A Call to Glory S07 – D6 Fantasy
Continuing at the old challenge I did in the Level 1 dungeon A Call to Glory from TSR’s Dragon Quest, introductory adventure game, I aim to try more of the fantasy RPGs in my collection, this time with D6 Fantasy. I’ve had D6 Fantasy for a while now, but never actually used it; instead I’ve solo played only with MiniSix Barebones. I always found the advantages/disadvantages and special abilities mechanics too clunky when reading the book, but I think it’s time to put it all to the test. There’s a good chance that it plays better than it reads, as is the case with the D6 family.
I’ll be using a party of 3 characters using the standard templates and applying some non-human packages for variety.
The Party
name: Ugmar
layout: D6 Fantasy Layout
race: "Dwarf"
occupation: "Monster Slayer"
gender: male
agility: 3D+2
agility_skills: acrobatics, climbing, dodge, fighting, jumping, melee combat 5D+2, stealth
coordination: 3D+1
coordination_skills: marksmanship, throwing
physique: 3D+2
physique_skills: lifting 4D+2, running, stamina, swimming
charisma: 2D
charisma_skills: animal handling, command, intimidation, mettle, persuasion
intellect: 2D
intellect_skills: healing, traps
acumen: 3D+1
acumen_skills: gambling, crafting, hide, investigation, search, streetwise, survival, tracking
advantages: Size Small (Rl), scale value of 3
disadvantages: Gruffness (R2), +2 to bluff, charm, and persuasion difficulties; Shorter Stride (R1), 2-meter reduction to running, swimming, and jumping Move, Age (R1) you are slightly younger than typical, so people don't always take you seriously; Devotion (R1) devoted to protecting ordinary people from extraordinary fiends.
special_abilities: Hardiness (R2, cost 2), + 2 to damage resistance totals; Longevity (Rl, cost 3); Ultravision (Rl, cost 1) +2 to sightbased totals while in dim or dark conditions, Attack Resistance Nonenchanted Weapons (R1) +1D to your damage resistance total against such weapons
equipment: Battleaxe (damage +3D), leather pants (Armor Value +2 to legs only)
description: After a band of monsters killed those you loved, you've been wandering the world, seeking to rid it of such diabolical creatures. A priest blessed your cause, giving you a resistance to certain kinds of physical harm.
strength_damage: 2D
move: 10
body_points: 35
fate_points: 1
character_points: 5
funds: 3D
silver: 180
name: Gilmithien
layout: D6 Fantasy Layout
race: Elf
occupation: Ranger
gender: female
agility: 3D+1
agility_skills: climbing, dodge, fighting, jumping, melee combat 4D+1, riding, stealth 4D+1
coordination: 3D+1
coordination_skills: marksmanship 5D+1, throwing
physique: 3D
physique_skills: lifting, running, stamina, swimming
charisma: 3D
charisma_skills: animal handling, charm, command, intimidation, mettle, persuasion
intellect: 2D+2
intellect_skills: healing 3D+2, navigation, scholar, speaking, traps
acumen: 2D+2
acumen_skills: crafting, hide, investigation, know how, search, survival 3D+2, tracking
advantages: Contacts (R1) you've helped a lot of people, many of whom would be willing return the favor
disadvantages: Devotion, Nature (R2), feel a deep devotion and kinship with trees and plants; Hindrance, Arrogance (R2), +2 to bluff, charm, and persuasion difficulties; Hindrance, Delicate (R2), -2 to damage resistance total. Devotion (R2) fiercely devoted to protecting wilderness areas and their inhabitants.
special_abilities: Hardiness (R2, cost 2), + 2 to damage resistance totals; Longevity (Rl, cost 3); Ultravision (Rl, cost 1) +2 to sightbased totals while in dim or dark conditions, Attack Resistance Nonenchanted Weapons (R1) +1D to your damage resistance total against such weapons. Skill Bonus Keen Eye (R1) +1 bonus to marksmanship, search and tracking
equipment: Cloak, long bow and quiver of arrows (damage +2D+2); leather jerkin (Armor Value +2)
description: You grew up in forests and you've traveled through a lot of wilderness. You firstly seek to protect the land, plants and animals, and secondly, any travelers.
