I’ve had these lizards in my lead pile of shame for a while now. A Dragon Newt from Alternative Armies and a Hunting Dragon from Ral Partha Europe. I wanted to get some proper bases for them in oval or rounded rectangular shape, but since I never got to doing so, I decided to use their own bases as is and base them in a future date if I so desire.
Here are six out of 10 of the Blue Moon Slayers from Old Glory. I did a very gradient priming and used transparent paints of just one coat to have a strong highlighting and shadows.
I had painted these two beasties from the HOT range of Alternative Armies some time ago, but had forgotten about them and didn’t post it.
They’re a dragonet and a cadaver monster.
As the interlude to my Savage Warhammer advenure, I’m going to start a short spinoff of my Dragon Quest series, using different systems, but this time with a Single PC, and not a party.
This is mainly just for fun, but it will also most likely show if any systems are capable of having a single PC run through an entire dungeon.
I am expecting glorious deaths, and I will push the character creation to its limits by exploiting any optional rules I can find.
So to start with, I’ll go back to my roots. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Player’s Handbook and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide, coupled with Player’s Option: Combat and Tactics as well as Player’s Option: Skills and Powers.
I will be creating a Fighter, in order to have a fighting chance (pun intended).
Rolling with the 4d6 method, I have the following attributes.
And I split them with the subabilities to:
He’ll be a classic Sword & Board warrior.
I’ll give him a 1d12 for hit points, and also Multiple Weapon specialization, but he has a Limited Armor restriction of Chain Mail or lighter.
So I’m giving him the following Weapon Proficiencies:
Weapon & Shield Specialization (for a +1 to Attack or +1 to AC, or use one of the Shield Special Attacks without losing the Shield AC bonus), Medium Shield Proficiency (for a +3 to AC shield bonus), Long Sword Proficiency & Specialization (for a +1 to Attack and +2 to damage), Ambidexterity (for -2 instead of -4 to off-hand weapon), Chain mail Proficiency, Scale Mail Proficiency, Battle axe Proficiency (as a backup weapon), Short Sword Proficiency.
And he’ll also have the following Non-Weapon Proficiencies:
Blind Fighting, Endurance.
I rolled 100 Gold Pieces, which he’ll spend on the following:
Longsword (15 gp), Medium Shield (7gp), Scale armor (60gp), Open-faced helmet (12gp), Battle axe (5 gp).
The weight of all his equipment is at 68 lbs, but with Scale armour proficiency, this drops to 48 lbs, and he’s Unencumbered.
So, he has the following combat stats.
THAC0: 20
Attack Bonus: +2
Attacks/round: 3/2.
Damage Bonus: +5
Armor Class: 0
Hit Points: 14 (max hit points of course)
I’ll be using Combat and Tactics at it’s fullest, with Critical Hits, special Attacks, everything.
So, for some background, he’s a human, 71 inches tall, weighing at 173 lbs, and named Arryn.
That’s good enough, he’s a killing machine, let’s throw him into the dungeon.
Slight disclaimer, since AI is such a controversial topic nowadays. It is my opinion that for solo roleplaying generative AI is a good solo tool. Solo roleplaying is very mentally taxing, and it is very important to be able to maintain a good flow of the game, otherwise you can easily lose momentum and stop playing. However as with all tools, you have to know when and how to use them. But I digress. In this blog post I am using narrative outputs or AI generated images for immersion.
In the peaceful hamlet of Torlynn, Arryn, a stalwart young man of 18, bears the aura of a seasoned adventurer. Towering at 71 inches with a robust frame, his rugged appearance conceals a balance of strength and agility. His deep-set eyes reveal a blend of determination and wisdom, the kind nurtured in the quiet hills near the mountains.
Clad in scale armor adorned with a cloak billowing like a shadowy mantle, Arryn wields a long sword and kite shield with practiced precision. A backup battleaxe, a nod to prudence, hangs by his side. His journey unfolds, a tale etched in the tranquil hills of Torlynn, awaiting further chapters of bravery and destiny.
Arryn stands before Gustovan, the venerable Burgomaster of Torlynn. The quiet village, nestled amid hills near the mountains, has long been the hero’s haven. Gustovan, known for his sagacity and benevolence, implores Arryn to investigate an ancient dwarven iron mine. Whispers of eerie lights and mysterious sounds stir the air, prompting the hero to embark on this quest.
Entering the subterranean realm, Arryn treads the rough-hewn cavern, a testament to dwarven craftsmanship. His weapons at the ready, he descends into the abyss, the wind whispering tales of forgotten echoes and untold secrets. The mine awaits, a shadowed tapestry waiting to unfold before the intrepid adventurer.
Wandering Monster Check: Orc
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 8 |
| Orc | 9 |
They are both man-sized and armed with swords, so they act at the Average Phase. They move closer to each other
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 5 |
| Orc | 9 |
Arryn makes a half move and attacks the Orc.
15+2+6>20: Hit: Damage: 7+5=12. The Orc is dead.
In the dimly lit tunnel, the wind’s whispers fall silent as Arryn ventures deeper into the forsaken mine. Abruptly, a menacing orc emerges from the shadows, its cruel visage met by the hero’s resolute war cry.
In the ensuing clash, both combatants, man-sized and wielding swords, dance to the rhythm of conflict. Their blades clash in a symphony of steel as they close the distance.
In a swift move, Arryn strikes with precision, his blade finding its mark. The orc, no match for the seasoned adventurer, succumbs to the onslaught, its demise echoing through the desolate tunnels.
| Side | Surprise |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 5 |
| Monsters | 6 |
No one is surprised.
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 1 |
| Kobold | 4 |
| Goblin | 5 |
Arryn gets to acts one phase earlier. He navigates so that he has both opponents at reach, and attacks the Goblin.
7+2+6=15<20: Miss.
The Kobold approaches and attacks Arryn with its dagger in the fast phase.
12<20: Miss.
Goblin attacks Arryn with its sword.
16<19: Miss.
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 9 |
| Kobold | 5 |
| Goblin | 10 |
The Kobold acts first, and the Goblin acts one phase slower.
Kobold attacks Arryn with dagger: 20/20: Hit: Damage: 2. Arryn is at 12 Hit Points remaining.
Arryn attacks the Goblin, he will add the +1 of the Weapon & Shield Style to AC.
7+2+6=15<20: Miss.
5+2+6=13<20: Miss.
Goblin attacks Arryn with its sword.
12-1<19: Miss.
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 10 |
| Kobold | 5 |
| Goblin | 3 |
The Kobold acts first, and Arryn acts one phase slower.
Kobold attacks Arryn with dagger: 8-1<20: Miss.
Goblin attacks Arryn with its sword.
6-1<19: Miss.
Arryn attacks the Goblin, he will add the +1 of the Weapon & Shield Style to AC.
1+2+6=8<20: Miss.
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 4 |
| Kobold | 10 |
| Goblin | 6 |
The Kobold acts one phase slower, so Arry acts first.
Arryn attacks the Goblin, he will add the +1 of the Weapon & Shield Style to AC.
15+2+6=23>20: Hit: Damage: 3+5=8: The Goblin is dead.
Arryn attacks the Kobold: 4+2+7=13<20: Miss
Kobold attacks Arryn with dagger: 17-1<20: Miss.
Arryn will use his Shield to block if needed.
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 5 |
| Kobold | 6 |
The Kobold acts first.
Kobold attacks Arryn with dagger: 5<20: Miss.
Arryn attacks the Kobold, 7+2+7=16<20: Miss.
Arryn will use his Shield to block if needed.
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 10 |
| Kobold | 1 |
The Kobold acts first at Very Fast, and Arryn at Slow.
Kobold attacks Arryn with dagger: 14<20: Miss.
Arryn attacks the Kobold, 11+2+7=20: Hit: Damage: 8+3=11: The Kobold is dead.
Arryn finds a Warhammer and a Battleaxe. He won’t take either.
In the room’s dim light, Arryn confronts the remnants of the mine’s past. Beds, once occupied by diligent miners, now house a kobold and a goblin, awakening to hostility.
Swiftly, the dance of blades begins. Arryn, anticipating their assault, maneuvers strategically, his sword seeking the goblin. Yet, the first strike misses, setting the stage for a skirmish in the underground lair.
As the kobold and goblin retaliate, their strikes fall amiss against Arryn’s stalwart defense. The clash continues, a flurry of steel in the subterranean chamber. Despite the skirmish, Arryn emerges victorious, the goblin meeting its end in a symphony of finality.
The final foe, a lone kobold, meets its demise in the ensuing rounds, leaving Arryn to discover discarded weapons—a warhammer and a battleaxe. However, the seasoned adventurer opts to press forward, the shadows of the mine concealing both peril and promise.
Nothing of interest in this narrow cut cavern in the stone. Only the occasional splashing of water driping from the ceiling.
| Side | Surprise |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 5 |
| Monsters | 6 |
No one is surprised
| Combatant | Initiative | Initiative |
|---|---|---|
| Arryn | 6 | 7 |
| Orc | 6 | 3 |
Critical Event: Lucky Break: Arryn: Gains +4 to AC and Saving throws
Orc attacks Arryn: 13-4<20: Miss Arryn attacks Orc: 14+3+6>20: Hit: Damage: 4+3=7: The Orc is dead.
Arryn gets the hidden bag of gold.
As Arryn steps into the oppressive chamber, the pungent odor of decay invades his senses. In the dimness, a lurking figure emerges from the shadows, a harbinger of impending conflict.
Yet, fortune favors the hero as a stroke of luck befalls him, granting an unforeseen advantage. The orc, driven by aggression, swings its weapon, but Arryn, fortified by this fortuitous twist, deftly avoids the blow. Seizing the opportune moment, Arryn retaliates, his blade finding its mark with lethal precision.
The orc, vanquished, collapses into the shadows, leaving behind a concealed bag of gold—a hidden reward for the vigilant adventurer.
Arryn: Balance: 2/17: Success: He is not hit by the flame.
In this diminutive chamber, an unusual aroma lingers amid blackened walls and floor, cloaked in the residue of soot and ash. At the room’s center, a steel door, adorned with an iron handle, beckons the hero’s attention.
