4: Miss.
Sherwood waits in the previous chamber.
Caprice moves back in the previous chamber.
Luis stands in wait in the previous chamber.
Glen stands in wait in the previous chamber.

Orc moves and swings his black axe at Caprice: 15/13-4: Miss.
Sherwood thrusts his short sword at the orc: 13/15: Hit. Orc: Parry: 12/10: Fail. Damage: 5-2-2=1×2=2.
Caprice swings sword at orc: 13/14: Hit. Orc: Parry: 9/10: Success. Attack Parried.
Luis thrusts his spear at orc: 9/14: Hit. Orc: Parry: 12/10: Fail. Damage: 5+2-2=5×2=10. Orc HT Roll: 13/11: Fail. Orc falls unconscious.
Caprice takes the black axe of her opponent. The craftsmanship isn’t orcish, and she intends to put it to good use.
Caprice drinks another sip of Kur’s Drink… and another. She’s back at 12 Hit Points.

The heroes advanced down a narrow tunnel, with Caprice leading the way. Suddenly, the door at the end of the hall swung open, revealing a foul orc wielding a gleaming black axe. It wasted no time and launched a devastating attack at Caprice, landing a critical blow. Caprice withstood the hit, showing remarkable resilience.
Caprice retaliated with her sword, striking the orc, which was unable to parry the blow. The orc, despite its major wound, remained standing.
In a desperate attempt, the orc swung its axe at Caprice again but missed. Caprice decided to step back, and the orc pursued her.
Sherwood seized the opportunity, thrusting his shortsword at the orc, landing a hit. Caprice swung her sword but her attack was parried. Luis’s spear thrust struck true, causing the orc to fall unconscious. Caprice, victorious, took the black axe, noting its fine craftsmanship.
Caprice also drank more of the healing potion they found earlier, and her injuries were further mended.

J. The Story Room

I’m not rolling a wandering monsters check since the next room has a major fight.

The heroes enter a large chamber that has been polished smooth. Ancient dwarvish runes are carved into the walls. Glen reads them out aloud. They tell of the story of the digging of the mine and the work that the dwarves did there. Near the end, it mentions that the dwarves found a vein of glowing iron unlike anything they had seen before. They mined this strange ore, which they called eisenmond and found they could make weapons of great magic with it.
As they mined for more eisenmond they discovered some dark and evil secret about the mountain, without saying anything more than that they packed up and left overnight.
The story ends by saying that they left behind a large nugget of eisenmond which glowed brighter than the rest, in the care of someone called the Stone King.
The heroes realize that this is the key to the secret of the mountain, and what Gustovan sent them there to find.

K. The Iron Mine

The heroes enter a vast chamber that is roughly carved and still being worked. Small veins of iron ore still line the walls. Four monsters work the mine, and as they see the party they howl and attack.

Gnoll move and swing pickaxe at Caprice: 11/18: Hit. Caprice: Block: 4/12: Success. Attack Blocked.
Sherwood wait behind Caprice.
Caprice move to the side to allow the group to enter, and swing sword at Gnoll: 12/14: Hit. Gnoll: Dodge: 14/10: Fail. Damage: 8+1=9×1.5=13. Major Wound. Gnoll HT Roll: 14/11: Fail. Gnoll is Stunned and Prone and drops weapon.
Luis waits for Sherwood to move.
Glen waits for Sherwood to move.
Orc move and swing pickaxe at Caprice: 9/13: Hit. Caprice: Block: 8/12: Success. Attack Blocked.
Goblin move and swing pickaxe at Caprice: 11/12: Hit. Caprice: Block: 6/12: Success. Attack Blocked.
Kobold move behind Orc.

Gnoll HT Roll: 9/11: Success. Gnoll is no longer Stunned.
Sherwood swing shortsword at Orc: 8/15: Hit. Orc: Dodge: 15/9: Fail. Damage: 5-2=3×1.5=4.
Caprice swing broadsword at Prone Gnoll: 11/14: Hit. Gnoll: Dodge: 10/10-3: Fail. Damage: 3+1=4×1.5=6. Gnoll HT Roll: 14/11: Fail. Gnoll falls uncoscious.
Luis thrusts spear at Orc: 6/14: Hit. Orc: Dodge: 13/9: Fail. Damage: 2+2-2=2×2=4.
Glen cast fireball level 3: 5/16: Success. The fireball missile is at Glen’s hand will be ready in 2 more seconds.
Orc swing pickaxe at Caprice: 16/13: Miss.
Goblin swing pickaxe at Caprice: 9/12: Hit. Caprice: Block: 10/12: Success. Attack Blocked.
Kobold move and swing pickaxe at Caprice: 9/12: Hit. Caprice: Block: 10/12: Success. Attack Blocked.

Sherwood swing shortsword at Orc: 18/15: Miss.
Caprice swing broadsword at Orc: 10/14: Hit. Orc: Dodge: 7/9: Success. Attack Dodged.
Luis thrusts spear at Orc: 15/14: Miss.
The fireball missile is at Glen’s hand will be ready in 1 more seconds.
Orc swing pickaxe at Caprice: 5/13: Hit. Caprice: Block: 17/12: Miss. Damage: 6+4-4=6×1.5=9. Major Wound. Caprice HT Roll: 10/12. Caprice Stands.
Goblin swing pickaxe at Caprice: 10/12: Hit. Caprice: Block: 11/12: Success. Attack Blocked.
Kobold move and swing pickaxe at Caprice: 6/12: Hit. Caprice: Block: 16/12: Fail. Damage: 6-4=2×1.5=3. Caprice HT Roll: 13/12. Caprice falls unconscious.

Sherwood swing shortsword at Orc: 13/15: Hit. Orc: Dodge: 16/9: Fail. Damage: 2-2=0.
Luis thrusts spear at Orc: 13/14: Hit. Orc: Dodge: 9/9: Success. Attack Dodged.
The fireball missile is ready at Glen’s hand.
Orc swing pickaxe at Sherwood: 9/13: Hit. Sherwood: Parry: 16/10: Fail. Damage: 6+4-2=8×1.5=12. Major Wound. Sherwood HT Roll: 12/11: Fail. Sherwood is Stunned, Falls Prone and drops his Spear. Sherwood HT Roll: 13/11: Fail. Sherwood is unconscious.
Goblin moves next to the orc near the opening.
Kobold moves next to the orc near the opening.

Luis thrusts spear at Orc: 13/14: Hit. Orc: Dodge: 17/9: Fail. Damage: 3+2-2=3×2=6. Orc HT Roll: 13/11: Fail. Orc falls unconscious.
Glen aims the fireball missile at the Kobold.
Goblin moves inside the room and swings his pickaxe at Glen: 10/12: Hit. Glen: Dodge: 8/8: Success.
Kobold moves behind the Goblin.

Luis thrusts spear at Goblin: 8/14: Hit. Goblin: Dodge: 11/9: Fail. Damage: 6+2-2=6×2=12. Goblin HT Roll: 5/11: Success. Goblin Stands. Major Wound. Goblin HT Roll: 14/11: Fail. Goblin is Stunned, Falls Prone, and drops it’s pickaxe.
Glen shoots the fireball missile at the Kobold: 5/10+1: Hit. Damage: 8-2=6. Major Wound. Kobold HT Roll: 6/10: Success. Kobold stands.
Gobliln HT Roll: 10/11: Success. Goblin is no longer Stunned.
Kobold waits behind the Goblin.

Luis thrusts spear at Goblin: 12/14: Hit. Goblin: Dodge: 16/9-3: Fail. Damage: 3+2-2=3×2=6.
Glen swings his quarterstaff at Goblin: 7/11: Success. Goblin: Dodge: 7/9-3: Fail. Damage: 3+4-2=5. Goblin HT Roll: 6/11-1: Success. Goblin Stands.
Goblin HT Roll: 9/11-1: Success. Goblin Stands up from being prone.
Kobold waits behind the Goblin.

Luis thrusts spear at Goblin: 15/14: Miss.
Glen swings his quarterstaff at Goblin: 16/11: Miss.
Goblin HT Roll: 12/11-1: Failure. Goblin Stands falls unconscious.
Kobold moves inside and swings it’s pickaxe at Glen: 9/12-4: Miss.

Luis thrusts spear at Kobold: 16/14: Miss.
Glen swings his quarterstaff at Kobold: 13/11: Miss.
Kobold swings it’s pickaxe at Glen: 7/12: Hit. Glen: Parry: 8/10: Success. Attack Parried.

Luis thrusts spear at Kobold: 6/14: Hit. Kobold: Dodge: 9/8-4: Fail. Damage: 6+2-2=6×2=12. Kobold HT Roll: 9/10-1: Success. Major Wound. Kobold HT Roll: 14/10: Fail. Kobold falls prone, is stunned and drops it’s pickaxe.
Glen swings his quarterstaff at prone Kobold: 10/11: Hit. Damage: 4+4-2=6. Kobold HT Roll: 8/10-2: Success.
Kobold HT Roll: 9/10: Success. Kobold is no longer stunned. Kobold HT Roll: 5/10-2: Success. Kobold stands.

Luis thrusts spear at Kobold: 10/14: Hit. Kobold: Dodge: 9/8-3: Fail. Damage: 2+2-2=2×2=4.
Glen swings his quarterstaff at prone Kobold: 10/11: Hit. Kobold: Dodge: 3/8-3-4: Critical Success. Attack Dodged.
Kobold HT Roll: 8/10-2: Success. Kobold stands up.

Luis thrusts spear at Kobold: 12/14: Hit. Kobold: Dodge: 10/8: Fail. Damage: 5+2-2=5×2=10. Kobold HT Roll: 6/10-3: Success.
Glen swings his quarterstaff at Kobold: 15/11: Miss.
Kobold HT Roll: 12/10-3: Failure. Kobold falls unconscious.

Searching through their opponents belongings, they find a cool silver ring, and a coil of rope. Luis takes the rope and Glen takes the ring.