strength_damage: 2D
move: 10
body_points: 33
fate_points: 1
character_points: 5
funds: 3D
silver: 180
name: Estald
layout: D6 Fantasy Layout
race: Human
occupation: Wizard
gender: male
agility: 2D+1
agility_skills: acrobatics, fighting, riding, stealth
coordination: 2D
coordination_skills: charioteering, marksmanship 4D, sleight of hand, throwing
physique: 2D
physique_skills: lifting, running
charisma: 2D+2
charisma_skills: animal handling, bluff, charm, command, intimidation, mettle, persuasion
intellect: 3D+1
intellect_skills: cultures, devices 4D+1, healing, navigation, reading/writing 4D+1, scholar 4D+1, speaking, trading, traps
acumen: 3D+1
acumen_skills: artist, crafting, disguise, gambling, hide, investigation, know how, search, streetwise, survival
extranormal_magic: 2D+1
extranormal_skills: alteration, apportation, conjuration 4D+1 (glow stone, mystic bolt, mystic shield), divination
advantages: none
disadvantages: Prejudice (R2) the wizard cult you belonged to has a bad reputation and you find many people shun you.
special_abilities: Good Luck (R1)
equipment: small knife (damage +2); soft leather jerkin and pants (Armor Value +2); paper; quill and ink; a few small spell components; a few spells on scrolls
description: Though the art of spell design fascinates you, the idea of staying locked in a stuffy library doesn't. You've taken to adventuring to find inspiration for new spells, lost sources of mystical energy, and forgotten ancient artifacts.
strength_damage: 1D
move: 10
body_points: 22
fate_points: 1
character_points: 5
funds: 3D
silver: 180
The Adventure
The heroes have been called before Gustovan, the Burgomaster of Torlynn. Torlynn is a small village set in a quiet, hilly area near the mountains. The heroes have lived here for many years and think of Torlynn as home. Gustovan is known as a wise and kind mayor.
He asks of the heroes to go explore the old, abandoned, dwarven, iron mine, because strange lights and sounds come from within. They’re to find out if there is something wrong there or if the reports are false.The heroes enter the dungeon. It’s entrance is a rough cavern, cut from the stone long ago by dwarves. They check their weapons and start down into the mine, with the wind blowing in their backs.
Note: again I have to warn the reader that there are huge mechanics text blocks. OpenD6 combat has many steps, so I'm giving the reader an opportunity to read this as an example, or just skip it and jump to the narrative sections.
A. Tunnel
Wandering monster check: None
Wandering monster check: None
Wandering monster check: None
Wandering monster check: None
Wandering monster check: None
The wind fades away as the heroes move into the mine. A long tunnel leads onward, to the next room.
Wandering monster check: Kobold
B. The First Lair
Just right at the moment when the party was to enter the first lair, they came face to face with a wandering Kobold that opened the door. In the room behind it there are also another Goblin and a Kobold.
OpenD6 Statblocks for Fantasy Creatures are quite the same. There's one for Goblins, Orcs, Gnolls (I decided that Kobolds also fit here), and one for Ogres, Bugbears (I decided that Hobgoblins also fit here). On hindsight, perhaps I should have spent some time writing some stats in an index card instead of going back and forth to the various sections of the books.
| Name | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Ugmar | 7 |
| Estald | 5 |
| Gilmithien | 11 |
| Monsters | 9 |
Round 1
Gilmithien shoots Kobold1 (over Ugmar): marksmanship: 17/10: Hit: 33/13: Dead
Kobold2 attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 15/10: Hit: 16/17: No damage
Goblin attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 9/10: Miss
Ugmar attacks Kobold2: 22/10: Hit: 17/11: Wounded
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at Kobold2: 11/10: Success: marksmanship: 13/10: Hit: 21/10: Dead
Round 2
Gilmithien has no clear LOS so, she waits.