With cautious curiosity, Arryn attempts to open the door, only to be met with an ominous clicking sound. A delayed realization sets in as a jet of Greek fire erupts toward him. Miraculously, his open-faced helmet proves its worth, shielding him from the fiery assault.
However, a greater deception unfolds—the door, a mere illusion concealing a treacherous trap. Behind it, solid rock now stands, leaving Arryn to ponder the intricate riddles of this forsaken mine.
The hero enters a room and a dozen of small insects buzz past them. Biting flies are everywhere. A large furred gnoll is sharpening his sword, and as he sees them attacks.
| Side | Surprise |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 5 |
| Monsters | 5 |
No one is surprised
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 5 |
| Gnoll | 9 |
Arryn attacks Gnoll: 18+2+5>20: Critical Hit: Save vs Death: 13/14: Fail: Location: 4: Left Leg: Effect: 4: Leg Grazed, victim knocked down: Damage: 13+3=16: The Gnoll is dead.
Arryn finds the healing potion known as Kur’s Drink.
Upon entering the chamber, a swarm of biting flies fills the air, buzzing relentlessly. Amidst this disarray, a large-furred gnoll sharpens its sword, eyes narrowing as it spots the intruder.
However, Arryn, undeterred, swiftly engages the gnoll. With a masterful strike, his blade finds its mark in a critical hit. The gnoll, overwhelmed by the unexpected assault, succumbs to the blow. In its demise, Arryn discovers a vial of healing potion known as Kur’s Drink—a fortuitous reward amidst the oppressive swarm.
The room, once a lair of danger, now echoes with the buzzing of insects and the triumphant resolve of the adventurer.
Wandering Monster Check: No monster.
In this cavernous expanse, Arryn traverses a rugged chamber reminiscent of a natural cave. A small pile of dirt occupies one corner, its origins shrouded in mystery. Choosing not to investigate, the hero presses forward, the uneven terrain beneath his boots guiding him through the subterranean labyrinth.
Arryn: Balance: 13/17: Success
Navigating through the expansive chamber, Arryn discovers a vast space hewn from the living stone. Yet, the once sturdy walls now bear the scars of time, marred by ominous cracks that trace their way across the ceiling. Formidable chunks of stone litter the floor, a testament to the chamber’s gradual deterioration.
As Arryn treads carefully, his every step sends vibrations through the weakened structure. Some stones, stirred by his presence, cascade downward. However, with deft agility, the adventurer maneuvers through the falling debris unscathed.
| Side | Surprise |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 6 |
| Monsters | 3 |
The Orc is surprised
Arryn attacks the Orc: 6+3+6=15<20: Miss.
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 3 |
| Orc | 6 |
Arryn attacks the Orc: 12+3+6=21>20: Hit: Damage: 8+5=13: The Orc is Dead.
Arryn gets the black axe known as Motopua.
In the narrow confines of yet another tunnel, the hero encounters a sudden intrusion. The door at the tunnel’s end swings open, revealing a foul orc wielding a gleaming black axe, its malevolent intent unmistakable.
Seizing the moment, Arryn strikes first. However, in the initial clash, his blade narrowly misses its mark. Undeterred, the seasoned adventurer presses on, retaliating with a decisive blow in the ensuing round. The orc, vanquished, collapses, leaving behind its sinister weapon—Motopua, a black axe, now in Arryn’s possession.
Intelligence: 3/14: Success
In the vast, smoothly polished chamber, Arryn beholds a tapestry of history etched into the walls through ancient Dwarvish runes. With a resonant voice, he reads aloud the saga of the mine, chronicling the tireless toil of dwarves and the discovery of a unique ore—eisenmond. This extraordinary substance bore the promise of crafting enchanted weapons, imbued with mystical power.
Yet, the narrative takes a chilling turn. The dwarves, driven by an unspoken revelation, abruptly departed, leaving behind a singular, radiant nugget of eisenmond entrusted to the enigmatic Stone King.
As the echoes of the tale linger in the chamber, Arryn discerns that this luminous nugget holds the key to the mountain’s concealed secrets—the very quest set forth by Gustovan. The mine, a repository of forgotten lore, invites Arryn to unravel the enigma that lies dormant within its depths, promising both peril and revelation in equal measure.
The hero enters 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 Arryn they howl and attack.
| Side | Surprise |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 2 |
| Monsters | 3 |
All are surprised; We go directly to Round 1.
| Combatant | Initiative | Initiative |
|---|---|---|
| Arryn | 9 | 8 |
| Kobold | 1 | |
| Goblin | 9 | 2 |
| Orc | 10 | |
| Gnoll | 4 |
Event: Knockdown: Kobold
The Kobold gets back up.
The Gnoll moves and attacks Arryn: 15<18: Miss
The Goblin moves and attacks Arryn: 6<19: Miss
Arryn attacks the Gnoll: 11+3+5=19<20: Miss
The Orc moves and attacks Arryn on his right flank (no shield bonus): 9+3=12<19: Miss
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 10 |
| Kobold | 5 |
| Goblin | 1 |
| Orc | 3 |
| Gnoll | 3 |
The Goblin attacks Arryn: 11<19: Miss
The Kobold moves and attacks Arryn: 7<20: Miss
The Orc attacks Arryn on his right flank (no shield bonus): 2+3=5<19: Miss
The Gnoll attacks Arryn: 12<18: Miss
Arryn attacks the Gnoll: 10+3+5=18<20: Miss Arryn attacks the Gnoll: 14+3+5=22>20: Hit: Damage: 6+5=11: The Gnoll is dead.
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 2 |
| Kobold | 10 |
| Goblin | 7 |
| Orc | 8 |
Arryn attacks the Kobold: 12+3+7=22>20: Hit: Damage: 9: The Kobold is dead.
The Goblin attacks Arryn: 2<19: Miss
The Orc attacks Arryn on his right flank (no shield bonus): 8+3=11<19: Miss
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 10 |
| Goblin | 5 |
| Orc | 8 |
The Goblin attacks Arryn: 20>19: Hit: Damage: 4. Arryn has 8 hit points remaining.
The Orc attacks Arryn on his right flank (no shield bonus): 19+3=22>19: Hit: Damage: 4. Arryn has 4 hit points left.
Arryn turns and attacks the Goblin: 17+3+6=26>20: Hit: Damage: 2+5=7: The Goblin is dead.
Arryn attacks the Orc: 16+3+6=25>20: Hit: Damage: 3+5=8: The Orc is dead.
Arryn drinks Kur’s Drink: Heals: 5: Arryn has 9 hit points left.
Arryn takes the Coil of Rope and the Ring +1 AC.
In the heart of the iron mine, a vast chamber unfolds—a work in progress, veins of iron ore adorning the roughly carved walls. Four menacing figures, caught off guard by Arryn’s presence, unleash a collective howl before launching into a frenzied assault.
The clash begins, each swing of steel reverberating through the cavernous expanse. The hero, outnumbered, fends off the onslaught. The battle reaches its peak in a flurry of strikes and evasions. The Gnoll falls first, its demise heralding a turning tide.
Arryn, resolute, dispatches the Kobold and Goblin with strategic precision, the echoes of their demise resonating through the mine. Yet, the Orc and a Goblin prove formidable, landing blows that test the hero’s mettle.
With a surge of resilience, Arryn strikes down the last adversaries, claiming victory in the iron mine.
Arryn: Dexterity: 9/15: Success
Through the smooth confines of a straight tunnel, Arryn treads cautiously, the unsettling sight of dried blood staining the floor beneath his feet. As he nears the door at the tunnel’s end, a harbinger of danger awaits.
Upon opening the door, a malevolent trap springs to life—several rocks hurtling toward him. Quick reflexes guide Arryn as he leaps aside, narrowly avoiding the cascade of stones that crash down. The mine, rife with treacherous surprises, tests the adventurer’s vigilance and agility at every turn.
Arryn Drinks from the fountain and heals.
Wandering Monster Check: Kobold
| Side | Surprise |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 5 |
| Monsters | 5 |
Noone is surprised
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 4 |
| Kobold | 10 |
Arryn attacks the Kobold: 6+3+7=16<20: Miss
Kobold attacks Arryn with dagger: 10<20: Miss
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 10 |
| Kobold | 2 |
Kobold attacks Arryn with dagger: 18<20: Miss
Arryn attacks the Kobold: 1+3+7=11<20: Miss
Arryn attacks the Kobold: 3+3+7=13<20: Miss
| Combatant | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Arryn | 8 |
| Kobold | 4 |
Kobold attacks Arryn with dagger: 18<20: Miss
Arryn attacks the Kobold: 12+3+7=22>20: Hit: Damage: 11: The Kobold is dead.
Arryn: Wisdom: 20/9: Failure
Read Strange Writing: Spell: Fireball: Damage: 8: Arryn has 6 hit points remaining.
A Fireball spell is cast at Arryn, charring him.
Drinks Kur’s Drink: 4: Arryn has 10 hit points remaining.
In the heart of the mine, Arryn stumbles upon a chamber adorned with a stone fountain, a majestic dragon coiled around its form, spraying water into a polished stone pool. The air is infused with the sweet scent of fresh water, tempting the adventurer to drink. As Arryn partakes in the magical waters, wounds and fatigue dissolve, leaving him revitalized.
Surveying the chamber, he discerns no apparent exits. However, fueled by determination, Arryn begins a meticulous search for hidden doors, intent on unraveling the mine’s lingering secrets. Yet, his pursuit is interrupted by the unexpected appearance of a lone kobold.
In a swift exchange, Arryn and the kobold clash, the narrow confines of the chamber echoing with the sounds of combat. Though the kobold falls, victory is not without cost. Intrigued by strange writings, Arryn triggers a magical trap—a fiery blast engulfs him, leaving him charred.
Undeterred, Arryn fortifies himself with Kur’s Drink, the healing elixir replenishing his strength.
Reason: 19/12: Failure
Dexterity: 12/15: Success: No Damage
In the depths of the mine, Arryn encounters a formidable challenge—a sloping passage cut downward at a sharp angle. The perils of navigating such treacherous terrain are evident, and yet, with a calculated risk, Arryn embarks on the descent.