The heroes entered a vast, roughly carved chamber, still showing signs of ongoing mining operations. Small veins of iron ore lined the walls, but the real concern was the four monsters working the mine who now howled and charged at the party.
A gnoll swung its pickaxe at Caprice, but she expertly blocked the attack with her sword. In response, Caprice’s own sword strike landed true, causing the gnoll to falter, stunned, and prone, dropping its weapon.
Sherwood moved into action, his shortsword connecting with the orc as it failed to dodge. Caprice took advantage of the prone gnoll, delivering another blow that rendered it unconscious.
Luis thrust his spear at the orc, and Glen prepared a powerful fireball spell. However, the orc’s attack missed Caprice, and the goblin and kobold’s pickaxe strikes were deftly blocked by her.
In the heat of battle, Sherwood’s shortsword swing missed its mark, but Caprice’s broadsword strike, although dodged by the orc, was still a menacing presence. Luis’s spear thrust was an unfortunate miss.
Glen’s fireball was almost ready, but before it could be launched, the orc landed a fierce blow on Caprice. Although it was a major wound, Caprice’s determination allowed her to stand her ground. The goblin’s pickaxe attack was skillfully blocked, but the kobold managed to wound Caprice, causing her to fall unconscious.
Sherwood’s shortsword hit the orc, but the orc dodged Caprice’s sword. Luis thrust his spear, but the orc dodged that too. Unfortunately, the orc struck back, hitting Sherwood with a severe blow that left him stunned and unconscious.
The goblin moved into the room, and the kobold followed suit. Luis managed to thrust his spear into the goblin, causing a major wound, but the goblin was still standing, albeit stunned. Glen unleashed the fireball missile on the kobold, dealing significant damage.
The goblin eventually recovered from being stunned, and the kobold remained standing, despite its injuries.
Luis’s spear thrust found its mark, and Glen’s quarterstaff strike hit the goblin. Despite the goblin’s determination, it eventually succumbed to its injuries and fell unconscious.
The kobold, on the other hand, managed to evade Luis’s spear but couldn’t escape Glen’s attack. It too was stunned and fell prone. Afterward, Luis thrust his spear again, causing a major wound, but the kobold managed to stand up, although its condition was critical.
Their relentless assault continued, with Luis finally landing a lethal blow on the kobold. Unfortunately, Glen’s quarterstaff swing missed, but the kobold couldn’t withstand the damage, falling unconscious.
Upon searching their fallen opponents, Luis found a coil of rope, and Glen discovered a cool silver ring. They divided their spoils, ready to press on in their quest.

L. Tunnel of Death

Luis: Observation: 12/13: Success.

The heroes enter a smooth and straight tunnel. The floor is marked with the dark stains of dried blood. As they reach the door to the other side, Luis detects a mechanism, that upon opening the door, releases several rocks to their heads.

They try to open the door carefully.
Luis: Dexterity: 10/12: Success
Glen: Dexterity: 10/12: Success

They manage to get through without being hit.

M. Mysterious Fountain

In the center of the room is a stone fountain, carved in the image of a large dragon that coils around itself and sprays water out of its mouth. The water lands in a polished stone pool that has been cut into the floor around the statue. The air is sweet with the smell of fresh water. The heroes drink from the water to quench their thirst, and in a magical way, all their wounds and fatigue disappear.
They look around the room and see that there are no more doors, and it appears to be the end of the mine. But knowing that they haven’t found either the Stone Kind or the large lump of eisenmond, they start searching for a secret door.

Luis: Observation: 13: Success

They find the secret door.

N. Sloping Passage

The tunnel has been cut downards at a sharp angle. Walking down is very dangerous, but with the rope, the heroes descend it with great care.

O. The Eisenmond Mine

The heroes finally enter a rough stone chamber, with flakes of a mysterious glowing ore flickering in the walls, floor and ceiling, making the dark walls shimmer like a starry night.
In the center, sitting on a small stone pedestal, is a short statue carved from a single granite block. It depicts a dwarf with a pick and other mining gear, missing it’s head which is tossed in the corner. The head sports a rusty crown, fashioned from iron, The statue’s hands are open and held out as if it was holding something.

Okay, so here’s a puzzle concerning players and not characters, but it can be resolved with Int checks, which I will test.

Luis: Observation: 13/13: Success. He finds a secret compartment with two nuggets of eisenmond, that fit perfectly on the eye sockets of the statue’s head.

Glen: Intelligence: 12/13: Success. He considers placing the head back on the statue.

Searching around for secret doors, Luis finds a small compartment in the pedestal that contains two nuggets of eisenmond. His keen senses tell him that they fit perfectly to the head, and he proceeds to place them there.
The party looks at the head. Then Glen decides to re-assemble the statue.
As soon as the statue is assembled, a strange light fills the room. The stone body of the statue glows and the mouth moves slowly. In a voice deep and old as the mountain around, the statue speaks.
It says about how the mine belongs to the dwarves, and how good it is that the heroes have arrived because a great evil has tainted the spirit of the place. The priceless magical stone called the Eisenkern was stolen, and along with it, the power to trap the beast that lives at the heart of the mountain. If the Eisenkern is not returned, that terrible beast will be freed, and a horrible evil will come upon all who dwell in these lands.

Ending the Adventure

The heroes return and report their story to Gustovan, who seems troubled by it. He rewards them and takes thought of the matter.

The System

GURPS has a reputation for being a very crunchy detailed system that is hard to master. I was a bit intimidated by it, and the layout didn’t really help in reading through the system.
But I was pleasantly surprised.
The system itself is very streamlined. Combat is fast, but also interesting. The choice of thrusts versus swings and different damage per attack type and weapon type is very carefully laid out. There are some neat equations that take place, but the math are very simple and quick to run during the game.
Despite not having hit locations (at least in LITE), and using hit points, the combat results are interesting. Major Wounds can happen easily and they will drop an opponent. You are also temporarily shocked (to a max of -4) when you’re wounded. Finally, you can keep standing against all odds if you roll well, just like the little Kobold at the end.
I also love the 3d6 core mechanic for resolution. The probability curve it provides is really cool. This part just won me.
Perhaps the last part was the most tiresome, where you have multiples of of hit points to see where you make HT death rolls. Also I might have mixed up a bit the type of rolls (unconsciousness vs death) but it didn’t have much of a difference in a dungeon crawl.
What I also was not a huge fan of, was the character generation process. I like to have the opportunity for some randomness, and not only points application, otherwise there’s a good chance (as I expressed early) that I might make a character that just doesn’t work as I expected.

What about the Dungeon Crawl?

There are no Luck Points or similar metagaming currency to make the party survive, but I feel like they’re sturdy enough as it is. Yes, there can be that really strong lucky hit that will bring you reeling down, but usually there’s no such thing as instant-kill. You’ll need to take a few hits first. I haven’t tested this out with more dangerous opponents, but against the common minions this seems to be the case.
With some healing, GURPS (lite) is very well suited to dungeon crawling. My party survived with 2 members standing, and 2 unconscious but alive.

Summary

GURPS Lite was a very nice experience. I will certainly be revisiting it in the future in other solo ventures, and will keep my eyes peeled for the core book as well.
giorgis and Bob are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Bob 9:36 pm on October 17, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  
  I’m so glad you tried GURPS. I’ve become a huge fan of it over the years and have basically used it as a tool box to make my own solo rule set. In GURPS, you only need to use what you need and there is a lot of flexibility you can have without breaking the system. I had similar issues as you (and actually ran A Call to Glory like you’ve been doing too) and I’ve come up with my own way of randomly generating an adventurer that feels close to old school DND without killing a character at creation.
  One thing to keep in mind with points is that they exist so a table full of players can all have equally interesting characters. They’re not really exclusively about balance the way character levels might be. You could create a character descriptively too, i.e. someone who is as strong as a bear (ST 14) and professionally competent with an axe (skill level 12). In fact that’s how I roll up NPCs on the fly.
  Another strength of the system is you can get rid of or replace some things, especially solo, without breaking the game. For example, there’s an optional rule called Conditional Injury (published in Pyramind 3/120, one of their zines) where you ditch tracking HP and make injuries into status effects. I used this because I wanted to have larger skirmishes like in 5 Leagues from the Borderlands where I could use wargame style counters to track injuries, rather than track HP (and related penalties) for a couple dozen units in the fight. Was a ton of fun.
  One last thing: metacurrency. You can use character points as a metacurrency per a GURPS publication called Impulse Buys. Basically 1 point buys you a success (so you could save your life on a dodge roll) but its a tough call because you’re slowing down your character’s progression. I just give every character 1 unspent point to start and then I have a separate system for earning character points in play.
  In short, I’ve hacked the heck out of GURPS (I’ve made my own magic systems too) and its a blast. Welcome to the club, I wish I had more time to play. Hah
  
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  - giorgis 11:45 pm on October 17, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    
    Thanks for the detailed reply!
    These are great pointers and many of them are close to what I like to have in my games. I’m currently in A Call to Glory dungeon with Sword of Cepheus which uses the Traveller SRD. I’m not too happy with the system, but I adore the character generation mini-game. I was thinking I could hack this into GURPS. Love to hear how hackable and modable GURPS is!
    
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giorgis 1:19 pm on October 14, 2023 Permalink | Reply
Tags: OpenD6 ( 25 ), Solo ( 176 )
A Call to Glory S07 – D6 Fantasy

Continuing at the old challenge I did in the Level 1 dungeon A Call to Glory from TSR’s Dragon Quest, introductory adventure game, I aim to try more of the fantasy RPGs in my collection, this time with D6 Fantasy. I’ve had D6 Fantasy for a while now, but never actually used it; instead I’ve solo played only with MiniSix Barebones. I always found the advantages/disadvantages and special abilities mechanics too clunky when reading the book, but I think it’s time to put it all to the test. There’s a good chance that it plays better than it reads, as is the case with the D6 family.

I’ll be using a party of 3 characters using the standard templates and applying some non-human packages for variety.