Goblin attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 8/10: Miss
Ugmar attacks Goblin: 17/10: Hit: 16/9: Wounded
Gilmithien shoots Goblin: marksmanship: 18/10: Hit: 17/11: Wounded
Estald has no clear LOS and waits
Round 3
Gilmithien shoots Goblin: 16/10: Hit: 21/6: Dead
The party searches the room and finds a club and some darts.
As our heroes advance further into the dungeon, they come across a dimly lit room. The air is heavy with the musty scent of old mining equipment. Suddenly, the door swings open, and before them, a menacing kobold stands with a cruel glint in its eyes. Behind, they spot a pair of makeshift beds, a stark contrast to the previous miners who might have used them.
Without hesitation, Gilmithien draws her bow and lets loose an arrow, piercing through the first kobold’s heart. It collapses silently, never knowing what hit it. The second kobold leaps at Ugmar with a rusty blade, but despite its efforts, it can’t find a way past his defenses. Meanwhile, a goblin takes a swing at Ugmar but misses, giving him a moment of respite.
Ugmar retaliates with a powerful strike against the wounded kobold, causing it to stagger back in pain. Estald, with a flick of his hand, conjures a mystic bolt that strikes the injured kobold, sealing its fate.
Gilmithien finds herself without a clear line of sight and wisely holds her fire. The goblin makes another desperate attack on Ugmar but fails to land a blow. Ugmar, however, strikes back, injuring the goblin. Gilmithien takes aim and shoots The goblin, leaving it severely wounded.
Gilmithien lines up her shot, releasing another arrow that finds its mark in the goblin’s heart. The room falls silent as the life drains from their foes. With the danger passed, the party searches the room and discovers a club and a handful of darts among the remnants of the previous miners’ belongings.
C. Jagged Cavern
Wandering monster: None
Nothing of interest in this narrow cut cavern in the stone. Only the occasional splashing of water driping from the ceiling.
D. Orc Lair
| Name | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Ugmar | 14 |
| Gilmithien | 2 |
| Monsters | 14 |
Round 1
Ugmar attacks orc: melee combat: 18/10: Hit: 12/11: Stunned
Orc attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 3/10: Miss
Gilmithien shoots Orc (over Ugmar): marksmanship: 12/10: Hit: 8/10: No damage
Round 2
Ugmar attacks orc: melee combat: 11/10: Hit: 11/10: Stunned
Orc attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 1/12: Miss
Gilmithien shoots Orc (over Ugmar): marksmanship: 20/10: Hit: 20/11: Incapacitated
As soon as the heroes enter this small room, the stench of rotten meat fills their nostrils. With their infravision they make out an orc figure as they close in to engage.
Our brave heroes advance into a small, dimly lit chamber, the air thick with the putrid smell of decaying flesh. As their eyes adjust to the darkness, they spot a looming orc in their path.
Ugmar moves with purpose, swinging his weapon at the menacing orc. The blow connects, leaving the orc stunned and reeling. The orc retaliates but fails to land a hit, his attack going wide. Meanwhile, Gilmithien takes a shot at the orc, but her arrow grazes its target, causing no significant harm.
Ugmar’s determination doesn’t waver. He delivers another solid strike to the orc, furthering its state of confusion and disarray. The orc, desperately trying to regain its composure, swings its weapon wildly, but Ugmar skillfully avoids the attack. Gilmithien, seeing an opportunity, lines up her shot carefully and releases an arrow with impeccable precision. The arrow finds its mark, incapacitating the orc.
Wandering monster: Orc
| Name | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Ugmar | 6 |
| Gilmithien | 11 |
| Estald | 3 |
| Monsters | 8 |
A wandering orc appears from the door at the end of the corridor.
Round 1
Gilmithien shoots Orc (medium range): marksmanship: 12/15: Miss
Orc moves closer.
Ugmar attacks the Orc (parries): 7/5: Hit: 25/11: Dead
As our heroes continue down the corridor, a wandering orc suddenly emerges from the far door, catching them off guard.
Gilmithien quickly draws her bow and takes aim at the approaching orc. However, in her haste, her shot goes wide, missing the target. The orc seizes this moment to close the gap between them.
But Ugmar, ever vigilant, makes a swift and precise attack, delivering a devastating blow to the orc. The orc’s life is abruptly cut short as it falls to the ground, defeated, and the corridor returns to an eerie silence.