His keen reasoning initially falters against the intricacies of the passage, but his dexterous agility proves to be the saving grace. The hero maneuvers down the slope with finesse, avoiding the imminent danger that the steep descent poses.
In the ethereal glow of the stone chamber, Arryn discovers a mesmerizing sight—the walls adorned with flickering flakes of a mysterious glowing ore, turning the rough stone into a celestial tapestry reminiscent of a starry night. At the chamber’s center, a pedestal cradles a dwarf statue, headless and adorned with a rusty crown.
Searching the surroundings, Arryn uncovers a concealed compartment within the pedestal, revealing two nuggets of eisenmond. His intuition guides him, and he instinctively places the nuggets in the statue’s head, embarking on the task of reassembling the fragmented figure.
As the last piece falls into place, an otherworldly radiance envelops the room. The stone statue, now complete, stirs to life. In a voice resonating with the ancient essence of the mountain, the dwarf-shaped monument speaks of the mine’s history, proclaiming the theft of the Eisenkern—a magical stone vital for containing a beast lurking at the heart of the mountain.
The gravity of the situation becomes apparent as the statue implores Arryn, the hero, to retrieve the stolen Eisenkern. Failure to do so would unleash a terrible evil upon the lands. The mine, once a realm of dwarven industry, now stands at the crossroads of peril and destiny, urging Arryn to embark on a quest to save the realm from impending doom.
Upon returning to Torlynn, Arryn recounts his harrowing journey through the forsaken mine to Gustovan, the wise Burgomaster. The tale of the stolen Eisenkern and the looming threat weighs heavily on the leader’s shoulders, his countenance reflecting deep concern.
In acknowledgment of Arryn’s bravery and the grave task ahead, Gustovan rewards the hero for his efforts. However, the troubled atmosphere in the room lingers, as the fate of Torlynn and its inhabitants now hinges on the recovery of the stolen magical stone.
I don’t know what I was expecting. More than 25 years ago that I had purchased Player’s Option Combat and Tactics, I was amazed at the possibilities, of how it would upgrade our game. Unfortunately soon after, my group turned to 3e, and I had never had the chance to put it to the test. It was always reading material. Great reading material, but just that.
Now that I put it to the test, I find that a lot of it is bloat, and while it does take a few jabs at the core problem that is D&D mechanics, it doesn’t solve them. It’s more like salad dressing.
I’ll start with the critical hits. So many nice tables, but what is the actual chance they’ll actually appear on the table? close to nil. For opponents that are hit on a margin of 5 or more on a natural 18 or more, the base chance is 15%. But then these dudes will suffer double damage dice, which means they have to survive this for the critical effect to appear, and then then, they must also fail a save versus death. So we must rule out any weak foes that will die in one hit or two, and also any powerful enemies that will resist the save vs death easily. In other words, this max 15% chance has to do with foes that are around 6th level, and that haven’t been beaten to a pulp already. And then, going to read these effects, one can see that they have a nice granularity, but what’s the point, if at the rare cases where you’ll get a critical effect, you usually get a graze wound, that you won’t bother with, since eventually all you care about is bludgeoning the enemy to 0 hit points. It just doesn’t work.
The combat options also, sound like too much work, or things you’d do only under extreme circumstances, say you want to disarm the sorcerer before using her staff to conjure a demon, or grapple the rogue before throwing a smoke bomb and disappearing. Under classic dungeon crawl combat, against minions, all you want to do is hack and slash, until they’re gone. And this is, well, boring.
Overall Combat and Tactics looks like it has some excellent ideas, but when trying to apply them to AD&D, it cannot reign the beast that it has become, and gets trampled by it.
Skills and Powers on the other hand, gives another level of modularity to the game. Again, it draws inspiration from other RPGs, and tries to bring mechanics that are missing, while at the same time it avoids touching the core, which is the Class based system. People can move silently, but even the most dexterous elf will probably fail, unless they’re a Rogue class. Heroes can get weapon proficiencies, but they’ll never be as good as a Warrior. Healing non-weapon proficiencies are locked to the Cleric class, because no one else can learn those secrets. The subabilities allows for great customization of the player characters, and it can be exploited, but also it can help doing this like the experiment I just played.
Which brings me to this part. The experiment was successful. By using the options provided by these books, I made a 1st Level warrior that soloed an entire dungeon level. I doubt this can be done with different classes, as the main reason Arryn survived, was that he was not getting hit easily, and every successful hit was a kill. More specifically:
D&D is meant for dungeon crawling, and this adventure is an entry level to D&D, so I guess this question is redundant, but yes, it worked fine.
This was fun, not in a narrative immersive way, but in an experiment success way. Really curious if Level 2 Arryn will be able to solo the next level of the dungeon all alone. Will he do it, when 4 full party attempts have resulted in TPK?
Kevin Crawford, author of stars without number, is a bit of a genius as far as I’m concerned. You might want to try out his solo conversion rules (targetted towards labyrinth lord but probably easy to move to ad&d). It’s even got a free try out pdf. I’m a fan of his red tides setting as well. https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/127458/scarlet-heroes-quickstart
Q: Is the Scene as described in the module?
A: Yes
Since I didn’t establish this earlier,
Q: Have the characters gotten more than one torch?
A: No, and it will go out soon.
Let’s see if the characters manage to follow the blood trail under the dim light of one torch.
Elhali: Notice: (4,11)-4/4: Success
According to the core book, the rat swarm is endless, and is meant to push the adventurers down the sewers. SWADE has it’s own Rat Swarm in the bestiary, which ranges in size from Large to Medium to Small. When wounded the Swarm splits in two smaller. Now, every round, the equivalent of a Small Rat swarm will always be there from rats pouring in.
Greta flees forward to the sight of rats
Wolmar swings his sword to the rats: Fighting: (1,4)-2/6: Miss
The rats bite Wolmar, Abenzio, Elhali.
Damage to Wolmar: 7/5: Shaken
Damage to Abenzio: 4/8: Unharmed
Damage to Elhali: 6/4: Shaken
Elhali: Spirit: (3,4)-2/4: Shaken: She runs after Greta
Abenzio: swings his flail to the rats: Fighting: (2,3)-2/6: Miss
Elhali is in front with the torch, behind her Wolmar, Abenzio and Greta. Suddenly Greta feels tiny tingling feet, and an almost indiscernible bite to her leg. She looks down and she sees rats! Dozens of them. She screams “Rats!!!”, pushes Wolmar and Elhali out of the way and runs forward.
Wolmar swings his sword, but in the dark narrow corridor, he can’t get a good hit.
Rats start swarming all over them, shaking Wolmar’s and Elhali”s nerves.
Elhali not wanting to stay among the furry rodents any longer sprints after Greta. Abenzio swings his flail at the pack, but the metal only finds the cave walls.
Q: Is the Scene as described in the module?
A: Yes
Elhali: Spirit: (3,3)-2/4: Shaken: She jumps in the cart to escape the rats.
Greta sees the corpse of a man, and beside him a severed head.
Greta: Smarts: (7,2)/4: Success. She realizes this man must have raided the Valantina’s study, and killed the boss, whose head lies there. If that’s true then he could also have the gem, so she starts searching. She asks Elhali to shed some light, and searches.
Greta: Notice: (4,5)-2/4: Failure
Wolmar: Spirit: (3,3)/4: Shaken. He runs after the girls and enters the cart.
With everyone fleeing, Abenzio won’t stay alone to fight in the dark, and follows suit.
The rats follow and start swarming outside the cart.
The rats need d3 rounds to flood in the cart: 1. They will flood in the next round.
Greta and Elhali reach a small chamber where several sewers meet, with a manhole in the ceiling, 20 feet above floor level. A narrow railway track runs downwards out of the chamber from a steeply-sloping tunnel, and a mine cart stands at the end of the track.
Elhali jumps in the cart, torch in hand, still shaken from her confrontation with the rats, and Greta jumps in behind her. As they catch their breath, Greta notices the corpse of a man inside. Besides him, a severed head. Both covered in dozens of small bite-marks.
Despite the chaos, Greta realizes that this man must have been the one who ransacked the Valantina leader’s study, and most likely that’s the head of the leader.
“Shed me some light here!” She asks Elhali, as the light from the manhole cover is very dim, and starts searching in the man’s pockets and pouches.
Within moments, Wolmar and Abenzio follow, and jump in the cart too.
Greta: Notice: (1,5)-2/4: Failure
Wolmar: Spirit: (3,14)/4: Recovers from being Shaken. He attacks the rats: Fighting: (3,5)-2/6: Failure
Elhali: Spirit: (1,5)-2/4: Shaken.
Rat Swarm attacks all the characters.
Damage to Greta: 3/5: Unharmed
Damage to Abenzio: 2/8: Unharmed
Damage to Elhali: 12/4: 2 Wounds: Incapacitated: Vigor: (2,2)-3/4: Failure: Bleeding Out, Battered Guts (Permanent Injury).
Damage to Wolmar: 8/5: Shaken
Abenzio: swings his flail to the rats: Fighting: (8,3)-2/6: Hit: Damage: 18/7: 2 Wounds. The rat swarm is destroyed, and will take 2 rounds to flood in again.
Rats flooding in from all directions start to jump in the cart. Greta keeps searching the corpse, unfazed by the fact that this used to be a live person, while Wolmar’s instinct from flight turns to fight, he swings his blade at the rats, barely hitting any rodent.
Elhali is curled up in a corner trying to kick and swat the rats away from her, but to no avail. The rats run all over her, and start biting and scratching and tearing, especially under her clothes and at her wounds she suffered earlier, sniffing the blood. Soon, she is overcome by the swarm, and falls unconscious, bleeding profusely.
Some bite at Wolmar who tries to stomp them down.
Abenzio swings his flail with might, the spiked balls crushing the rodents, sending them flying out of the cart, scattering all over the place.Round 4
Wolmar: Spirit: (13,8)+2/4: Recovers from being Shaken. He picks up the torch and searches for the gem: Notice: (9,5)+2/4: Success*. He finds the gem. 5 Gold Crowns and 6 Silver Shillings.
Q: Who Carries the box?