The Party
```
name: Ugmar
layout: D6 Fantasy Layout
race: "Dwarf"
occupation: "Monster Slayer"
gender: male
agility: 3D+2
agility_skills: acrobatics, climbing, dodge, fighting, jumping, melee combat 5D+2, stealth
coordination: 3D+1
coordination_skills: marksmanship, throwing
physique: 3D+2
physique_skills: lifting 4D+2, running, stamina, swimming
charisma: 2D
charisma_skills: animal handling, command, intimidation, mettle, persuasion
intellect: 2D
intellect_skills: healing, traps
acumen: 3D+1
acumen_skills: gambling, crafting, hide, investigation, search, streetwise, survival, tracking
advantages: Size Small (Rl), scale value of 3  
disadvantages: Gruffness (R2), +2 to bluff, charm, and persuasion difficulties; Shorter Stride (R1), 2-meter reduction to running, swimming, and jumping Move, Age (R1) you are slightly younger than typical, so people don't always take you seriously; Devotion (R1) devoted to protecting ordinary people from extraordinary fiends.  
special_abilities: Hardiness (R2, cost 2), + 2 to damage resistance totals; Longevity (Rl, cost 3); Ultravision (Rl, cost 1) +2 to sightbased totals while in dim or dark conditions, Attack Resistance Nonenchanted Weapons (R1) +1D to your damage resistance total against such weapons  
equipment: Battleaxe (damage +3D), leather pants (Armor Value +2 to legs only)
description: After a band of monsters killed those you loved, you've been wandering the world, seeking to rid it of such diabolical creatures. A priest blessed your cause, giving you a resistance to certain kinds of physical harm.  
strength_damage: 2D
move: 10
body_points: 35
fate_points: 1
character_points: 5
funds: 3D
silver: 180
```
```
name: Gilmithien
layout: D6 Fantasy Layout
race: Elf
occupation: Ranger
gender: female
agility: 3D+1
agility_skills: climbing, dodge, fighting, jumping, melee combat 4D+1, riding, stealth 4D+1
coordination: 3D+1
coordination_skills: marksmanship 5D+1, throwing
physique: 3D
physique_skills: lifting, running, stamina, swimming
charisma: 3D
charisma_skills: animal handling, charm, command, intimidation, mettle, persuasion
intellect: 2D+2
intellect_skills: healing 3D+2, navigation, scholar, speaking, traps
acumen: 2D+2
acumen_skills: crafting, hide, investigation, know how, search, survival 3D+2, tracking
advantages: Contacts (R1) you've helped a lot of people, many of whom would be willing return the favor
disadvantages: Devotion, Nature (R2), feel a deep devotion and kinship with trees and plants; Hindrance, Arrogance (R2), +2 to bluff, charm, and persuasion difficulties; Hindrance, Delicate (R2), -2 to damage resistance total. Devotion (R2) fiercely devoted to protecting wilderness areas and their inhabitants.
special_abilities: Hardiness (R2, cost 2), + 2 to damage resistance totals; Longevity (Rl, cost 3); Ultravision (Rl, cost 1) +2 to sightbased totals while in dim or dark conditions, Attack Resistance Nonenchanted Weapons (R1) +1D to your damage resistance total against such weapons. Skill Bonus Keen Eye (R1) +1 bonus to marksmanship, search and tracking
equipment: Cloak, long bow and quiver of arrows (damage +2D+2); leather jerkin (Armor Value +2)
description: You grew up in forests and you've traveled through a lot of wilderness. You firstly seek to protect the land, plants and animals, and secondly, any travelers.
strength_damage: 2D
move: 10
body_points: 33
fate_points: 1
character_points: 5
funds: 3D
silver: 180
```
```
name: Estald
layout: D6 Fantasy Layout
race: Human
occupation: Wizard
gender: male
agility: 2D+1
agility_skills: acrobatics, fighting, riding, stealth
coordination: 2D
coordination_skills: charioteering, marksmanship 4D, sleight of hand, throwing
physique: 2D
physique_skills: lifting, running
charisma: 2D+2
charisma_skills: animal handling, bluff, charm, command, intimidation, mettle, persuasion
intellect: 3D+1
intellect_skills: cultures, devices 4D+1, healing, navigation, reading/writing 4D+1, scholar 4D+1, speaking, trading, traps
acumen: 3D+1
acumen_skills: artist, crafting, disguise, gambling, hide, investigation, know how, search, streetwise, survival
extranormal_magic: 2D+1
extranormal_skills: alteration, apportation, conjuration 4D+1 (glow stone, mystic bolt, mystic shield), divination
advantages: none
disadvantages: Prejudice (R2) the wizard cult you belonged to has a bad reputation and you find many people shun you.  
special_abilities: Good Luck (R1)
equipment: small knife (damage +2); soft leather jerkin and pants (Armor Value +2); paper; quill and ink; a few small spell components; a few spells on scrolls
description: Though the art of spell design fascinates you, the idea of staying locked in a stuffy library doesn't. You've taken to adventuring to find inspiration for new spells, lost sources of mystical energy, and forgotten ancient artifacts.
strength_damage: 1D
move: 10
body_points: 22
fate_points: 1
character_points: 5
funds: 3D
silver: 180
```
The Adventure

The heroes have been called before Gustovan, the Burgomaster of Torlynn. Torlynn is a small village set in a quiet, hilly area near the mountains. The heroes have lived here for many years and think of Torlynn as home. Gustovan is known as a wise and kind mayor.
He asks of the heroes to go explore the old, abandoned, dwarven, iron mine, because strange lights and sounds come from within. They’re to find out if there is something wrong there or if the reports are false.

The heroes enter the dungeon. It’s entrance is a rough cavern, cut from the stone long ago by dwarves. They check their weapons and start down into the mine, with the wind blowing in their backs.

Note: again I have to warn the reader that there are huge mechanics text blocks. OpenD6 combat has many steps, so I'm giving the reader an opportunity to read this as an example, or just skip it and jump to the narrative sections.

A. Tunnel

Wandering monster check: None
Wandering monster check: None
Wandering monster check: None
Wandering monster check: None
Wandering monster check: None

The wind fades away as the heroes move into the mine. A long tunnel leads onward, to the next room.

Wandering monster check: Kobold

B. The First Lair

Just right at the moment when the party was to enter the first lair, they came face to face with a wandering Kobold that opened the door. In the room behind it there are also another Goblin and a Kobold.

OpenD6 Statblocks for Fantasy Creatures are quite the same. There's one for Goblins, Orcs, Gnolls (I decided that Kobolds also fit here), and one for Ogres, Bugbears (I decided that Hobgoblins also fit here). On hindsight, perhaps I should have spent some time writing some stats in an index card instead of going back and forth to the various sections of the books.

Name Initiative
Ugmar 7
Estald 5
Gilmithien 11
Monsters 9

Round 1

Gilmithien shoots Kobold1 (over Ugmar): marksmanship: 17/10: Hit: 33/13: Dead
Kobold2 attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 15/10: Hit: 16/17: No damage
Goblin attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 9/10: Miss
Ugmar attacks Kobold2: 22/10: Hit: 17/11: Wounded
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at Kobold2: 11/10: Success: marksmanship: 13/10: Hit: 21/10: Dead

Round 2

Gilmithien has no clear LOS so, she waits.
Goblin attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 8/10: Miss
Ugmar attacks Goblin: 17/10: Hit: 16/9: Wounded
Gilmithien shoots Goblin: marksmanship: 18/10: Hit: 17/11: Wounded
Estald has no clear LOS and waits

Round 3

Gilmithien shoots Goblin: 16/10: Hit: 21/6: Dead
The party searches the room and finds a club and some darts.

As our heroes advance further into the dungeon, they come across a dimly lit room. The air is heavy with the musty scent of old mining equipment. Suddenly, the door swings open, and before them, a menacing kobold stands with a cruel glint in its eyes. Behind, they spot a pair of makeshift beds, a stark contrast to the previous miners who might have used them.
Without hesitation, Gilmithien draws her bow and lets loose an arrow, piercing through the first kobold’s heart. It collapses silently, never knowing what hit it. The second kobold leaps at Ugmar with a rusty blade, but despite its efforts, it can’t find a way past his defenses. Meanwhile, a goblin takes a swing at Ugmar but misses, giving him a moment of respite.
Ugmar retaliates with a powerful strike against the wounded kobold, causing it to stagger back in pain. Estald, with a flick of his hand, conjures a mystic bolt that strikes the injured kobold, sealing its fate.
Gilmithien finds herself without a clear line of sight and wisely holds her fire. The goblin makes another desperate attack on Ugmar but fails to land a blow. Ugmar, however, strikes back, injuring the goblin. Gilmithien takes aim and shoots The goblin, leaving it severely wounded.
Gilmithien lines up her shot, releasing another arrow that finds its mark in the goblin’s heart. The room falls silent as the life drains from their foes. With the danger passed, the party searches the room and discovers a club and a handful of darts among the remnants of the previous miners’ belongings.

C. Jagged Cavern

Wandering monster: None

Nothing of interest in this narrow cut cavern in the stone. Only the occasional splashing of water driping from the ceiling.

D. Orc Lair

Name Initiative
Ugmar 14
Gilmithien 2
Monsters 14

Round 1

Ugmar attacks orc: melee combat: 18/10: Hit: 12/11: Stunned
Orc attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 3/10: Miss
Gilmithien shoots Orc (over Ugmar): marksmanship: 12/10: Hit: 8/10: No damage

Round 2

Ugmar attacks orc: melee combat: 11/10: Hit: 11/10: Stunned
Orc attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 1/12: Miss
Gilmithien shoots Orc (over Ugmar): marksmanship: 20/10: Hit: 20/11: Incapacitated

As soon as the heroes enter this small room, the stench of rotten meat fills their nostrils. With their infravision they make out an orc figure as they close in to engage.