Wandering monster: Kobold
| Name | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Ugmar | 15 |
| Gilmithien | 12 |
| Estald | 14 |
| Monsters | 8 |
A wandering kobold appears from the door at the end of the corridor.
Round 1
Ugmar attacks kobold: melee combat: 18/10: Hit: 20/9: Incapacitated
While the heroes continue their journey down the corridor, a wandering kobold suddenly emerges from the door at the far end.
Ugmar reacts swiftly and intercepts the kobold. With a powerful strike, he incapacitates the kobold before it has a chance to react. The kobold falls to the ground, defeated, and the corridor once again falls into an eerie silence.
E. Trapped Room
Glimithien: Acumen: 7/15: Failure: Hit: 14/11: Stunned
A small empty room, with a funny smell. Black ash and soot cover the floors and walls. A steel door with an iron handle sits in the middle of the floor.
As the elf tries to open the door she hears a clicking noise. She’s not fast enough to avoid a jet of greek fire, that lets of to her head. Thanking her quick reflexes it only stunned her momentarily.
F. Gnoll Lair
| Name | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Ugmar | 13 |
| Gilmithien | 11 |
| Estald | 12 |
| Monsters | 12 |
Round 1
Ugmar attacks gnoll: melee combat: 28/10: Hit: 14/7: Wounded
Gnoll attacks Ugmar (parries): melee combat: 1/16: Miss
Gilmithien moves and shoots gnoll: marksmanship: 14/10: Hit: 5/13: No damage
Round 2
Ugmar attacks gnoll: melee combat: 13/10: Hit: 17/17: Stunned
Gnoll attacks Ugmar (parries): melee combat: 1/12: Miss
Gilmithien shoots gnoll: marksmanship: 14/10: Hit: 15/10: Severely Wounded
Round 3
Wandering monster check: Hobgoblin
Ugmar attacks gnoll: melee combat: 16/10: Hit: 15/17: No damage
Gilmithien moves and shoots gnoll: marksmanship: 23/10: Hit: 5/13: No damage
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at hobgoblin: 28/10: Success: marksmanship: 13/10: Hit: 16/12: Wounded
Gnoll attacks Ugmar (parries): melee combat: 3/12: Miss
Hobgoblin moves and attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 10/10: Hit: 13/12: Stunned
Round 4
Wandering monster check: orc, behind the hobgoblin
Ugmar attacks gnoll: melee combat: 18/10: Hit: 7/8: No damage
Gilmithien shoots Hobgoblin: marksmanship: 8/10: Miss
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at hobgoblin: 12/10: Successs: marksmanship: 6/10: Miss
Orc is blocked in the corridor behind the hobgoblin
Gnoll attacks Ugmar (parries): melee combat: 11/15: Miss
Hobgoblin attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 20/10: Hit: 14/10: Wounded
Round 5
Ugmar attacks gnoll: melee combat: 16/10: Hit: 24/9: Dead
Gilmithien shoots Hobgoblin: marksmanship: 12/10: Hit: 13/16: No damage
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at hobgoblin: 12/10: Successs: marksmanship: 6/10: Miss
Orc is blocked in the corridor behind the hobgoblin
Hobgoblin attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 7/10: Miss
Round 6
Ugmar turns and attacks the hobgoblin from the door opening: melee combat: 14/10: Hit: 13/14: No damage
Gilmithien shoots Hobgoblin: marksmanship: 27/10: Hit: 11/4: Wounded
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at hobgoblin: 10/10: Successs: marksmanship: 13/10: Hit: 9/21: No damage
Orc is blocked in the corridor behind the hobgoblin
Hobgoblin attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 5/10: Miss
Round 7
Wandering monster check: gnoll, on the other side of the corridor, behind the heroes
Ugmar attacks hobgoblin: melee combat: 17/10: Hit: 22/15: Wounded
Gilmithien shoots Hobgoblin: marksmanship: 8/10: Miss
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at hobgoblin: 14/10: Successs: marksmanship: 9/10: Miss
Orc is blocked in the corridor behind the hobgoblin
Gnoll moves and attacks Estald: melee combat: 10/10: Hit: 11/4: Wounded
Hobgoblin attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 4/10: Miss
Round 8