A: Wolmar. He puts the gem in the box.
Abenzio swings his flail to the rats out of the cart: Fighting: (5,1)-2/6: Miss
Greta will attempt to stabilize Elhali: (1,8)-2/4: Success. Elhali is no longer Bleeding Out.
Wolmar notices a big satchel tucked behind the dead man’s leg. He tugs it out, and inside he finds an opal and several coins. He leaves nothing to chance, and immediately stuffs it into the box Oldenhaller gave them.
Abenzio swings his flail at the rat swarm that starts again to gather at the cart, while Greta uses her healing skills to bandage again the reopened wounds of her elven companion.
“Get us out of here already!” she yells at Abenzio.
They release the cart brakes.
Note: I just realized I had forgotten to apply Elhali's Notice bonuses due to her edges. Retrospectively, I didn't find any significant clues the party might have missed, but I should be more careful in the future. As an offset, I also mostly forgot to apply her Persuasion penalties due to her Outsider status, but still the results of the roll wouldn't have changed much.
Q: Does anyone jump from the cart before it hits the hopper?
A: No, and they all stay in the cart, suffering a -2 to the Athletics roll.
Wolmar: Athletics: (3,3)-2/4: Failure: Damage: 3/5: Unharmed. 1 Level of Fatigue.
Abenzio: Athletics @-2 as he holds Elhali: (10,5)-2-2/4: Success. Nor he or Elhali are harmed.
Greta: Athletics: (1,2)-2: Failure: Damage: 4/5: Unharmed. 1 Level of Fatigue.
Abenzio immediately releases the brakes, and the cart tips towards the slope and starts running in speed downwards. As it has accelerated and the track reaches its ends, he tries to pull the brakes, but with a crack, the lever snaps.
Like a fish looking at a lantern trap, they stand motionless looking at their imminent crash. The cart reaches the end, and tips over throwing them all to the ground. Luckily they are not hurt, and only Wolmar and Greta suffer some bruising, as Abenzio hugged Elhali, and rolled carefully outside.
Q: Is the Scene as described in the module?
A: Yes
Paraphrasing from the adventure module:
The chamber is hewn from solid rock, illuminated by four lanterns dangling from the ceiling. At the room’s core, there are a pair of tables accompanied by several chairs.
Greta will attempt to heal the bumps and bruises.
Greta heals herself: Healing: (7,1)-1/4: Success. She’s no longer fatigued.
Greta heals Wolmar: Healing: (2,5)/4: Success. He’s no longer fatigued.
Greta tends to the bruises she and Wolmar suffered, and makes sure that Elhali is okay. She has regained consciousness, but is no shape to fight or do anything very dramatic.
As they try to see around them, and make sense of their surroundings, they hear a boom, followed by a long rumbling sound.
“What was that?” Abenzio asks, but it seems no one has the answer.
Carefully, they follow the tracks further.
Q: Is the Scene as described in the module?
A: Yes, but, TWENE: Remove Simple Element.
There are no crates of wine, casks of brandy, and packing cases filled with spices, as they’ve all been used in the barricades.
Paraphrasing from the adventure module:
This expansive cavern, naturally formed with a gentle slope from west to east, is illuminated by wall-mounted torches. The cave’s walls seem notably vacant. A slender railway runs diagonally through the space, leading to a small wagon at the western end of the track. The rails vanish into a darkened tunnel on the eastern side, where faint silhouettes lurk within the shadows. Eerie and unsettling chants emanate from beyond. On the western side, two passages are obstructed by a barricade comprising furniture, chests, crates, casks, cases, and sacks.
The way the module has played out so far, some options are not feasible, unless I lean heavily on the meta knowledge, which I will not. The characters have no reason to try to get past the heavily fortified barricades since they don’t know what’s behind, nor will they use the second set of tracks and cart to go down the loading bay, since they have no clue what lies beyond. Unfortunately this will play out to a classic old fight, as there’s no escape, and they’re severely outnumbered.
Also note that since the heroes took so long to reach this part, as they spent a lot of time, bandaging their wounds, and working under the overseer previously, the ritual incantation by the cultists to summon a beast of Nurgle is complete.
Wolmar attacks a Cultist with his short sword.
Wolmar: Fighting: (1,5)/5: Hit: Damage: 7/5: Shaken
Abenzio attacks the same cultist with his flail: Fighting: (15,1)/5: Hit*: Damage: 12/5: 1 Wound: Incapacitated: Battered Guts.
Cultist attacks Wolmar with his Knife: Fighting: 1/5: Failure
Beast of Nurgle approaches.
Cultist attacks Abenzio with his short sword: Fighting: 3/8: Miss
Cultist attacks Abenzio with his knife: Fighting: 7/8: Miss
Greta dithers.
Cultist moves behind the front line.
The adventurers move towards the eastern side. Abenzio holding his flail and shield, with Wolmar by his side brandishing his short sword. Behind them at a safe distance Greta helps Elhali walk slowly, under her support.
As soon as they approach the tunnel opening, the two silhouettes step forward to block their path. They are wearing filthy brown robes and holding short swords.
“Give us the gem!” One of them shouts. But as an answer, Wolmar and Abenzio attack in unison. The sword grazes the man, who is stunned just enough for Abenzio’s flail to send him knocked down to the floor. Two more cultists close their path. The party will have to fight their way out. Behind the cultists a chaotic beast approaches, with tentacles, and no legs, oozing noxious slimes behind it as if brought by Nurgle himself.
Cultist attacks Abenzio with his short sword: Fighting: 1/8: Miss
Beast of Nurgle approaches behind the front line.
Cultist attacks Abenzio with his knife: Fighting: 4/8: Miss
Cultist attacks Wolmar with his Knife: Fighting: 3/5: Failure
Jones moves closer to guard the rear.
Abenzio attacks cultist with his flail: Fighting: (7,3)/5: Hit: Damage: 8/5: Shaken.
Wolmar attacks cultist with his short sword: Fighting: (3,5)/5: Hit: Damage: 26/5: 5 Wounds. Killed. Cultist moves to attack Wolmar. Passes over Nurgle Beast Slime: Athletics: 2/4: Failure. Splis and falls on the noxious slime trail. Incapacitated.
Abenzio holds the line against the cultists, and Wolmar’s blade strikes a foe, severing his ribcage in two.
The beast of nurgle approaches, and as a cultist follows trying to get in position against the gap that Wolmar created, he passes over the slime trail. A misstep and he stumbles on the slithering ooze and falls. It sticks on him and burns like acid. The cultist screams and perishes a few feet further. The heroes are shocked at this revelation.
“Give us the gem!” A man who looks like the leader of the cultists shouts from the rear.Round 3
Greta dithers.
Jonas casts Aura of Protection
Beast of Nurgle moves and attacks Wolmar: Fighting: 1/5: Miss
Cultist: Spirit: 2/4: Remains Shaken
Wolmar hacks at the Beast of Nurgle: Fighting: (2,2)/5: Failure
Cultist attacks Abenzio with his knife: Fighting: 1/8: Miss
Abenzio attacks cultist with his flail: Fighting: (2,5)/5: Hit: Damage: 12/5: 1 Wound: Incapacitated: Broken Guts.The cultist leader chants in an unknown speech, that Greta understands as arcane, and mages gestures waving his staff with a foot carved on one end and hand on the other.
The monstrosity lashes some tentacles at Wolmar, who expertly parries them with his sword, but this takes away all his effort, and he fails to strike back successfuly.
Abenzio is locked in combat with a cultist. His pit fighting days give him the edge he needs, and his flail hit the man dead in the chest, bringing him down.
Abenzio attacks beast of Nurgle with his flail: Fighting: (9,5)/5: Hit: Damage: 5/7: Unharmed.
Wolmar hacks at the Beast of Nurgle: Fighting: (10,8)/5: Hit*: Damage: 25/7: 4 Wounds: Killed.
Greta Dithers.
Jonas moves and attacks Abenzio with his Staff: Fighting: (1,4)/8: Miss
Cultist attacks Abenzio with his knife: Fighting: 2/8: Miss
He turns his attention to the aberration, and attacks it alongside Wolmar. His flail bounces off, without scathing the beast, but Wolmar digs his blade deep. Pulling it out, unnatural blood oozes out, and with an unearthly scream, the beast dies out.
Furious, the cultist leader supported by one of his men charge at Abenzio, who blocks their attacks with his shield.
Abenzio: Vigor: (13,7)/4: Success**
Abenzio attacks Jonas with his flail: Fighting: (6,5)+2-2/6: Hit: Damage: 9/6: Shaken
Greta Dithers.
Jonas: Spirit: (1,1)/4: Remains Shaken. Next turn will recover from Shaken only with a Raise.
Wolmar: Vigor: (1,3)/4 Failure: 6 Turns, reduction of Strength, Reroll with Benny: (10,1)/4: Success
Wolmar attacks Cultist with his short sword: Fighting: (1,2)/5: Miss
Cultist attacks Abenzio with his knife: Fighting: 8/8: Hit: Left Arm: Damage: 7/8: Unharmed
The cultist leader carries a stench with him, so foul, that the adventurers feel their strength being sapped away. Yet, they manage to prevail.
Abenzio attacks his foe, through the distracting cloud of flies. He bruises him a little breaking his focus.
Wolmar and the cultist minion battle it out, with Wolmar on the receiving end of a knife to his left arm, but thankfully, only his clothing is cut, and the flesh is missed.Round 6
Wolmar attacks Cultist with his short sword: Fighting: (2,2)/5: Miss
Greta Dithers.
Jonas: Spirit: (2,9)/4: No longer Shaken: Attacks Abenzio: Fighting: (9,8)/8: Hit: Torso: Damage: 7/11: Unharmed
Abenzio attacks Jonas with his flail: Fighting: (6,10)-2/6: Hit: Torso: Damage: 15/6: 2 Wounds: Busted Guts. Soak: (7,10) : Success*: Soaked all Wounds.
Cultist attacks Abenzio with his knife: Fighting: 4/8: Miss.The leader recovers from his bruise, and swings his staff at Abenzio’s torso, finding his mark, but the Tilean hulk doesn’t bat an eye. He returns the favour accordingly, hitting his opponent, but as luck has it, the flails twist together for a moment and lose their momentum, not harming the cultist.