Our brave heroes advance into a small, dimly lit chamber, the air thick with the putrid smell of decaying flesh. As their eyes adjust to the darkness, they spot a looming orc in their path.
Ugmar moves with purpose, swinging his weapon at the menacing orc. The blow connects, leaving the orc stunned and reeling. The orc retaliates but fails to land a hit, his attack going wide. Meanwhile, Gilmithien takes a shot at the orc, but her arrow grazes its target, causing no significant harm.
Ugmar’s determination doesn’t waver. He delivers another solid strike to the orc, furthering its state of confusion and disarray. The orc, desperately trying to regain its composure, swings its weapon wildly, but Ugmar skillfully avoids the attack. Gilmithien, seeing an opportunity, lines up her shot carefully and releases an arrow with impeccable precision. The arrow finds its mark, incapacitating the orc.

Wandering monster: Orc

Name Initiative
Ugmar 6
Gilmithien 11
Estald 3
Monsters 8

A wandering orc appears from the door at the end of the corridor.

Round 1

Gilmithien shoots Orc (medium range): marksmanship: 12/15: Miss
Orc moves closer.
Ugmar attacks the Orc (parries): 7/5: Hit: 25/11: Dead

As our heroes continue down the corridor, a wandering orc suddenly emerges from the far door, catching them off guard.
Gilmithien quickly draws her bow and takes aim at the approaching orc. However, in her haste, her shot goes wide, missing the target. The orc seizes this moment to close the gap between them.
But Ugmar, ever vigilant, makes a swift and precise attack, delivering a devastating blow to the orc. The orc’s life is abruptly cut short as it falls to the ground, defeated, and the corridor returns to an eerie silence.

Wandering monster: Kobold

Name Initiative
Ugmar 15
Gilmithien 12
Estald 14
Monsters 8

A wandering kobold appears from the door at the end of the corridor.

Round 1

Ugmar attacks kobold: melee combat: 18/10: Hit: 20/9: Incapacitated

While the heroes continue their journey down the corridor, a wandering kobold suddenly emerges from the door at the far end.
Ugmar reacts swiftly and intercepts the kobold. With a powerful strike, he incapacitates the kobold before it has a chance to react. The kobold falls to the ground, defeated, and the corridor once again falls into an eerie silence.

E. Trapped Room

Glimithien: Acumen: 7/15: Failure: Hit: 14/11: Stunned

A small empty room, with a funny smell. Black ash and soot cover the floors and walls. A steel door with an iron handle sits in the middle of the floor.
As the elf tries to open the door she hears a clicking noise. She’s not fast enough to avoid a jet of greek fire, that lets of to her head. Thanking her quick reflexes it only stunned her momentarily.

F. Gnoll Lair

Name Initiative
Ugmar 13
Gilmithien 11
Estald 12
Monsters 12

Round 1

Ugmar attacks gnoll: melee combat: 28/10: Hit: 14/7: Wounded
Gnoll attacks Ugmar (parries): melee combat: 1/16: Miss
Gilmithien moves and shoots gnoll: marksmanship: 14/10: Hit: 5/13: No damage

Round 2

Ugmar attacks gnoll: melee combat: 13/10: Hit: 17/17: Stunned
Gnoll attacks Ugmar (parries): melee combat: 1/12: Miss
Gilmithien shoots gnoll: marksmanship: 14/10: Hit: 15/10: Severely Wounded

Round 3

Wandering monster check: Hobgoblin
Ugmar attacks gnoll: melee combat: 16/10: Hit: 15/17: No damage
Gilmithien moves and shoots gnoll: marksmanship: 23/10: Hit: 5/13: No damage
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at hobgoblin: 28/10: Success: marksmanship: 13/10: Hit: 16/12: Wounded
Gnoll attacks Ugmar (parries): melee combat: 3/12: Miss
Hobgoblin moves and attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 10/10: Hit: 13/12: Stunned

Round 4

Wandering monster check: orc, behind the hobgoblin
Ugmar attacks gnoll: melee combat: 18/10: Hit: 7/8: No damage
Gilmithien shoots Hobgoblin: marksmanship: 8/10: Miss
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at hobgoblin: 12/10: Successs: marksmanship: 6/10: Miss
Orc is blocked in the corridor behind the hobgoblin
Gnoll attacks Ugmar (parries): melee combat: 11/15: Miss
Hobgoblin attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 20/10: Hit: 14/10: Wounded

Round 5

Ugmar attacks gnoll: melee combat: 16/10: Hit: 24/9: Dead
Gilmithien shoots Hobgoblin: marksmanship: 12/10: Hit: 13/16: No damage
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at hobgoblin: 12/10: Successs: marksmanship: 6/10: Miss
Orc is blocked in the corridor behind the hobgoblin
Hobgoblin attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 7/10: Miss

Round 6

Ugmar turns and attacks the hobgoblin from the door opening: melee combat: 14/10: Hit: 13/14: No damage
Gilmithien shoots Hobgoblin: marksmanship: 27/10: Hit: 11/4: Wounded
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at hobgoblin: 10/10: Successs: marksmanship: 13/10: Hit: 9/21: No damage
Orc is blocked in the corridor behind the hobgoblin
Hobgoblin attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 5/10: Miss

Round 7

Wandering monster check: gnoll, on the other side of the corridor, behind the heroes
Ugmar attacks hobgoblin: melee combat: 17/10: Hit: 22/15: Wounded
Gilmithien shoots Hobgoblin: marksmanship: 8/10: Miss
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at hobgoblin: 14/10: Successs: marksmanship: 9/10: Miss
Orc is blocked in the corridor behind the hobgoblin
Gnoll moves and attacks Estald: melee combat: 10/10: Hit: 11/4: Wounded
Hobgoblin attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 4/10: Miss

Round 8

Ugmar attacks hobgoblin: melee combat: 24/10: Hit: 15/10: Incapacitated
Gilmithien shoots orc: marksmanship: 5/10: Miss
Estald: casts Mystic Shield at shelf: 17/10: Success, he’s protected
Orc attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 2/10: Miss
Gnoll attacks Estald: melee combat: 10/10: Hit: 14/30: No damage

Round 9

Ugmar moves and attacks orc: melee combat: 14/10: Hit: 10/16: No damage
Gilmithien shoots orc: marksmanship: 17/10: Hit: 16/16: Stunned
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at gnoll: 10/10: Successs: marksmanship: 14/10: Hit: 18/6: Incapacitated
Orc attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 4/10: Miss

Round 10

Ugmar attacks orc: melee combat: 21/10: Hit: 20/12: Wounded
Gilmithien shoots orc: marksmanship: 2/10: Miss
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at orc: 9/10: Failure
Orc attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 11/10: Hit: 15/16: No damage

Round 11

Ugmar attacks orc: melee combat: 17/10: Hit: 16/6: Incapacitated

Venturing deeper into the dungeon, our heroes find themselves in a room filled with the incessant buzzing of biting flies. A dozen of these tiny, bothersome insects swarm around them. But the more pressing threat is a large, furred gnoll who, with menacing intent, sharpens his blade upon their arrival.
Ugmar, without hesitation, launches a powerful attack against the gnoll. His strike lands true, wounding the gnoll, but the gnoll’s response is sluggish, and it misses Ugmar entirely. Gilmithien, however, struggles to take aim amid the chaos of the biting flies and misses her mark.
Ugmar’s relentless assault continues, leaving the gnoll stunned. The gnoll, in return, can’t seem to regain its composure and misses its chance to retaliate. Gilmithien, hampered by the relentless flies, takes another shot at the gnoll but only manages to severely wound it.
A moment of respite is shattered as a wandering monster check reveals a hobgoblin behind the gnoll. Ugmar’s next attack on the gnoll yields no damage, and Gilmithien, still struggling with the flies, misses her shot. Estald, attempting to turn the tide, casts a mystic bolt at the hobgoblin, but the spell falls short of its target. An orc lurks behind the hobgoblin, but it can’t join the fray due to the crowded corridor.
The gnoll, despite being wounded and stunned, continues to press its attack, but Ugmar manages to avoid any significant damage. Gilmithien’s shots at the hobgoblin and the orc fall short, and Estald’s mystic bolt fails to find its mark. The hobgoblin, despite its advantage, only manages to wound Gilmithien.
Ugmar keeps up his assault, but the gnoll is surprisingly resilient. Gilmithien’s shots miss, and Estald’s mystic bolt continues to elude the hobgoblin. The orc behind the hobgoblin remains unable to engage in the battle.
A new threat emerges as a wandering monster check reveals a gnoll on the other side of the corridor, behind the heroes. Ugmar strikes down the hobgoblin, taking advantage of the door opening to do so. Gilmithien’s shot at the orc misses, while Estald casts a mystic shield to protect himself. The gnoll, however, manages to wound Estald, making the situation more dire.
As the battle rages on, Ugmar attacks the orc, but his blows only seem to scratch the creature. Gilmithien’s aim remains true, and her shot incapacitates the orc. Estald’s mystic bolt fails to hit its mark, leaving the gnoll across the corridor untouched.
With persistence and determination, Ugmar continues his assault against the orc, this time incapacitating it. Gilmithien’s shot at the orc misses, and Estald’s mystic bolt falls short once again.
Ugmar lands a solid blow against the orc, leaving it wounded. Gilmithien’s shot misses, and Estald’s mystic bolt fails to connect.
Ugmar delivers a final, decisive strike against the orc, incapacitating it. The room falls silent, save for the incessant buzzing of the biting flies, as our heroes emerge victorious from this challenging encounter.
Searching the creature, they find an invigorating honey-like potion. Estald recognizes it for a potion of healing. Kur’s Drink. Gilmithien drinks it and recovers from her wounds.

This combat was SO tiresome. I'm certain I did a few mistakes when calculating skills and damage rolls, and perhaps spellcasting. Also I should rule out wandering monster checks during combat rounds, or perhaps once every 6 rounds. It gets too busy otherwise. We ended up having to fight several more monsters than expected.

G. Empty Room

Wandering Monster Check: No monster

I decide not to search the pile of dirt in the room.

The heroes go through a rough room like a cave, a small pile of dirt is at one corner of the room. The party moves onward.