Ugmar attacks hobgoblin: melee combat: 24/10: Hit: 15/10: Incapacitated
Gilmithien shoots orc: marksmanship: 5/10: Miss
Estald: casts Mystic Shield at shelf: 17/10: Success, he’s protected
Orc attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 2/10: Miss
Gnoll attacks Estald: melee combat: 10/10: Hit: 14/30: No damage
Round 9
Ugmar moves and attacks orc: melee combat: 14/10: Hit: 10/16: No damage
Gilmithien shoots orc: marksmanship: 17/10: Hit: 16/16: Stunned
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at gnoll: 10/10: Successs: marksmanship: 14/10: Hit: 18/6: Incapacitated
Orc attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 4/10: Miss
Round 10
Ugmar attacks orc: melee combat: 21/10: Hit: 20/12: Wounded
Gilmithien shoots orc: marksmanship: 2/10: Miss
Estald: casts Mystic Bolt at orc: 9/10: Failure
Orc attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 11/10: Hit: 15/16: No damage
Round 11
Ugmar attacks orc: melee combat: 17/10: Hit: 16/6: Incapacitated
Venturing deeper into the dungeon, our heroes find themselves in a room filled with the incessant buzzing of biting flies. A dozen of these tiny, bothersome insects swarm around them. But the more pressing threat is a large, furred gnoll who, with menacing intent, sharpens his blade upon their arrival.
Ugmar, without hesitation, launches a powerful attack against the gnoll. His strike lands true, wounding the gnoll, but the gnoll’s response is sluggish, and it misses Ugmar entirely. Gilmithien, however, struggles to take aim amid the chaos of the biting flies and misses her mark.
Ugmar’s relentless assault continues, leaving the gnoll stunned. The gnoll, in return, can’t seem to regain its composure and misses its chance to retaliate. Gilmithien, hampered by the relentless flies, takes another shot at the gnoll but only manages to severely wound it.
A moment of respite is shattered as a wandering monster check reveals a hobgoblin behind the gnoll. Ugmar’s next attack on the gnoll yields no damage, and Gilmithien, still struggling with the flies, misses her shot. Estald, attempting to turn the tide, casts a mystic bolt at the hobgoblin, but the spell falls short of its target. An orc lurks behind the hobgoblin, but it can’t join the fray due to the crowded corridor.
The gnoll, despite being wounded and stunned, continues to press its attack, but Ugmar manages to avoid any significant damage. Gilmithien’s shots at the hobgoblin and the orc fall short, and Estald’s mystic bolt fails to find its mark. The hobgoblin, despite its advantage, only manages to wound Gilmithien.
Ugmar keeps up his assault, but the gnoll is surprisingly resilient. Gilmithien’s shots miss, and Estald’s mystic bolt continues to elude the hobgoblin. The orc behind the hobgoblin remains unable to engage in the battle.
A new threat emerges as a wandering monster check reveals a gnoll on the other side of the corridor, behind the heroes. Ugmar strikes down the hobgoblin, taking advantage of the door opening to do so. Gilmithien’s shot at the orc misses, while Estald casts a mystic shield to protect himself. The gnoll, however, manages to wound Estald, making the situation more dire.
As the battle rages on, Ugmar attacks the orc, but his blows only seem to scratch the creature. Gilmithien’s aim remains true, and her shot incapacitates the orc. Estald’s mystic bolt fails to hit its mark, leaving the gnoll across the corridor untouched.
With persistence and determination, Ugmar continues his assault against the orc, this time incapacitating it. Gilmithien’s shot at the orc misses, and Estald’s mystic bolt falls short once again.
Ugmar lands a solid blow against the orc, leaving it wounded. Gilmithien’s shot misses, and Estald’s mystic bolt fails to connect.
Ugmar delivers a final, decisive strike against the orc, incapacitating it. The room falls silent, save for the incessant buzzing of the biting flies, as our heroes emerge victorious from this challenging encounter.