Wolmar and his opponent fight it out with no side gaining an advantage.
Wolmar attacks Cultist with his short sword: Fighting: (9,9)/5: Hit*: Location: Left Leg: Damage: 18: 3 Wounds: Incapacitated: Severed Leg.
Abenzio attacks Jonas with his flail: Fighting: (25,2)-2/5: Hit*: Right Leg: Damage: 13/6: 1 Wound: Slow.
Jonas: Spirit: (2,1)-2/4: Remains Shaken.
Greta Dithers.
Wolmar ducks, and thrusts and slashes at his foes legs. His sword cuts clean at the knee, severing the limb. The cultist screams, and falls on the ground, bleeding all over the place.
Abenzio, follows his companion’s tactic and aims low as well. His flail crushing at the enemy leader’s right leg, wounding him, and making him walk with a limp. Shaken by the wound, he doesn’t attack back.Round 8
Abenzio attacks Jonas with his flail: Fighting: (8,1)-2/5: Hit: Right Arm: Damage: 11/4: 1 Wound: Can’t use arm. Incapacitated. Bleeding Out. Battered Guts.
Wolmar moves and hacks at Jonas with his short sword: Fighting: (1,3)-2/6: Miss
Jonas: Spirit: (1,3)-3/4: Remains Shaken.Now both the adventures are locked on the cultist leader. Abenzio hits again, the swinging strike finds the right arm, causing him to drop his staff. He curses, and seeing the bloodbath all around him realizes that it is too late to change any course action.
Round 9
Abenzio attacks Jonas with his flail: Fighting: (2,1)+2/6: Miss
Jonas: Spirit: (2,2)-3/4: Remains Shaken.
Wolmar hacks at Jonas with his short sword: Fighting: (5,3)-2/5: Reroll with Benny: (8,2): Hit: Damage: 12/4: 2 Wounds: Battered Guts. Soak: (2,5)-2/4: Failure: Incapacitated. Bleeding Out.
The heroes are victorious.The final blow comes from Wolmar, who splits the sorcerer’s guts open with his blade. He drops, in a pile of stinking filthy bodies, and clouds of flies digging in them. Wolmar wants to puke, but holds it inside.
“Let’s go…” he says in low volume, trying to avoid taking a deep breath. “Don’t step on the slime. He notes.”
Q: Is the Scene as described in the module?
A: Yes, and, it’s likely the next scene will be as described in the module.
Intervention: Entity Positive: There’s only PCs here at the moment, let’s see who it is: Greta.
She recognizes the fine craftsmanship of Jonas’ stave, and takes it, supporting her and Elhali to walk out of there.
Two rowing boats are drawn onto the pebbly shore, while a third is tethered to the jetty at the terminus of the cart track. The adventures enter, and row their way away, out of the asylum.
Q: Is the Scene as described in the module? (Likely)
A: Yes, and, it’s likely the next scene will be as described in the module.
The heroes return to Oldenhaller mansion, where the servant guides them to their meeting with Albrecht Oldenhaller. The thought of not returning the gem did cross their minds, but after all the trouble that seems to run amok around it, they wouldn’t consider it as a viable option.
They present the box with the gem to Albrecht Oldenhaller, and he slides over a pouch of Gold Crowns.
Time to use Let’s Talk for some final fluff before closure, Wolmar will do the talking.
First I’ll choose the Greeting Attitude for Albrecht Oldenhaller, which will be Neutral.
Then I’ll choose the Topic. This is clear. The gem and reward.
I’ll read the room to see if he can discern the mood of the NPC.
Wolmar: Notice: (3,9)/4: Success*
NPC’s Mood is Suspicious
Wolmar’s Let’s talk hand has Aggressive, Sad, Surprised.
Wolmar will use Surprised
NPC’s Reaction is Somewhat Positive, but will turn to Somewhat Negative as he’s Suscipicious and it’s the first exchange. He is Neutral.
“We got it. It was chaos in there! The Schatzenheimers were killed by the Valantinas, who’s leader was killed by another assassin! We found the gem with him. We barely escaped from some cultists who wanted the gem.” Wolmar puts all his energy to try to reiterate the events.
Their employer seems uninterested. Bothered one might say. He’s looking over their shoulders to see if anyone else could be listening in. “As you will see, the agreed upon amount is all there. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to”. He says, and rings a bell. A servant quickly appears to escort them out.
I decide not to force the discussions further.
Battered, bruised, but victorious, the adventurers return to the inn.
From previous episodes the party had spent 2 Gold Crowns and 2 Shillings.
They found 5 Gold Crowns and 6 Shillings, so it sums up to 3 Gold Crowns and 4 Shillings.
This is 16 Shillings to each of them, plus the 100 Gold Crowns for successfully recovering the gem.
I’ll give each Character an Advancement.
Abenzio: New Edge: Nerves of Steel
Elhali: Raise Attribute: Vigor d6, to return to the value it was prior to her injury
Greta: Raise two Skills: Healing d6, Spellcasting (Alchemy) d6
Wolmar: New Edge: Bolster
I’ll be updating their rosters with this.
First of all, I must say that I liked this session as well.
With this in mind, let me share what I liked and what not.
Likes:
Dislikes:
So, Savage Worlds was great for Fast, Furious, Fun combat (I never get tired of this slogan). It’s really enjoyable. Foundry really assisted in pulling this off, as I didn’t need to monitor all these small effects.
The Gritty Damage mechanics played out okayish. Foundry first resolves damage and then the Injury roll, so the location mechanics for armor and damage modifiers don’t seem to be applicable. It was confusing at times and I had to do some manual rolls and calculations. The end result was fine though.
On the other hand, the Pulpiness of Savage Worlds made some things really difficult to balance. By default Wild Cards are 60% more capable than an average skilled Mook opponent, and this is not accounted for in the prewritten adventure modules of a different system like WHFRP. This was evident when Wolmar and Abenzio took down by themselves the entire cultist band and their pet beast, without a single scratch. Yes, there would be the possibility that a lucky blow would take them out, but my protagonists had Bennies stored for that eventuality.
This wouldn’t be such a problem with a free-form conversion, but when talking modules, it’s something that can tip the scales easily. On the conversion subject, some things had their own rules, which made it easy to convert (i.e. jumping and falling on the rooftop chase), while others where harder to eyeball, especially when considering mook skills.
The careful reader will have noticed that I quickly abandoned dynamic combat. It really contradicted Savage Worlds style, and I found that it got in the way more than it helped. I’d rather do dynamic combat a la Warhammer style, where the defender, at the cost of a Multi-action Penalty, can opt to have a reactive defense instead of a passive defense. I’ll write it down on a future post.
On the adventure front, I loved the Warhammer theme. As a fan of the Old World, I enjoyed facing the cult of Nurgle for the first time, however the adventure was more or less railroaded. Since I had to read the entire module, unfortunately I know about things that my party will never get to learn, for example the location of the Huyderman gang and what role they played in all of this, and the destruction of the passages. I did have the smartest party member make some assumptions, but that’s the furthest I could go with this. In a social table, the GM would either find a different way to present this information, or the players would be left wondering, which is a great suspense builder for an adventure.
Last but not least, there’s the Let’s Talk. I’m keeping this. As a tool, to me it’s on the top places of solo tools, coming just right after the use of Oracles. There’s polishing and hacks to be had to bring it to another level of course, but it’s absolutely great as it is. So glad Dr. Gerald Ravenpie wrote it and shared it with the solo community, and so glad that I found it.
I recently got Dungeon Fantasy GURPS, and there’s an itch to continue there, but I’ll probably be sticking with Savage Worlds a little bit further, least I fall onto the trap of changing several systems within one adventure as I did in the past. Perhaps I enjoy converting systems and trying them out, too much.
However I’ll take the lessons learned, and try to adapt accordingly.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying First Edition Old World Adventures in Savage Worlds Adventure Edition
This is the dungeon-crawling part of the adventure. I won’t be using BOLD connections here.
Q: Is the Scene as described in the module?
A: Yes
Paraphrasing from the module:
The entrance indicated by the guide reveals a steep set of stairs that descends to a slender corridor. Approximately ten feet along the corridor, it culminates in a door. Affixed to the door is a notice that states, ‘Observe the Laws of Asylum. Knock and Wait’
So this door is trapped, of course the protagonists don’t know it.
The module doesn’t describe if the trap is detectable, so I won’t give a passive Notice test.
There are four possible options:
I’ll roll randomly with equal chance:
Elhali is in front, so it’s her who drops.
On a successful Athletics test, she’ll react on time to avoid the trap.
Elhali: Athletics (5,3)/4: Success
Elhali turns the handle clockwise to open the door. In addition to the spring pushed out of the way, she hears a faint ‘click’. Her sense of danger kicks in and she grabs as hard as she can to the door. Just in time, as the ground beneath her feet gives way, and a trapdoor reveals a pit 4 yards deep. She’s hanging onto the door sheet above the pit, as the rest of the party is frozen by surprise. “That was close” she sighs as she jumps inside, and her companions follow along the sides of the entrance, avoiding the deep pit.
Q: Is the Scene as described in the module?
A: No but, TWENE: Remove Simple element.
There is no table in the centre of the room.
Paraphrasing from the adventure module:
The chamber is empty and devoid of light. Positioned along the northern wall are two sizable wooden cabinets that have been pried open, causing their contents to be strewn about the room. On the southern wall, situated to the left of the entrance, there is an iron lever measuring half a yard in length. This lever protrudes from the upper part of a vertical opening in the wall.
Q: Do the adventurers interact with the lever?
A: Yes, and they realize it operates the trapdoor. They will reset it to active, and close the door behind them.
Q: Do the adventurers find the secret door? (Unlikely)
A: Yes, and Elhali scouts it and they find that the secret entrance leads through a winding tunnel up some stairs to a back alley.
Intervention: New Entity
Q: Is it a Schatzenheimer coming through the secret entrance?
A: Yes, and it’s two of them, and believe the adventurers to be the cause of the attack to their base.