H. Broken Room

Ugmar: Agility : 15/10: Success
Gilmithien: Agility: 2/10: Failure: Hit: 10/7: Stunned
Estald: Agility: 1/10: Hit: 8/11: No damage

As the party proceeds through the vast chamber, carved from the very stone of the earth, they soon realize that the room is not as stable as it first appears. The walls and ceiling bear cracks, and massive stones have tumbled to the ground over time.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them shudders, and a few stones drop, making them realize the danger they’re in. In a moment of agility and quick thinking, Ugmar manages to deftly avoid the falling debris. However, Gilmithien is less fortunate; a stone strikes her, leaving her stunned and vulnerable. Estald, too, is grazed by a falling rock but remains unharmed. The party must now navigate this treacherous chamber with their wits and agility to avoid further harm.

I. Narrow Tunnel

Name Initiative
Ugmar 9
Monsters 12

Round 1

Orc attacks Ugmar (parries): melee combat: 16/4: Hit: 24/27: No damage
Ugmar attacks orc: melee combat: 13/10: Hit: 23/12: Incapacitated

In a narrow, dimly lit tunnel, a perilous confrontation unfolds.
As the first round begins, an orc, lurking in the shadows, lunges at Ugmar. However, the stalwart warrior expertly parries the attack, preventing any harm. In response, Ugmar delivers a powerful strike, incapacitating the orc with a swift and well-placed blow.

Wandering monster check: goblin

Round 1

Goblin attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 6/10: Miss
Ugmar attacks goblin: melee combat: 6/10: Miss
Gilmithien: moves inside the tunnel and shoots goblin (over Ugmar): marksmanship: 13/10: Hit: 14/11: Stunned
Estald: moves inside the narrow tunnel

Round 2

Gilmithien: shoots goblin (over Ugmar): marksmanship: 12/10: Hit: 35/16: Dead

As our party progresses through the narrow tunnel, they experience an unexpected interruption. A wandering monster check reveals a lurking goblin.
The goblin, sensing the opportunity, lunges at Ugmar with a menacing intent. However, its attack falls short as Ugmar skillfully avoids the blow. In his retaliatory strike, Ugmar, unfortunately, misses his mark. Meanwhile, Gilmithien, repositioning herself inside the tunnel, takes a shot at the goblin, managing to hit her target and leaving the goblin stunned. Estald also moves inside the tunnel to support his companions.
Gilmithien, seizing the moment, takes another shot at the stunned goblin. Her aim is true, and the goblin falls lifeless, ending the unexpected encounter in the narrow tunnel. With the threat eliminated, our heroes continue their journey through the confining passageway.

J. The Story Room

The heroes enter a large chamber that has been polished smooth. Ancient dwarvish runes are carved into the walls. Ugmar reads them out aloud. They tell of the story of the digging of the mine and the work that the dwarves did there. Near the end, it mentions that the dwarves found a vein of glowing iron unlike anything they had seen before. They mined this strange ore, which they called eisenmond and found they could make weapons of great magic with it.
As they mined for more eisenmond they discovered some dark and evil secret about the mountain, without saying anything more than that they packed up and left overnight.
The story ends by saying that they left behind a large nugget of eisenmond which glowed brighter than the rest, in the care of someone called the Stone King.
The heroes realize that this is the key to the secret of the mountain, and what Gustovan sent them there to find.

Wandering monster check: Kobold

Name Initiative
Ugmar 5
Gilmithien 9
Estald 7
Monsters 23

Round 1

Kobold attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 16/10: Hit: 12/8: Wounded
Ugmar attacks kobold: melee combat: 16/10: Hit: 18/11: Wounded

Round 2

Kobold attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 6/10: Miss
Ugmar attacks kobold: melee combat: 25/10: Hit: 18/8: Incapacitated

Yet, as they contemplate the revelation, a wandering lurking kobold appears, interrupting their thoughts.
The kobold makes its move and attacks Ugmar, causing a wound with its strike. In response, Ugmar swiftly retaliates, wounding the kobold.
The kobold’s desperation becomes apparent as it misses its attack on Ugmar. Ugmar, determined to protect his companions, delivers a decisive blow, incapacitating the kobold.

K. The Iron Mine

The heroes enter a vast chamber that is roughly carved and still being worked. Small veins of iron ore still line the walls. Four monsters work the mine, and as they see the party they howl and attack.

Name Initiative
Ugmar 13
Gilmithien 5
Estald 12
Monsters 12

Round 1

Ugmar moves and attacks goblin: melee combat: 12/10: Hit: 24/4: Dead
Estald moves inside
Gnoll moves and attacks Estald: melee combat: 10/10: Hit: 12/3: Severely Wounded†
Orc moves and attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 4/10: Miss
Kobold moves and attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 0/10: Miss
Gilmithien moves and shoots at Gnoll: marksmanship: 11/10: Hit: 21/16: Wounded
† I made a mistake here, the result should be Incapacitated

Round 2

Ugmar attacks orc: melee combat: 17/10: Hit: 16/14: Stunned
Gnoll attacks Estald: melee combat: 10/10: Hit: 12/7: Incapacitated
Orc attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 0/10: Miss
Kobold attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 11/10: Hit: 21/3: Dead
Gilmithien moves and shoots at Gnoll: marksmanship: 11/10: Hit: 18/8: Incapacitated

Round 3

Kobold moves and attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 11/10: Hit: 17/24: No damage
Orc moves and attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 17/10: Hit: 8/7: Stunned
Gilmithien shoots at orc: marksmanship: 12/10: Hit: 20/17: Stunned

Round 4

Kobold attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 8/10: Miss
Orc attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 11/10: Hit: 13/16: No damage
Gilmithien shoots at orc: marksmanship: 16/10: Hit: 29/11: Dead

Round 5

Kobold attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 11/10: Hit: 8/15: No damage
Gilmithien shoots at kobold: marksmanship: 29/10: Hit: 17/12: Wounded

Round 5

Kobold attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 8/10: Miss
Gilmithien shoots at kobold: marksmanship: 14/10: Hit: 13/4: Incapacitated

Within the vast chamber, the heroes find themselves surrounded by the rough, freshly excavated walls, still bearing small veins of iron ore. Four creatures toil away in the mine, but upon spotting the party, they let out a howl of alarm and immediately launch an attack.
In the first moments of the confrontation, Ugmar moves swiftly and delivers a fatal blow to a goblin, ending its threat with a decisive strike. Estald moves inside the chamber as well. Meanwhile, a gnoll makes its move, assaulting Estald and inflicting a severe wound. An orc swings at Ugmar but misses, and a kobold’s attack proves equally futile.
Gilmithien acts with precision, shifting her position and releasing an arrow at the gnoll, hitting it and leaving it wounded.
As the battle unfolds into the next moments, Ugmar directs his attention to an orc, his attack wounding but not defeating it. The gnoll turns its aggression towards Estald and manages to incapacitate the mage. The orc’s swing against Ugmar fails once again, and the kobold’s attack is lethal, taking Ugmar out of the fight.
Gilmithien, undeterred by the dire circumstances, moves and fires another arrow at the gnoll, incapacitating it.
The battle continues with the kobold turning its attention to Gilmithien, but her agility allows her to avoid any significant harm. The orc launches an attack on Gilmithien, but it only leaves her stunned. Gilmithien, in her dazed state, still manages to shoot an arrow at the orc, taking it out of the battle.
In the following moments, the kobold makes another attack on Gilmithien, but it fails to find its mark. Gilmithien retaliates, shooting her arrow at the kobold, incapacitating it.
Searching through their opponents belongings, they find a cool silver ring, and a coil of rope. The ranger takes them both.

L. Tunnel of Death

Gilmithien: Acumen: 8/10: Failure. Agility: 17/10: Success.

The ranger enters a smooth and straight tunnel. The floor is marked with the dark stains of dried blood. As they reach the door to the other side, Gilmithien fails to detect a mechanism, that upon opening the door, releases several rocks to their heads. The elf jumps out of the way and avoids them.

M. Mysterious Fountain

In the center of the room is a stone fountain, carved in the image of a large dragon that coils around itself and sprays water out of its mouth. The water lands in a polished stone pool that has been cut into the floor around the statue. The air is sweet with the smell of fresh water. The ranger drinks from the water to quench her thirst, and in a magical way, all her wounds and fatigue disappear.
She looks around the room and see that there are no more doors, and it appears to be the end of the mine. But knowing that they haven’t found either the Stone Kind or the large lump of eisenmond, she starts searching for a secret door.

Gilmithien: Intellect: 2/10: Failure
Gilmithien: Acumen: 11/10: Success

She finds the secret door.

N. Sloping Passage

The tunnel has been cut downards at a sharp angle. Walking down is very dangerous, but with the rope, the elf descends it with great care.

O. The Eisenmond Mine

The heroes finally enter a rough stone chamber, with flakes of a mysterious glowing ore flickering in the walls, floor and ceiling, making the dark walls shimmer like a starry night.
In the center, sitting on a small stone pedestal, is a short statue carved from a single granite block. It depicts a dwarf with a pick and other mining gear, missing it’s head which is tossed in the corner. The head sports a rusty crown, fashioned from iron, The statue’s hands are open and held out as if it was holding something.

Okay, so here’s a puzzle concerning players and not characters, but it can be resolved with Acumen and Intellect checks, which I will test.

Gilmithien: Acumen: 3/10: Failure

With this failure, the story doesn’t progress any further, that’s one of the cases where a puzzle needs to be nudged by the GM to the players. It’s meant to create thinking between the players and reward them with having the idea to resolve the puzzle. In a pre-written adventure module when played solo, I can’t see much reason to hit a story block here, so I’ll overrule it and move onward.