Searching the creature, they find an invigorating honey-like potion. Estald recognizes it for a potion of healing. Kur’s Drink. Gilmithien drinks it and recovers from her wounds.
This combat was SO tiresome. I'm certain I did a few mistakes when calculating skills and damage rolls, and perhaps spellcasting. Also I should rule out wandering monster checks during combat rounds, or perhaps once every 6 rounds. It gets too busy otherwise. We ended up having to fight several more monsters than expected.
G. Empty Room
Wandering Monster Check: No monster
I decide not to search the pile of dirt in the room.
The heroes go through a rough room like a cave, a small pile of dirt is at one corner of the room. The party moves onward.
H. Broken Room
Ugmar: Agility : 15/10: Success
Gilmithien: Agility: 2/10: Failure: Hit: 10/7: Stunned
Estald: Agility: 1/10: Hit: 8/11: No damage
As the party proceeds through the vast chamber, carved from the very stone of the earth, they soon realize that the room is not as stable as it first appears. The walls and ceiling bear cracks, and massive stones have tumbled to the ground over time.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them shudders, and a few stones drop, making them realize the danger they’re in. In a moment of agility and quick thinking, Ugmar manages to deftly avoid the falling debris. However, Gilmithien is less fortunate; a stone strikes her, leaving her stunned and vulnerable. Estald, too, is grazed by a falling rock but remains unharmed. The party must now navigate this treacherous chamber with their wits and agility to avoid further harm.
I. Narrow Tunnel
| Name | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Ugmar | 9 |
| Monsters | 12 |
Round 1
Orc attacks Ugmar (parries): melee combat: 16/4: Hit: 24/27: No damage
Ugmar attacks orc: melee combat: 13/10: Hit: 23/12: Incapacitated
In a narrow, dimly lit tunnel, a perilous confrontation unfolds.
As the first round begins, an orc, lurking in the shadows, lunges at Ugmar. However, the stalwart warrior expertly parries the attack, preventing any harm. In response, Ugmar delivers a powerful strike, incapacitating the orc with a swift and well-placed blow.
Wandering monster check: goblin
Round 1
Goblin attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 6/10: Miss
Ugmar attacks goblin: melee combat: 6/10: Miss
Gilmithien: moves inside the tunnel and shoots goblin (over Ugmar): marksmanship: 13/10: Hit: 14/11: Stunned
Estald: moves inside the narrow tunnel
Round 2
Gilmithien: shoots goblin (over Ugmar): marksmanship: 12/10: Hit: 35/16: Dead
As our party progresses through the narrow tunnel, they experience an unexpected interruption. A wandering monster check reveals a lurking goblin.
The goblin, sensing the opportunity, lunges at Ugmar with a menacing intent. However, its attack falls short as Ugmar skillfully avoids the blow. In his retaliatory strike, Ugmar, unfortunately, misses his mark. Meanwhile, Gilmithien, repositioning herself inside the tunnel, takes a shot at the goblin, managing to hit her target and leaving the goblin stunned. Estald also moves inside the tunnel to support his companions.
Gilmithien, seizing the moment, takes another shot at the stunned goblin. Her aim is true, and the goblin falls lifeless, ending the unexpected encounter in the narrow tunnel. With the threat eliminated, our heroes continue their journey through the confining passageway.
J. The Story Room
The heroes enter a large chamber that has been polished smooth. Ancient dwarvish runes are carved into the walls. Ugmar reads them out aloud. They tell of the story of the digging of the mine and the work that the dwarves did there. Near the end, it mentions that the dwarves found a vein of glowing iron unlike anything they had seen before. They mined this strange ore, which they called eisenmond and found they could make weapons of great magic with it.
As they mined for more eisenmond they discovered some dark and evil secret about the mountain, without saying anything more than that they packed up and left overnight.
The story ends by saying that they left behind a large nugget of eisenmond which glowed brighter than the rest, in the care of someone called the Stone King.
The heroes realize that this is the key to the secret of the mountain, and what Gustovan sent them there to find.