The elf smuggler’s attention catches a slight gap behind the left locker. She pushes it aside and finds a low opening, as she follows it, she runs back. Her companions startled at her quick return “Get ready!” she yells as she rushes back inside.
Two footpads jump in behind her, clubs at the ready. “There they are! Git’em” one tells the other, and they charge.
Abenzio steps forward and brings his flail down to the footpad.
Abenzio: Fighting: (5,4)/5: Hit: Damage: 6/6: Shaken.
Greta moves out of the way and readies a Stun bomb.
Elhali attacks the footpad with her short sword.
Elhali: Fighting: (1,4)/5: Blocked: Damage: 4/5: the club remains intact
Wolmar steps in and attacks other footpad with his hand axe.
Wolmar: Fighting: (7,2)/5: Hit: Damage: 12/6: Wound, Incapacitated: Broken Guts.
Footpad Spirit: 1/4: Remains Shaken
Abenzio: Fighting: (5,4)/5: Hit: Damage: 16/6: 2 Wounds, Incapacitated: Broken Guts.
The adventurers make short work of the bandits. Elhali checks the secret passage to ensure there are no other surprises, and they continue onwards.
Q: Is the Scene as described in the module?
A: No TWENE: Add Major element.
Q: Is Kurt Holger’s body in this room?
A: No
I’ll roll for a Portent to help me identify the Major element in the scene.
Portent: thronged servicing
So…all the Schatzenheimers had contracted Nurgle’s Rot, and any handling of them, returns a 4% chance of the PCs suffering from the disease as well.
Paraphrasing from the adventure module:
Torches are affixed to the walls at intervals of 5 feet along all four sides. The majority of these torches have extinguished, and the ones that persist emit a fluctuating light that illuminates a scene of complete ruin. The doors are cluttered with overturned and shattered furniture, while every surface is marred with dried bloodstains. Scattered haphazardly throughout the room lie six lifeless bodies, each exhibiting numerous stab wounds or pierced by crossbow bolts.
Q: Does Elhali search the bodies?
A: No, and the adventurers are shocked by the destruction. Noone touches the bodies.
They recognize the fig leaf motif, and they make the connection to the Valantina password.
Two wear cheap pendants bearing a fig leaf motif. Abenzio makes the connection to the paper scrap they found at Vasari, and with the calling cards left on the other bodies, they are certain that these were members of the Valantina gang. Dropped on top of each of the Schatzenheimer bodies is a small card reading ‘Congratulatlons, you have just met the Valantlna Anti Personnel Crew’. They decide to leave the corpses alone.
I’ll roll randomly to see to which room the PCs will go next.
They go to room 4.
Taking two of the still burning torches from the brackets, the adventurers head south through the destroyed door.
Q: Is the Scene as described in the module?
A: Yes, and it’s unlikely that the next scene will be altered.
Paraphrasing from the module:
The room remains in darkness, its carpeted floor and upscale furnishings contributing to an air of opulence. Stretching along the western wall is an imposing bookcase, with the majority of its contents strewn across the floor. Wall hangings and pictures have been ruthlessly torn down, the drawers of the desk yanked out and emptied. Within the room lies a solitary corpse, that of a middle-aged man adorned in luxurious attire. His complexion is of a pallid brown hue, his countenance marked by three oozing sores, and one of his arms is conspicuously absent.
Elhali: Notice: (4,4)/4: Success
Elhali realizes this man is Kurt Holger.
Q: Does Elhali search the corpse? (Likely)
A: Yes
Nurgle’s Rot: 96%/4%: No disease contracted.
Elhali: Notice: (1,4)/4: Success
Searching through the corpse of the man Elhali identifies as Kurt Holger, the elf smuggler doesn’t find anything of interest. Realizing they’ve arrived too late, the adventurers press on deeper into the asylum.
Q: Is the Scene as described in the module? (Likely)
A: No, but, TWENE: Decrease Simple Element
There are only two corpses piled here.
Paraphrasing from the adventure module:
Darkness envelops this room, revealing yet another tableau of demise and ruin. The southern wall is adorned with the remnants of numerous wooden bunks, accompanied by torn and bloodstained bedding. At one corner, two lifeless bodies are stacked in a heap.
Elhali: Notice: (4,4)/4: Success
Elhali notices the same ‘calling cards’ on the two corpses. The party moves onwards faster.
Q: Is the Scene as described in the module?
A: Yes
Paraphrasing from the adventure module:
Torches brackets adorn both the northern and southern walls, but their flames have long extinguished, plunging the room into complete darkness. Within, you find a dozen sacks filled with grain, four sizable chests, three vacant barrels, a side of pork, and three lifeless bodies. The sacks bear slashes, spilling the majority of their contents across the floor. The chests, forcibly opened, have been emptied, and one of the barrels lies shattered into pieces.
Ulrich Vogel, a member of the Schatzenheimer gang is here, wounded, with a loaded crossbow aimed at the party. In the Dim Light he looks like one of the corpses. I’ll draw initiative normally, but the characters can react to Vogel only if one passes a Notice test, or Ulrich shoots.
Wolmar: Notice: (1,3)-2/4: Failure
Abenzio: Notice: (5,3)-2/4: Failure
Elhali: Notice: (5,4)-2/4: Failure
Greta: Notice: (7,4)-2/4: Success
Greta notices Ulrich aiming his crossbow at them. “Take cover!” she shouts, and jumps behind a barrel.
Vogel shoots at Wolmar: Shooting (2,11)-3/4: Hit*: Location: Guts: Damage: 10: Soak Roll (3,1): Failure: Wolmar takes 1 Wound, Busted Guts, Strength reduced to d4.
Elhali thrusts her sword at Vogel: Fighting: (3,2)/4: Miss
Greta remains in cover.
Wolmar roll spirit: (1,4)-1/4: Failure: Wolmar remains shaken
Vogel shoots at Elhali: Shooting (7,3)-3/4: Hit: Location: Guts: Damage: 18: Soak Roll (1,4): Success: Elhali takes 2 Wounds, Battered Guts, Vigor reduced to d4. Elhali is Bleeding Out.
Abenzio bashes at Vogel with his Flail: Fighting: (19,5)/4: Hit*: Location: Left Arm: Damage: 17: Soak Roll (4,5)-1/4: Success: Vogel Takes 2 Wounds, Cannot use his Arm. Vogel is Bleeding Out.
Elhali: Spirit Roll: (2,1)-2/4: Failure
Elhali: Vigor Roll: (1,2)-2/4: Failure: Reroll with Benny: (2,5)-2/4: Failure: Reroll with Benny: (3,5)-2/4: Failure: Elhali is Incapacitated.
`Note: I realized that the Bleeding Out homebrew rule, for 2 Wounds injuries doesn’t make sense – you’re fine one moment – dead the next due to bleeding. Instead, I’m giving it another level. If active, and failing the Vigor Roll, the character Bleeding Out becomes Incapacitated. And if again they fail the new Vigor Roll, they’ll die as per RAW. Elhali is still not out of it, and she has burned two benny points already.
Vogel: Spirit Roll: (3,4)-3/4: Failure: Vogel Spends a Benny and is no longer Shaken.
Vogel: Vigor Roll: (1,4)-3/4: Failure: Reroll with Benny: (4,10)-3/4: Success
Vogel draws his dagger.
Wolmar: Spirit Roll: (10,2)-1/4: Success*: Wolmar is no longer Shaken
Wolmar hacks at Vogel with his handaxe: Fighting: (5,1)-3/4: Miss
Greta runs to Elhali and attempts to stabilize her: Healing: (1,2)/4: Failure: Reroll with Benny: (3,3)/4: Failure
Abenzio bashes at Vogel with his Flail: Fighting: (11,1)/4: Hit*: Location: Guts: Damage: 17: Soak Roll (5,1)-3/4: Failure: Vogel Takes 2 Wounds, Incapacitated, Busted Guts.
Greta attempts to stabilize Elhali: Healing: (3,11)/4: Success: Elhali is Stabilized.
As the party walks among the ruined storeroom and avoids the corpses, Greta picks up some movement at the centre. “Look out!” she yells, as she notices a crossbow brandished under the dim light. Too late. The crossbow bolt hits Wolmar in the gut, who screams in agony.
Elhali thrusts her sword at her foe, but she’s too hasty, and misses her target. Their enemy, wounded and prone, loads up another bolt and shoots the elf. The bolt hitting her in the abdomen. She screams in agony as the bolt goes clean through.
Wolmar is still clutching his wound, frozen, but Abenzio, the towering beast is quick to react. His pit fighting days still at work in the dim lighted environment, and he brings down his flail with menace on his foe, crushing his arm.
Elhali drops unconscious by the blood loss, as their enemy tries to regain his composure and make a final stand. In the meantime Wolmar snaps out of it, and charges with his handaxe, but he too, still in pain, misses his target.
Greta runs to Elhali, attempting to staunch her bleeding, but it doesn’t seem to work.
Abenzio ends the fight with another hit of his flail, crushing the man with brute strength, as Greta finally manages to stabilize Elhali, who slowly regains her consciousness.
Greta will attempt to do First Aid on her friends.
Greta: Healing Elhali: (6,2)/4: 1 Wound Healed.
Greta: Healing Wolmar: (11,2)/4: Wolmar is healed completely.
Greta gets her healing herbs and pastes and starts applying her knowledge at her wounded companions. 20 minutes later, Elhali is much better, with a few stiches at her wound, while Wolmar is back in fighting shape. The adventurers pick up their gear, and without sharing many words, they continue down the path in the Asylum.
“We could have gleaned some information from him.” Elhali frowns.
“So after a crossbow bolt to the gut, you feel bad, I turned him into a pulp?” Abenzio asks.
Elhali shakes her head negatively, “Just, saying, we’re here, right in the middle of a gang war, and I feel like we’re going in blind.”
Q: Is the Scene as described in the module?
A: Yes
Paraphrasing from the adventure module:
The room mirrors the condition of those preceding it, filled with scattered wreckage, adorned with splatters of blood, and littered with lifeless bodies. Seven of them, all with the same Valantina calling cards.
One thing is for certain, combat is gritty!
It’s amazing how just a few slight modifications to the rules can increase deadliness by so much.