Searching around for secret doors, Gilmithien finds a small compartment in the pedestal that contains two nuggets of eisenmond. Her keen senses tell him that they fit perfectly to the head, and she proceeds to place them there.
She looks at the head. Then decides to re-assemble the statue.
As soon as the statue is assembled, a strange light fills the room. The stone body of the statue glows and the mouth moves slowly. In a voice deep and old as the mountain around, the statue speaks.
It says about how the mine belongs to the dwarves, and how good it is that the heroes have arrived because a great evil has tainted the spirit of the place. The priceless magical stone called the Eisenkern was stolen, and along with it, the power to trap the beast that lives at the heart of the mountain. If the Eisenkern is not returned, that terrible beast will be freed, and a horrible evil will come upon all who dwell in these lands.

Ending the Adventure

The heroes return and report their story to Gustovan, who seems troubled by it. He rewards them and takes thought of the matter.

The System

OpenD6 Fantasy is a great system, but it fails on several fronts. The main reason is that while the core mechanic is simple and straightforward, there are a lot of cumbersome details that crunch away at this simplicity without giving any valuable output.
For example, combat is generally two opposed rolls, for a total of four rolls, with wild dice and modifiers. The end result will be from no damage to the wound levels. Period.
After having played a lot with the d100 games, I cannot find a reason to have opposed rolls unless you have a grid of interesting results. Otherwise replace the defender rolls with a static number, as MiniSix Barebones has done. I know that the probability curve is different (the more dice you roll, the more spread is the curve), but removing one wild die does flatten it a bit, and honestly I don’t think it’s that much of a problem.

OpenD6 Fantasy also tries to balance the strength damage bonus, with a derived stat, which is another thing to follow up on. MiniSix and StarWars D6 are more simplistic on that, as you use the strength as is. Personally I think it’s better to put the balance in the weapon stats instead of adding another statistic to follow.

Also I was put off by the different naming of the key attributes. I found myself several times choosing the wrong attribute for a test, just because of the weird naming. Overcomplicates things without need.

Another thing that wasn’t adequately explained were the Wound Levels for creatures. There is a Wound Threshold table that’s self-explanatory. But creatures also have Wound Levels described which makes no sense. I got confused, and I’ll probably go out to the OpenD6 subreddit to discuss it and try to understand it.

I did make a lot of mistakes due to the above because I ended up being tired by the abundance of rolling dice and calculating results. I’m certain I should have given Gilmithien some difficulty modifiers for shooting at point blank range or over Ugmar’s head, but on hindsight it doesn’t seem to have mattered a lot.
I may also have made several mistakes on spellcasting, but I was too tired to look up again the rules in the middle of combat. Perhaps Estald couldn’t have cast so many spells. I don’t know now, and don’t really care at this point to be honest.

What I loved though, when skimming the system, was the Spell Design. It’s quite great actually and something that should be ported to other systems, as you get a lot of different spells with components, gestures, difficulties. A whole world of spell design. It’s absolutely great.

And of course I love the core D6 system design. Overall, though I’d not use it again, and only use MiniSix, and take parts that I like and plug in it (for example, spell design).

What about the Dungeon Crawl?

The heroes are strong, and in most circumstances they get to survive. Though, a lucky roll can kill them in one hit, as happened with Ugmar. Perhaps one should consider the use of Fate Points and Character Points retrospectively, because in Solo you are in both sides of the same coin.
Also I would like some more detailed statistics for the enemies, with typical equipment. I ended up having to do it on the fly, and since I was already fatigued from all this rolling I didn’t bother to sit down and give different items and skills based on Kobold vs Gnoll. I should have taken some time and create a handful of index cards before going in the dungeon, but I hadn’t thought of it beforehand, and it was too late to stop afterwards.
OpenD6 does lend itself to a good dungeon crawl.

Summary

The D6 systems are some of my favourites. On this particular case, OpenD6 failed for me as I had combat going on for several rounds with tons of rolls, which many times didn’t have a meaningful result. I think using MiniSix with plugged in parts of your favourite OpenD6 ruleset is the way to go.
Links | Solo, Pen, Paper and Dice, giorgis, and midgetmanifesto are discussing. Toggle Comments
- midgetmanifesto 2:43 am on October 15, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  
  Combat takes SO long in most systems. Opposed rolls are super tedious too. I found with chaosium Basic (elric, etc) the opposed rolls were a drag too. I recall vaguely our GM house ruling it to turn it into static numbers (maybe via a subtraction of skills from each other or something).
  
  Do you find this system was PARTICULARLY bad for combat?
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  - giorgis 3:51 am on October 15, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    
    BRP (and derivatives) opposed rolls work quite differently, as they are rolls the attacker and defender do against their own skills. This creates a matrix of results that with the combination of critical and special successes and fumbles gives all sorts of interesting results (weapons being damaged, impale effects, blocks, etc).
    
    D6 opposed rolls on the other hand are in direct comparison to each other, giving a linear pass/fail result, which means that you don’t get any more meaningful output for the same amount of effort as in say BRP.
    Also while you can roll for Random Armor Values in BRP, that’s an optional rule, therefore the damage rolls by RAW are against a static number.
    
    So in comparison I find that BRP is more effective in utilising the combat rolls. D6 should be more streamlined as in MiniSix or be modified to use the rolls more effectively.
    
    LikeLike
giorgis 5:47 pm on October 8, 2023 Permalink | Reply
Tags: fantasy ( 97 ), Harnmaster ( 6 ), Solo ( 176 )
In the Trollshaws. Ep17
Some starting points for the session.
I’ll be continuing with Harnmaster in this session as a ruleset.
I will maintain GM’s Apprentice as the core Oracle resolution mechanic.
BOLD will be used for intra-party dialogues with the connections mechanic.
UNE will support GMA with NPC information.
Donjon , Character Composer and AI art will be used for NPC descriptions.
ChatGPT will be used to tie the narrative together.

So our party is composed of:
- Dwalin, a dwarf scout
- Rewill Ville, a hobbit cleric
- Ainiall, an elf mage
- Galadhil, a Dunadan ranger
The threads we follow are:
- Defeat the threat of Shadna, an imprisoned cold drake trying to escape
- Recover the dwarven dragon slaying hammer to use against Shadna
- Find the obsidian artifact that kept Shadna in check
They are actually one thread, with sub-threads.

To find the hammer, we should go to the Coldfells, which, as luck has it, is North of Rivendell. It wasn’t planned for, as I had no clue where the Coldfells are, but after careful research of all the sources I could find, seems they should be like 100-200 miles north of Imladris. I couldn’t find an exact location on a map, so I’m eyeballing it. On the other hand, that’s fun, because we’ll get to use some navigation skills in addition searching and tracking for the dragon slaying hammer. And there should be fights with trolls!
(on retrospect I don’t know why I am so happy to face so difficult foes)

I’m going directly to the morning of departure. Time is of the essence so the party won’t stay in Imladris to fool around.

Bold

action gerund subject

assure repairing a possession

demand lying a like

endorse obsessing a love

Date: 3rd of Girithron Third Age 1640

3rd Watch

(8 am to 12 pm)
Weather (9) becomes cool, overcast skies with rain showers. The wind becomes SW breeze.
Encounter: 14: No encounter
The party begins their northward search.

I need to ask a few things to see what Báin told Dwalin.
Let’s generate a name for the dragon-slaying hammer. Urngorr arboth, which means thunderfall in the dwarven speech.
Q: Is there something more specific than “in the Coldfells”?
A: No+Event
Event: Join Tool
I dwelled on this for too long. I can’t find an event that makes sense with this, so I’ll roll a new phrase.
Event: Avenge Monument.
Okay this is pretty straightforward. A monument, perhaps a statue of old has been defaced, evident tracks to the destruction of the monument are there, and the tracks lead away from the site.
4: It’s Galadhil’s ancestors, a Numenorian lord or lady statue that has been defaced. Galadhil wants revenge.

As the party continued northward from Rivendell, their path led them to a serene glade nestled among the ancient trees of the Trollshaws. Here, in the heart of nature’s embrace, they came upon a solemn and troubling sight. At the center of the glade stood a once-majestic statue, now defaced and broken.
The statue had been erected in honor of a noble Numenorean lord or lady from ages past, a figure of great importance and significance. Its chiseled features, now marred by the cruel act of vandalism, spoke of a dignified history that had been desecrated.
Tracks of the culprits were evident, leading away from the desecrated monument. The marks of their hasty retreat left a trail that beckoned for justice to be served.
Galadhil, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and sorrow, recognized the statue as a representation of his ancestors, a legacy from the days when their people had roamed these lands. The defacement of this monument was not just an act of vandalism; it was a personal affront to his lineage.
“By the memory of my forebears,” Galadhil muttered through clenched teeth, “we will avenge this sacrilege.”
The party stood before the vandalized monument, their resolve steeled not only by their quest to stop Shadna but also by the need to seek justice for this affront to the past.

Galadhil: Tracking: 29/60: Substantial Success
Q: Is it orc tracks? (Likely)
A: No, it’s not evident
Q: How many?
A: 7 sets of tracks

Galadhil, with his keen tracking skills, knelt down to examine the tracks leading away from the defaced monument. His fingers brushed gently over the disturbed earth as he analyzed the prints left behind.
“These tracks are not of orcs,” Galadhil remarked, his voice carrying a mix of relief and curiosity. “It’s something else, something not evident from these marks alone.”
As he continued to scrutinize the ground, it became clear that there were not just one or two sets of tracks, but a total of seven sets leading away from the glade. The mystery deepened as the party pondered who or what could have been responsible for defacing the monument and leaving behind this trail.

Since the tracks are visible despite the rain showers, they must be quite fresh. The party will begin the chase.
Q: Does it take long for them to find the perpetrators?
A: Yes, about 4 hours
Since Dwalin is the lead scout, I’ll roll Awareness to see the situation when he detects them.
Dwalin: Awareness: 95: Critical Failure
The party’s chase is detected by the enemy, and they are ambushed.