Wandering monster check: Kobold
| Name | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Ugmar | 5 |
| Gilmithien | 9 |
| Estald | 7 |
| Monsters | 23 |
Round 1
Kobold attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 16/10: Hit: 12/8: Wounded
Ugmar attacks kobold: melee combat: 16/10: Hit: 18/11: Wounded
Round 2
Kobold attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 6/10: Miss
Ugmar attacks kobold: melee combat: 25/10: Hit: 18/8: Incapacitated
Yet, as they contemplate the revelation, a wandering lurking kobold appears, interrupting their thoughts.
The kobold makes its move and attacks Ugmar, causing a wound with its strike. In response, Ugmar swiftly retaliates, wounding the kobold.
The kobold’s desperation becomes apparent as it misses its attack on Ugmar. Ugmar, determined to protect his companions, delivers a decisive blow, incapacitating the kobold.
K. The Iron Mine
The heroes enter a vast chamber that is roughly carved and still being worked. Small veins of iron ore still line the walls. Four monsters work the mine, and as they see the party they howl and attack.
| Name | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Ugmar | 13 |
| Gilmithien | 5 |
| Estald | 12 |
| Monsters | 12 |
Round 1
Ugmar moves and attacks goblin: melee combat: 12/10: Hit: 24/4: Dead
Estald moves inside
Gnoll moves and attacks Estald: melee combat: 10/10: Hit: 12/3: Severely Wounded†
Orc moves and attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 4/10: Miss
Kobold moves and attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 0/10: Miss
Gilmithien moves and shoots at Gnoll: marksmanship: 11/10: Hit: 21/16: Wounded† I made a mistake here, the result should be Incapacitated
Round 2
Ugmar attacks orc: melee combat: 17/10: Hit: 16/14: Stunned
Gnoll attacks Estald: melee combat: 10/10: Hit: 12/7: Incapacitated
Orc attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 0/10: Miss
Kobold attacks Ugmar: melee combat: 11/10: Hit: 21/3: Dead
Gilmithien moves and shoots at Gnoll: marksmanship: 11/10: Hit: 18/8: Incapacitated
Round 3
Kobold moves and attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 11/10: Hit: 17/24: No damage
Orc moves and attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 17/10: Hit: 8/7: Stunned
Gilmithien shoots at orc: marksmanship: 12/10: Hit: 20/17: Stunned
Round 4
Kobold attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 8/10: Miss
Orc attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 11/10: Hit: 13/16: No damage
Gilmithien shoots at orc: marksmanship: 16/10: Hit: 29/11: Dead
Round 5
Kobold attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 11/10: Hit: 8/15: No damage
Gilmithien shoots at kobold: marksmanship: 29/10: Hit: 17/12: Wounded
Round 5
Kobold attacks Gilmithien: melee combat: 8/10: Miss
Gilmithien shoots at kobold: marksmanship: 14/10: Hit: 13/4: Incapacitated
Within the vast chamber, the heroes find themselves surrounded by the rough, freshly excavated walls, still bearing small veins of iron ore. Four creatures toil away in the mine, but upon spotting the party, they let out a howl of alarm and immediately launch an attack.
In the first moments of the confrontation, Ugmar moves swiftly and delivers a fatal blow to a goblin, ending its threat with a decisive strike. Estald moves inside the chamber as well. Meanwhile, a gnoll makes its move, assaulting Estald and inflicting a severe wound. An orc swings at Ugmar but misses, and a kobold’s attack proves equally futile.
Gilmithien acts with precision, shifting her position and releasing an arrow at the gnoll, hitting it and leaving it wounded.
As the battle unfolds into the next moments, Ugmar directs his attention to an orc, his attack wounding but not defeating it. The gnoll turns its aggression towards Estald and manages to incapacitate the mage. The orc’s swing against Ugmar fails once again, and the kobold’s attack is lethal, taking Ugmar out of the fight.
Gilmithien, undeterred by the dire circumstances, moves and fires another arrow at the gnoll, incapacitating it.
The battle continues with the kobold turning its attention to Gilmithien, but her agility allows her to avoid any significant harm. The orc launches an attack on Gilmithien, but it only leaves her stunned. Gilmithien, in her dazed state, still manages to shoot an arrow at the orc, taking it out of the battle.