I like how the party had to waste their Bennies just to survive a simple combat. And how these Bennies when used, they translated directly to GM Bennies. Vogel used them. I guess next time they’ll be more careful.
Applying the modifiers and bookkeeping the combat was much easiier in FoundryVTT than when doing it by hand. It really speeds up the play.
I’m not entirely certain I like how the Adventure Twist Questions apply to a railroaded map that is this part of the adventure. It feels like each alteration is restricted to the room itself where it applies. I felt like I had much less control of my PCs during this session, and I was more like a GM, running a few bots into a dungeon. Of course it could just be a combination of the particular adventure and my particular Oracle rolls, but nevertheless I’m having some thoughts as to how this could be remediated for future attempts.
Thought to myself: should I use Player Emulator with Tags?
Apart from the Bleeding Out fix that I had to implement – sometimes you need to see in practice if something works or not – I’m not changing anything else.
Some other issues I had while running the adventure, was converting the foes. Not so much with regards to the Traits, but when to use a Wild Card or not. I made Ulrich Vogel a Wild Card as he had a name and everything. Not sure if this should be a standard for all enemies.
I’ll also be definitely using the Henchmen and Right Hands rule from Beasts and Barbarians. This allows for some NPCs to have the ability to take 3 Wounds, but not gain a Wild Die, and the opposite.
Working on a new project of mine. It’s something that has been done plenty of times before, playing in the Old World of Warhammer using a different system.
I’m a big fan of the Old World setting and the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay theme. Grim and dark, with a tone of phlegmatic humour. However I’m partial to the ruleset. The first edition is a bit too chaotic, not only in terms of combat results, but also of rules. This isn’t solved entirely in the next editions with the 2nd being too crunchy for my tastes. I have no problem with crunchiness, but for solo, I’m looking into streamlined crunchiness, similar to how Harnmaster and BRP does it.
Therefore I considered many times a conversion, and playing, using a different ruleset. I decided against Harnmaster, because separating the ruleset from its own lore and putting it into the Old World, sounds like too much of an effort (magic, races, locations, technology). I decided against Mythras due to the difficulty of running an adventuring party, and decided against BRP, because I want a wounds threshold system.
In the end, I decided to go into Savage Worlds. There’s many fan-made conversions of WHFRP to Savage Worlds in the wild, and the one I will be mostly following, is the Savage Warhammer.
I will be using the SWADE core, and drawing additional information from the previous edition of Savage Worlds Fantasy Companion. I’ll also take more information from the other fan-made conversions if I like them, as I see fit, for example I used the ‘Apprentice’ Hindrance from another conversion.
Apprentice (Major)
This Hindrance can be taken by a starting character with an Arcane Background with a linked Skill Trait no greater than d4. The character starts with one less Power than normal and can gain no more Powers until at least one Rank is gained.
I recall preferring some of the SWDE rules better than SWADE, but if memory serves me right, these were related mostly to modern firearms, so hopefully, SWADE will be the right choice.
For Setting Rules I will be using some existing ones as-is, a few modified, and a few of my own.
Defender chooses to block, counterattack or dodge the incoming attack. An unarmed defender can only dodge as a defensive action. This must be declared prior to the attack roll.
| Attack Roll | Block | Counterattack | Dodge |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≥Parry+Raise | A*2 | A*2 | A*2 |
| ≥Parry† | A*1 | A*1 | A*1 |
| ≥4 | Blocked A | B*1 | Dodged |
| 2-3 | Blocked B | D*1 | Missed |
| 1 | Fumble | D*2 | Stumble |
A*2: Attacker hits with raise.
A*1: Attacker hits.
B*1: Both hit.
D*1: Defender hits.
D*2: Defender hits, with raise.
Blocked A: Attack blocked. Roll damage against defender’s weapon‡. On success, it’s broken.
Blocked B: Attack blocked. Roll damage against own weapon‡. On success, it’s broken.
Fumble: Attacker Agility check or drop weapon.
Stumble: Attacker Agility check or fall prone.
Dodged: Defender Agility check or fall prone.
Missed: No effect.
† Only if Parry>4
‡ Weapons & Shields Toughness equals to Damage + Weight.
Note: on a block, residual damage can carry over to the defender
On a raise the combatant can choose one of the following options.
As per Gritty Damage rules, but also:
The few times I’ve solo played a pre-written adventure module, I’ve come to enjoy the process immensely, so that’s what I’m going to do again. I intend to try out the use of the following solo tools and engines.
I think the gamebook style of Solipsism will fit well to structure the travelling between scenes and locations in a prewritten module. I have both versions of the solo engine, so I might try them both out.
I will use the core MUNE as Oracle and engine, with TWENE table to alter the adventure as required.
I’ve recently gotten Foundry VTT, and I intend to run the various scenes within this.
This is the adventure module included in the Warhammer First Edition Core Rulebook, and I will begin with this. Since it’s meant for four characters, I will create four characters. Apart from the SWADE chargen, I generated randomly all the background information. I decided to choose one different Class for each adventurer, but rolled on the professions normally.
In short the characters are:
I’ll get started with the Book of Legends and Deeds to create interesting backstories for each of my characters using the Waylays mechanic, and then use Connections for some dialogues. It’s really interesting how just rolling the family and place of birth can provide you with like half the material you need for an interesting character.
I have a concern here that I’ll spend too much time creating my protagonists, and they’ll die quickly in a ditch or gutter, but since the process is fun on it’s own I decided to go along with it.
Abenzio is the third of four siblings. All his siblings are sisters. His father is a servant, and his mother was a thief.
(Waning/relative/overcome by close friend)
Abenzio’s mother fell ill when he was just a kid. Abenzio couldn’t help her, and if it wasn’t for his close friend’s father, a local healer, she might have not made it.
(Unforeseen/misunderstanding/overcome by/favored skill)
As a teenager Abenzio got in trouble for something he didn’t do. His sister had stolen an expensive necklace, and he was blamed. He entered into a brawl with the town guard and escaped.
(Impassioned/weather/overcome on accident)
It wasn’t long after that Abenzio attempted to flee Tilea on a boat as a crewman. The ship met harsh weather to the North, and crashed on the rocks. By luck he was the sole survivor, but he injured his left eye, and he can’t see with it. His body, flailed against the rocks, still bears the marks of a scarred skin. Since then, he tries to make a living in Reiksland as a pit fighter, quite successfully. His hulking size, intimidates most foes.
Greta Kahl
Greta is the youngest of four siblings. One of her brothers is a noble, perhaps a bastard half-brother whose father is nobility?
(Grim/invader/overcome by fate)
Greta was only a child when goblin raiders attacked their home at Barfsheim. It was only by chance that she survived, as she and her older siblings were sent on an errand at Dunkelsburg.
(perceiving/hermit/overcome by favored ability)
As orphans, the siblings split in Dunkelburg. Greta was taken in by an alchemist called Dietrich and his wife Anna. She helped in the lab and kitchen chores, and was given an education. Teenage Greta had taken on the surname of her new family, when an old man from Barsheim, called Gustav who had survived, was in the city for business. He saw Greta and almost recognized her, and wanted to take her back as a farmhand on his remote homestead, but the young Greta outsmarted him. She spoke eloquently in the classical tongue, and the man was confused. When she called out to a city guard that the man is harassing her, she made a scamp exit, while he was trying to explain himself.
(ordinary/holdings/overcome by favored skill)
The old man persisted, and he eventually found her adoptive family. For a decent bride price, she was married off to the man’s son, Wolf, in Barfsheim. Being a servant to a loveless marriage was not for Greta, and she planned her escape from this life. Having stolen some recipes from the laboratory, she prepared a potion to change her appearance, and leave in disguise, taking her three children with her. However, the potion didn’t work as expected, and Greta’s face was disfigured and she went bald. Her children screamed in horror when they saw her, and she fled in the night. Noone recognized her. Eventually, her face went back to normal, but for some bigger than normal ears, and the hair that never returned. Wearing a scarf to cover her head, she can’t return back to her demanding family, and dares not face her children and their just accusations that she abandoned them.
Note: Retrospectively, it makes sense as the backstory evolved that her brother was adopted by a noble family that couldn’t sire children instead of a bastard.
Elhali is the youngest of three wood elf sisters, their father Calandilas is the only one in the picture.
(barbaric/rebels/overcome by fate)
Another tragic tale of the old world. When Elhali was just a kid, she was in the woods of the Great Forest with her mother, when a warband of chaos beastmen charged at them full might. Her mother was killed in an instant, and Elhali was hit by a blow that sent her flying back several feet. She dropped down in a bear’s cave and fell unconscious. Having lost her tracks, the beastmen didn’t chase further. At first light, she returned back to her camp. Her father, now the sole provider for three girls.
(brusque/social environ/overcome by strong attribute)
Being the daughters of a gambler, the girls quickly had to put up with the riff-raff of his peers. Elhali proved her mettle by smuggling contraband to the nearest imperial settlement. Once she started paying off her father’s debts due to her stealth and smarts, noone dared even say another word about her again, or they’d risk facing her father’s wrath.
(pleasant/festival/overcome by personal resources)
It was Hexenstag, at Liadrel’s festival when Elhali was smuggling unregulated elf wine into Diesdorf. She was betrayed by a competitor, and had to flee using her trusted rowboat, along the river Reik.
Wolmar is the third out of four siblings, his father Berthold is a trader and his mother a boatswoman. Perhaps they work together?
(drowsy/occult/overcome by favored ability)
Wolmar’s willpower was evident from his childhood. A stranger appeared in his hometown of Schlafenbild, and as he passed through the streets at dusk, he mesmerized the children to follow him in the woods, never to be seen again. Only Wolmar stood there and just looked at the uneasy parade. He felt a slight tingling inside forcing him to follow, but he grasped the coat of a sheep next to him, and didn’t flinch.
(fixated/rival/overcome by faction intervention)
This meeting didn’t leave Wolmar unscathed, and he was a bit of weird and secluded as a teenager, which caused another kid to bully him all the time. His bully was fixated to making his life a hell, until Wolmar’s family had enough. His brother gave a good beating to the bully, and his father told a handful to the kid’s parents. Wolmar wasn’t teased again.