4th Watch

(12 pm to 4 pm)
Weather (9) remains cool, overcast skies with rain showers. The wind becomes SW windy.
Encounter: 16: No encounter

As the party pressed forward, following the fresh tracks left by those who had defaced the monument, they entered a dense and mist-shrouded forest. The rain continued to fall, making the pursuit all the more challenging. The terrain became rugged, with rocky outcroppings and steep inclines, slowing their progress.
Hours passed as they ventured deeper into the forest, their determination unwavering. Yet, despite their best efforts, they failed to spot any signs of the perpetrators they were chasing.
Just as frustration began to creep in, an unsettling feeling settled over them. The air grew still, and the sounds of the forest hushed to an eerie silence. It was then that Dwalin, who had been at the forefront of their chase, suddenly froze.
Too late did they realize that they had been detected. Emerging from the shadows of the trees were the hillmen, their faces painted with dark symbols, their eyes filled with hostility. It was clear that they were the ones responsible for the defacement of the monument, and they had been lying in wait, ready to ambush the party.

With Dwalin stumped, I will test for Awareness for the rest of the party to see if they are Surprised or not. If surprised they will not have TURNS in the first round.
Rewill: Awareness: 67/48: Marginal Failure
Ainiall: Awareness: 90/56: Critical Failure
Galadhil: Awareness: 2/48: Substantial Success

I need to evaluate the different levels of success with regards to this case.
Critical Failure: Caught completely unaware. They have no TURN action. Weapons sheathed. The only defense is IGNORE
Marginal Failure: Caught unaware. They have no TURN action. Weapons sheathed. The only defense is either block (if they have a shield strapped) or dodge.
Marginal Success: Weapons sheathed. They get to act normally on their turn.
Critical Success: Weapons at the ready. They get to act normally on their turn.

Unfortunately Dwalin and Ainiall have both critically failed to be aware of the situation. Any attack against them can be deadly, as Harnmaster has proven to be in the past.

Q: Are they surrounded?
A: No+Event
Event: Regenerate Ward
Dwalin in all his luck, has his shield strapped at his hand.

Round 1

Galadhil (56): Grope: Draws his broadsword.

Uthelren (45): Engage Dwalin: Dagger attack: 48/53: Marginal Success: A*3: 15: Neck: 6+5=11: S3 Serious Stab
Dwalin Shock Roll: 12/16: Success.

Truneth (44): Charge Dwalin: Dagger attack: 60/45: Critical Failure: –

Nerld (44): Charge Dwalin: Knife attack: 67/49: Marginal Failure: A*1: 64: Abdomen: 6+4-7=3: M1 Minor Stab
Dwalin Shock Roll: 15/16: Success.

Telda (40): Charge Galadhil (Block): Dagger attack: 12/53: Marginal Success
Galadhil: Block: 27/84: Marginal Success: Block
Dagger WQ: 11/11: withstands damage.
Broadsword WQ: 9/13: withstands damage.

Parsumen (40): Full Move towards Rewill.

Makan (36): Full Move towards Rewill.

Rae (36): Charge Rewill: 95/67: Critical Failure: –

In the midst of the forest, the tension hung heavy in the air as the party found themselves confronted by a group of hostile hillmen. These painted warriors, their faces adorned with dark symbols, had been waiting in ambush, and their intentions were clear.
Galadhil, the ranger, reacted swiftly, drawing his broadsword with a determined look in his eyes. He was prepared to defend his comrades and avenge the defaced monument.
One of the hillmen, Uthelren, made the first move, launching a dagger attack at Dwalin. The blade found its mark, slashing across Dwalin’s neck. The dwarf staggered but managed to maintain his composure.
Truneth, another of the hillmen, attempted to charge Dwalin but lost his footing, stumbling to the ground.
Nerld, the fourth assailant, lunged at Dwalin with a knife, targeting his abdomen. The attack connected, delivering a minor stab, but Dwalin’s resilience kept him from succumbing to shock.
Telda, one of the hillmen, turned her attention to Galadhil, launching a dagger attack. Galadhil deftly blocked the assault with his broadsword, the two weapons clashing in a flurry of steel. Both weapons withstood the force of the attack.
Meanwhile, two of the hillmen, Parsumen and Makan, moved swiftly towards Rewill, their intentions clear.
Lastly, Rae, the final hillman, charged at Rewill but faltered, her attack missing its mark.

Round 2

Rewill (75): Grope: Draws his mace.

Dwalin (60): Grope: Drops his backpack.

Galadhil (56): Attacks Nerld: 94/84: Marginal Failure
Nerld: Dodge: 13/70: Success: –

Ainiall (52): Cast Beam of Nolar on Parsumen (will fire at end of current Round)

Uthelren (45): Attack Dwalin: Dagger attack: 47/53: Marginal Success
Dwalin: Block with Shield: 96/44: Marginal Failure
Dwalin is hit: A*1: 12: Neck: 6+5=11: S3 Serious Stab
Dwalin Shock Roll: 30/16: Failure. Dwalin is down in shock.

Truneth (44): Engage Galadhil: Dagger attack: 91/45: Marginal Failure
Galadhil: Block: 14/84: Marginal Success: DTA: Defender Tactical Advantage: Attacks Truneth: Broadsword attack: 25: Critical Success
Truneth: Block: 16/45: Marginal Success
Truneth is hit: A*1: Left Hip: 6+5-3=8: S2 Serious Cut.
Truneth Stumble Roll: 13+5/11: Truneth Stumbles and is Prone.

Nerld (44): Engage Galdahil: Knife attack: 32/49: Marginal Success
Galadhil: Block: 42/74: Marginal Success: Block
Knife WQ: 8/10: withstands damage.
Broadsword WQ: 15/12: breaks. Counts as shortsword with no point.

Telda (40): Attack Galadhil (Block): Dagger attack: 83/53: Marginal Failure
Galadhil: Block: 21/64: Marginal Success: DTA: Defender Tactical Advantage: Attacks Telda: Broadsword attack: 86: Marginal Failure
Telda Counterattack: 20/53: Critical Success: D*2: 06: Face: Left Cheek: 8+5=13: G4 Grievous Stab. Galadhil is bleeding.
Galadhil Shock Roll: 11/13: Success.

Parsumen (40): Engage Rewill (Dodge): Handaxe attack: 38/66: Marginal Success
Rewill: Dodge: 75/75: Critical Success: –

Makan (36): Charge Ainiall (Dodge). Handaxe attack: 44/54 Marginal Success
Ainiall: Dodge: 30/55: Critical Success: –

Rae (36): Attack Rewill (Dodge): Broadsword attack: 33/67: Marginal Success
Rewill: Dodge: 35/65: Critical Success: –

Ainiall: Spellfire: 95/88: Critical Failure: 60: Confusion: The caster has confused the parts of two or more spells. In its simplest form, the mage has cast the wrong spell. The effects can be interesting, and perhaps dangerous.
Spell actually cast: Dispell. Has no effect.

Rewill, quickly drew his mace in preparation for the fight. Dwalin, although momentarily disoriented, managed to free himself from his backpack, making sure he was ready to face the assailants.
Galadhil, the ranger, tried to strike Nerld with his broadsword, but his attack missed as Nerld skillfully dodged the blow. Ainiall, the elven wizard, prepared to cast a spell, aiming to use her magical abilities to aid her comrades.
However, the hillmen were not to be underestimated. Uthelren, one of their number, launched a dagger attack at Dwalin, targeting his neck. Despite Dwalin’s attempt to block the strike with his shield, the dagger found its mark, causing a serious wound. Dwalin staggered and fell into shock, incapacitated by the injury.
Truneth, another hillman, tried to engage Galadhil but lost his balance and ended up on the ground, prone and vulnerable.
Nerld, undeterred by Galadhil’s earlier attack, moved to engage him, attacking with a knife. Galadhil managed to block the strike, but his broadsword suffered damage in the process, leaving it less effective.
Telda, one of the hillmen, launched a dagger attack at Galadhil, but he skillfully blocked it with his sword. In response, Galadhil attempted to strike Telda, but his attack narrowly missed. Telda, seizing an opportunity, counterattacked and stabbed Galadhil in the left cheek, causing a grievous injury. Despite the wound, Galadhil maintained his composure.
Meanwhile, Parsumen aimed an attack at Rewill with a handaxe, but Rewill’s quick reflexes allowed him to dodge the incoming strike. Makan charged at Ainiall, attempting an attack with a handaxe, but Ainiall’s agility allowed her to evade the blow.
Rae, the final hillman, attacked Rewill with a broadsword, but Rewill’s dodge was well-timed, and he avoided the strike.
Ainiall, in her attempt to cast a spell, experienced a momentary confusion, leading to the accidental casting of a spell that had no effect.

Round 3

Rewill (75): Attack Parsumen with Mace: 96/45: Marginal Failure

Dwalin (60): Shock Roll: 26/16: Failure: Unconscious

Galadhil (56): Attacks Nerld: 91/64: Marginal Failure
Nerld: Counterattack: 80/49: Critical Failure: Defender Fumble: 9/14: Success

Ainiall (52): Grope: Draws Dagger

Uthelren (45): Attack Galadhil (Block): Dagger attack: 23/53: Marginal Success
Galadhil: Block: 52/59: Marginal Success
Dagger WQ: 9/11: withstands damage.
Broken Broadsword WQ: 14/12: breaks completely.

Truneth (44): Rise: No longer Prone

Nerld (44): Attack Galdahil (Dodge): Knife attack: 90/49: Critical Failure
Galadhil: Dodge: 23/30: Marginal Success: DTA: Defender Tactical Advantage: Grope: Galadhil Draws a Dagger

Telda (40): Attack Galadhil (Block): Dagger attack: 53/53: Marginal Success
Galadhil: Block: 30/26: Critical Failure: Galadhil is Hit: A*2: 67: Abdomen: 7+5-4=8: S2 Serious Stab
Galadhil Shock Roll: 15/13: Failure: Galadhil is down in shock.

Parsumen (40): Attack Rewill (Dodge): Handaxe attack: 55/66: Critical Success
Rewill: Dodge: 84/75: Marginal Failure: Rewil is hit: A*2: Left Thigh: 10+6-3=13: G4 Grievous Cut. Rewill is bleeding.
Rewill: Shock Roll: 9/12: Success. He is not shocked.
Rewill: Stumble Roll: 8+7=15/18: Success. He still stands.