(revered/relative/overcome by close friend)
Since then, the mundane never stuck with Wolmar. He can’t go about tending the goats when he feels like there’s chaos lurking around every corner. His father wanted him to follow on his mercantile footsteps, but Wolmar disagreed. He didn’t want to upset his father and felt trapped. This all changed, when Wolmar’s herd of sheep was attacked by wolves, and he stood bravely against them to protect the sheep. Right on time, an adventurer appeared, and killed two of the wolves, scaring the rest away. The man was Hals Narbe, an adventurer who had saved his father’s life and was coming to visit. He spoke highly of Wolmar’s bravery to Berthold, and how the boy would make a fortune with his boldness out there in the world. Berthold, pressured by Hals, finally gave in to Wolmar’s request, and gave his blessing to the young man to leave home and start adventuring.
This more or less sums up our group of adventurers, and their reasons for adventuring. For the next part of session zero, I will generate some BOLD connections and have some dialogues, perhaps they’ve already exchanged more than a few words together as part of their river journey, perhaps, they’re just about to do so. Normally you’re supposed to spread these connections along a game session, but in this particular case, I’ll be using them back-to-back.
| action | gerund | subject |
|---|---|---|
| address | concluding | allies |
| scrutinize | avoiding | party member |
| impart | enjoying | a skill |
The river boat goes downward the river towards Nuln. The passengers are a misfit band.
(address/avoiding/party member)
Wolmar, a young man with red hair contrasted by green eyes, looks at them. ‘Are they adventurers like him?’ he wonders. ‘Well, adventurer wannabe to be exact.’ He grips the hilt of his short sword tightly and speaks loudly to get their attention, but as the hulking scarred man sitting on the schooner’s floor turns towards him, Wolmar, intimidated averts his gaze, his voice trembles, and softly continues without looking at him. “So, fellow travelers, are you new to Nuln? I… I heard there is good coin to be made in Nuln, if one know where to look. I’m Wolmar, and I’m looking for some company to share the spoils together.”
(scrutinize/concluding/a skill)
The woman, that Wolmar believes is an elf – he can’t be sure as only strands of silver hair escape from her hood, answers. “And what skills do you have so that we will place our faith in you… Wolmar? You look as if you’ve left your mom’s busom but yesterday. Can I trust you to protect me when it all goes shitwide?” She challenges him.
Her light voice certainly carries the weight of an elf’s words. “You’re way older than me, and I’m more than certain that you don’t need me to protect you. But if you place your trust in me, be certain, that the foe – be it man, goblin or troll, will get past me first, before it reaches my companions, should they come my way!”
Elhali chuckled. “Placing trust in others is something I haven’t done in a long, time, but there’s a first for everything. You can call me Elhali young man. Let’s visit Nuln together.”
Wolmar sighed, and his gaze went to the third passenger, a woman with a scarf covering her head, his eyes still avoiding the brute.
The woman looked down, trying to escape the unwanted attention, and Wolmar realized that not everyone might be so eager to adventure, but as he was about to turn the discussion to something else, because he felt very uncomfortable, the bulking man stood up, and spoke in a hoarse voice.
(impart/enjoying/allies)
“You have my flail!” he gives a shoulder hug to the two ladies next to him. “I think Nuln is a great place to get rich, I like you Wolmar. Straight to the point. I am Abenzio, you can call me Abe. This here is Greta, she’s shy but she’s good with potions, she settled my uneasy stomach.” he nodded to the scarfed woman who smiled. “I have a feeling that you’re all a fine bunch, and we’ll have exciting times together. Let’s carve our own path here in Nuln, a path paved in gold crowns.”
Before going into the meat of the adventure, I’ll also use the opportunity as proposed by the adventure, to get into a good argument with the customs officials.
I’m paraphrasing the text from the adventure:
After what seems like months, the boat reaches Nuln. The adventurers are all frozen and soaked through. It is probably true to say that they all bitterly regret buying a cheap deck-class passage on an aging riverboat; it doesn’t seem a particularly heroic way to start their lives as adventurers. During the course of the journey, they have got to know each other, and become friends of a sort, united by the common desire to escape the grinding tedium of everyday life. The pilot brings the boat alongside a jetty. Crewmen throw ropes to waiting dockers, the ropes are lashed round massive wooden uprights and the boat is pulled onto the jetty with a slight bump. The gangplank is lowered, and timber cranes swing across the decks to unload the cargo.
The customs formalities drag on and on, with the captain of the boat, and it’s almost night when the time comes, when the officer calls motions for the adventurers to present anything to declare.
For this I will use Let’s Talk.
First I’ll choose the Greeting Attitude for the customs officials, which will be Neutral. (I was leaning into Unfriendly as well)
Then I’ll choose the Topic. This is clear. Where do the adventurer’s come from, what do they want in the city of Nuln, and if they bring in any contraband.
Rolling for the Mood, I get Startled. Perhaps they were not expecting passengers at this river boat?
The officer, a fat man in his mid forties, dressed in fine clothing is looking at the four adventurers in disbelief. “Name and occupation. State your belongings and business in Nuln. Weird bunch… how come you’re all together?” he says and shakes his head.
My Let’s talk hand doesn’t have the best options available, I can choose Flirting, Surprised, Wildcard.
I’ll start by using the Surprised card.
I roll on the Reaction Roll, modify it with the mood and get a Somewhat Negative result, which combined to the NPC’s tone, means they’re Neutral.
Wolmar steps forward. “Why… did we do anything wrong?”
The officer seems unimpressed. “Name, occupation, belongings and business.”
I will use Flirting.
I roll on the Reaction Roll, and get a Negative result, which combined to the NPC’s tone, means they’re Rejecting.
Elhali smiles and touches the officer’s shoulder softly. She uses the softer voice she can muster “Please mister officer, we’re so tired and cold” she bats her eyelashes, “all we want is a warm bath and a bed“.
The man starts to show his discomfort. “What is your name miss?” he says in a cold, blunt manner.
On the third and final exchange I will use the Wildcard. Something to do with the PC personality. I’ll pick Wolmar, and Rude.
I roll on the Reaction Roll and get a Somewhat Negative result, which combined with the NPC’s tone, means they’re Rude as well.
“Here’s my belongings!”, and with a clutter, Abenzio throws down his great hammer at the feet of the officer. “Can we get on now with this stupid farce? Night is falling and it’s freezing cold out here. Is that the Nuln welcome to all the visitors?”
“Just the ones that don’t have smarts for brains.” The officer says unfazed by the brutish display of Abenzio. “Will you comply, or do I have to call the guards?”
So I consider that the PCs will comply now. If they had a favorable outcome, perhaps they’d get an earlier entry into Nuln, but now this will go as described in the module.
I don’t want to derail the adventure at this point (it’s a starter adventure after all), so I will not entertain myself with the possibilities of Elhali being wanted as a smuggler or Greta as a fugitive. Perhaps these are threads to be tied in the future.
Paraphrasing from the adventure module:
The customs formalities drag on and on, and it is nearly midnight by the time the adventurers are allowed ashore.
Now, I’ll stop here, and summarize, as from the next session, the adventure starts normally.
It took me quite a great while to complete this session zerio. Converting WFHRP into SWADE, hacking SWADE to my liking, creating characters, backstories, getting started to learn Foundry, and I have this fear that they’ll die in the first encounter.
Which is good if I stop to think about it. This way, I’m attached to the characters, and also the most important part, I had fun!
Prepping for a game is as much fun as playing the game itself. Sure, there’s more details that can be filled out, generate names for the siblings, and detailed backstories, but we have to stop somewhere and get the story started, right?
On the choice of systems, I haven’t had the chance to use them yet, so the entire structure might crumble, but I have only the best words for both BOLD and Let’s Talk. For BOLD I will not repeat myself, it’s really marvelous at what it does. In this session I decided against using AI-generated text, to better immerse myself in the story, and I must say I enjoyed it immensely. There’s some rewarding feeling in this self-challenge to get a proper narrative from keywords.
As for Let’s Talk, it’s the first time I’m using it, and I was very happy. The concept is quite intuitive. I like how it forces you to use three approaches from a hand, which means there’s no repetition, and you might have to step out of the box to roleplay the situation. It’s also clever as to how the entire social encounter is limited to 3 exchanges. I can see it working alongside with UNE with the latter serving the initial Greeting perhaps. I’ll try it out again, but it has the potential to be the social dialogue engine for solo I’ve been looking for so long.
For more resilience you could treat bennies like fate/fortune points in stock WFRP (2e). You can use them for rerolls (as bennies) and they refresh each adventure/gaming session. You can burn them permanently (refresh number goes down) in order to stave off death.
It’s fun b/c it results in a swirling down the toilet experience. Less rerolls means more likely death with means more likely to burn your rerolls down. *Flush*
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:
The threads we follow are:
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.
| action | gerund | subject |
|---|---|---|
| assure | repairing | a possession |
| demand | lying | a like |
| endorse | obsessing | a love |
(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.
(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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Here is the War Vixen rider from the Ral Partha Europe Blighthaven warband that I hadn’t painted in my last post. Used the same set of colours, and painted the horse with a black colour using Paynes Gray.
Here are the War Vixens from the Demonworld range of Ral Partha Europe. Actually it’s the foot War Vixens from Blighthaven warbands supplemented by a few Ice Witches from Demonworld. The Blighthaven warbands are skirmish packs from select Demonworld miniatures so they all fit well together. Since I like to dedicate more of my focus when painting mounted miniatures, I didn’t paint the mounted War Vixen from this set in this go.
I went mostly with red and blue purple colours for the clothing, and also tried out some new colours I got – copper and paynes gray for some details.
I really like paynes gray for black applications over poor man’s zenithal aka nowadays slapchop. Paynes gray is a semi-opaque cool dark gray colour so the underlying details still come through.
Solo, Pen, Paper and Dice 
DaveB 9:47 pm on March 4, 2024 Permalink |
It’s nice to see old lead finally getting tabletop ready.
LikeLiked by 1 person
giorgis 12:02 pm on March 6, 2024 Permalink |
Thanks! ☺️
LikeLike