Makan (36): Attack Ainiall (Dodge). Handaxe attack: 31/54 Marginal Success
Ainiall: Dodge: 65/55: Critical Failure: Ainiall is hit: A*2: 23: Left Shoulder: 8+6-1=13: G4 Grievous Cut. Ainiall is bleeding.
Ainiall: Shock Roll: 14/10: Failure: Ainiall is down in shock.

Rae (36): Attack Rewill (Dodge): Broadsword attack: 87/67: Marginal Failure
Rewill: Dodge: 83/45: Marginal Failure: –

Rewill swung his mace at Parsumen, but his attack missed its mark. Dwalin remained unconscious, his condition growing more dire with each passing moment.
Galadhil attempted to strike Nerld with his dagger, but his aim faltered, and the attack failed to connect. In a stroke of fortune, Nerld’s counterattack was marred by a critical failure, leaving him unable to capitalize on the opening.
Ainiall, the elven wizard, drew her dagger in preparation for combat, her sharp amber eyes filled with determination.
Uthelren, one of the hillmen, targeted Galadhil with a dagger attack. Galadhil managed to block the strike with his remaining weapon, a dagger he had drawn earlier. The hillman’s dagger withstood the attack.
Truneth, who had fallen earlier, managed to rise to his feet, rejoining the battle.
Nerld, seeking to harm Galadhil once more, launched a knife attack. However, Galadhil’s dodge was well-executed, and he evaded the attack, even managing to disarm Nerld in the process.
Telda aimed a dagger strike at Galadhil, who tried to block it. Unfortunately, his attempt failed, and Telda’s dagger found its mark, stabbing Galadhil in the abdomen. The injury was serious, and Galadhil fell into shock, his strength waning.
Parsumen, one of the hillmen, turned his attention to Rewill, launching a handaxe attack. Rewill attempted to dodge the incoming strike but was unsuccessful. The handaxe struck his left thigh, causing a grievous wound that left him bleeding. However, Rewill’s resilience allowed him to stay on his feet despite the injury.
Makan, another of the hillmen, focused on Ainiall, launching a handaxe attack. Ainiall’s dodge attempt fell short, and she was hit on her left shoulder, suffering a grievous cut and bleeding profusely. The shock of the injury overwhelmed Ainiall, and she fell unconscious.
Rae, the final hillman, targeted Rewill with a broadsword attack, but his swing missed, and Rewill managed to evade the blow.

Round 4

Rewill (75): Attack Parsumen with Mace: 72/25: Marginal Failure

Dwalin (60): Shock Roll: 32/16: Failure: Unconscious

Galadhil (56): Shock Roll: 22/13: Failure: Unconscious

Ainiall (52): Shock Roll: 15/10: Failure: Unconscious

Uthelren, Truneth, Nerld and Telda just taunt at their defeated opponents as the other three hillmen are engaging Rewill.

Parsumen (40): Attack Rewill (Dodge): Handaxe attack: 59/66: Marginal Success
Rewill: Dodge: 15/55: Critical Success: –

Makan (36): Attack Rewill (Dodge). Handaxe attack: 73/54 Marginal Failure
Rewill: Dodge: 32/45: Marginal Success: –

Rae (36): Attack Rewill (Dodge): Broadsword attack: 77/67: Marginal Failure
Rewill: Dodge: 62/35: Marginal Failure: –

Rewill, determined to hold his ground, swung his mace at Parsumen, but his attack missed its mark. Despite the odds stacked against him, Rewill’s resolve remained unshaken.
The three remaining hillmen, Uthelren, Truneth, Nerld, and Telda, jeered at their defeated adversaries, reveling in their apparent victory. Their taunts echoed through the forest, a cruel reminder of the dire situation the party found themselves in.
Parsumen, one of the hillmen, launched another handaxe attack at Rewill, determined to finish the job. But Rewill’s agility prevailed, and he evaded the strike with a critical success, narrowly escaping harm.
Makan, another of the hillmen, swung his handaxe at Rewill in a desperate attempt to strike down the defiant adventurer. However, Rewill’s quick reflexes allowed him to dodge the attack, avoiding the lethal blow. Rae, the final hillman, focused his broadsword on Rewill, seeking to bring an end to the battle. His swing, however, missed its mark, and Rewill managed to evade the attack, defying the odds against him.

Round 5

Rewill (75): Attack Parsumen with Mace: 13/25: Marginal Success
Parsumen Counterattack: 100: Critical Failure
Parsumen is hit: A*3: 42: Right Hand: 12+6=18: G5 Grevious Crush.
Parsumen Shock Roll: 13/11: Failure. Parsumen is down in Shock.

Dwalin (60): Shock Roll: 28/16: Failure: Unconscious

Galadhil (56): Shock Roll: 14/13: Failure: Unconscious

Ainiall (52): Shock Roll: 9/10: Success: Recovers. Shock Roll: 16: Ainiall is in shock.

Uthelren (45): Engage Rewill (Dodge): Dagger attack: 11/53: Marginal Success
Rewill: Dodge: 95/55: Critical Failure: Rewill is hit: A*2: 87: Left Thigh: 7+5-2=10: S3 Serious Stab
Rewill: Shock Roll: 30/12: Failure. Rewill is down in Shock.

The fight is over.

As the battle raged on, the rain-soaked forest seemed to weep for the fallen combatants. The odds had turned in favor of Rewill, the sole conscious member of the party, as he swung his mace with determination. His blow landed true, striking Parsumen’s right hand with crushing force. Parsumen cried out in pain, his hand mangled and useless. The shock of the injury overwhelmed him, and he collapsed, defeated.
Dwalin, Galadhil, and Ainiall remained unconscious, their bodies bearing the scars of the brutal fight. The rain continued to fall, adding to the melancholy atmosphere of the forest.
Ainiall, however, began to stir. Despite the injuries she had sustained, she managed to regain consciousness. She groggily assessed the dire situation, her sharp amber eyes darting around as she struggled to recover from the shock of battle. Uthelren, one of the remaining hillmen, attempted to engage Rewill in combat. He lunged at the adventurer with his dagger, but Rewill’s quick reflexes allowed him to narrowly evade the attack. However, in his desperate attempt to dodge, Rewill stumbled and was struck in the left thigh by Uthelren’s blade. The wound was serious, and the shock of the injury overtook Rewill as he crumpled to the ground, joining the ranks of the fallen.

Let’s see if Dwalin will recover prior to Ainiall bleeding out.
(~59 rolls)
1st minute: No
2nd minute: No
3rd minute: No
4th minute: No
5th minute: No
6th minute: Yes
Dwalin Recovers. Dwalin Shock Roll: 26/16: Failure. Dwalin is in Shock

Let’s see if Galadhil will recover prior to Ainiall bleeding out.
1st minute: No
2nd minute: Yes
Galadhil Recovers. Galadhil Shock Roll: 26/13: Failure. Galadhil is in Shock

Let’s see if Rewill will recover prior to Ainiall bleeding out.
1st minute: No
2nd minute: Yes
Rewill Recovers. Rewill Shock Roll: 23/12: Failure. Rewill is in Shock

Therefore, they’re all in Shock and Ainiall, Rewill and Galadhil all will bleed out due to their Grievous wounds.

Q: Do the hillmen abandon their fallen foes? (Likely)
A: No+Event
Event: Release Weapon
No, they finish them off.

The battle was brutal and unforgiving. As the party fought valiantly against the hillmen, the odds seemed stacked against them. However, they managed to take down Parsumen, one of the hillmen, in a fierce exchange of blows. Unfortunately, their victory was short-lived.
Dwalin, Galadhil, Ainiall, and Rewill were all left severely wounded, with grievous injuries that left them in shock. As they lay on the rain-soaked forest floor, their enemies, the hillmen, showed no mercy. Instead of retreating, the hillmen chose to finish off their fallen foes.
One by one, the hillmen approached the incapacitated adventurers, their eyes filled with malice. They released their weapons, determined to ensure that there would be no survivors from the party. The rain continued to fall, washing away the blood that stained the forest floor as the hillmen carried out their ruthless deed.

Session Summary

After another fight which ended in TPK using Harnmaster, I’m left wondering if I did seriously misjudge the game balance.
I will break down some points of thought.

Outnumbering plays a big role in Harnmaster. However this is mitigated by skill and equipment. The ability to react to all attacks against you supposedly can make skilled warriors overcome multiple weaker foes.

I used HarnChar to generate the Hillmen using Tribal Culture and Hunter/Trapper occupations. This generated enemies weaker than my party both in skill and in equipment (mostly daggers and cloth tunics).

I may have miscalculated the enemies combat skill ML, by not applying encumbrance penalties as I was unsure if these were already factored in the weapon AML/DML factors. This could have played a role.

However I also houseruled that being outnumbered gives an increasing penalty to each extra Defense (BRP style) instead of being total like in HM RAW. Considering that, was in favour of my party.

The initial AWARENESS Critical Failures crippled my party who could not react in the first turn, and also were carrying all their adventuring gear in their backs.

Considering a party lineup with Dwalin in front (he’s the scout) who is also our main warrior, he got jumped quickly.

The first turns of combat were crucial and the dice rolls were unforgiving. Two neck stabs on Dwalin, and a Critical Failure on spellcasting (which Ainiall had CML of 88!) pretty much sealed our fate.

Harnmaster combat works with Death Spiral. The more you’re hurt, the worse you can fight, it was a matter of time after the first wounds were delivered.

Armour is important. It’s really hard to put on more armour without increasing encumbrance. I need to read more on it.

Overall, with regards to the TPK, my balancing and tactics were not that bad. Just really bad dice rolls that prevented us from having a proper fighting chance.

Nevertheless Harnmaster has this magical thing that even such a loss is delivered in cinematic proportions. We lost, but it was so interesting to play out I almost feel bad for enjoying the defeat.

Now on the Trollshaws story, this is the end. I may revisit Middle Earth in the future, but with this closure I can focus on other solo plays I have in mind.
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