In the following moments, the kobold makes another attack on Gilmithien, but it fails to find its mark. Gilmithien retaliates, shooting her arrow at the kobold, incapacitating it.
Searching through their opponents belongings, they find a cool silver ring, and a coil of rope. The ranger takes them both.
L. Tunnel of Death
Gilmithien: Acumen: 8/10: Failure. Agility: 17/10: Success.
The ranger enters a smooth and straight tunnel. The floor is marked with the dark stains of dried blood. As they reach the door to the other side, Gilmithien fails to detect a mechanism, that upon opening the door, releases several rocks to their heads. The elf jumps out of the way and avoids them.
M. Mysterious Fountain
In the center of the room is a stone fountain, carved in the image of a large dragon that coils around itself and sprays water out of its mouth. The water lands in a polished stone pool that has been cut into the floor around the statue. The air is sweet with the smell of fresh water. The ranger drinks from the water to quench her thirst, and in a magical way, all her wounds and fatigue disappear.
She looks around the room and see that there are no more doors, and it appears to be the end of the mine. But knowing that they haven’t found either the Stone Kind or the large lump of eisenmond, she starts searching for a secret door.
Gilmithien: Intellect: 2/10: Failure
Gilmithien: Acumen: 11/10: Success
She finds the secret door.
N. Sloping Passage
The tunnel has been cut downards at a sharp angle. Walking down is very dangerous, but with the rope, the elf descends it with great care.
O. The Eisenmond Mine
The heroes finally enter a rough stone chamber, with flakes of a mysterious glowing ore flickering in the walls, floor and ceiling, making the dark walls shimmer like a starry night.
In the center, sitting on a small stone pedestal, is a short statue carved from a single granite block. It depicts a dwarf with a pick and other mining gear, missing it’s head which is tossed in the corner. The head sports a rusty crown, fashioned from iron, The statue’s hands are open and held out as if it was holding something.
Okay, so here’s a puzzle concerning players and not characters, but it can be resolved with Acumen and Intellect checks, which I will test.
Gilmithien: Acumen: 3/10: Failure
With this failure, the story doesn’t progress any further, that’s one of the cases where a puzzle needs to be nudged by the GM to the players. It’s meant to create thinking between the players and reward them with having the idea to resolve the puzzle. In a pre-written adventure module when played solo, I can’t see much reason to hit a story block here, so I’ll overrule it and move onward.
Searching around for secret doors, Gilmithien finds a small compartment in the pedestal that contains two nuggets of eisenmond. Her keen senses tell him that they fit perfectly to the head, and she proceeds to place them there.
She looks at the head. Then decides to re-assemble the statue.
As soon as the statue is assembled, a strange light fills the room. The stone body of the statue glows and the mouth moves slowly. In a voice deep and old as the mountain around, the statue speaks.
It says about how the mine belongs to the dwarves, and how good it is that the heroes have arrived because a great evil has tainted the spirit of the place. The priceless magical stone called the Eisenkern was stolen, and along with it, the power to trap the beast that lives at the heart of the mountain. If the Eisenkern is not returned, that terrible beast will be freed, and a horrible evil will come upon all who dwell in these lands.
Ending the Adventure
The heroes return and report their story to Gustovan, who seems troubled by it. He rewards them and takes thought of the matter.
The System
OpenD6 Fantasy is a great system, but it fails on several fronts. The main reason is that while the core mechanic is simple and straightforward, there are a lot of cumbersome details that crunch away at this simplicity without giving any valuable output.
For example, combat is generally two opposed rolls, for a total of four rolls, with wild dice and modifiers. The end result will be from no damage to the wound levels. Period.
After having played a lot with the d100 games, I cannot find a reason to have opposed rolls unless you have a grid of interesting results. Otherwise replace the defender rolls with a static number, as MiniSix Barebones has done. I know that the probability curve is different (the more dice you roll, the more spread is the curve), but removing one wild die does flatten it a bit, and honestly I don’t think it’s that much of a problem.
OpenD6 Fantasy also tries to balance the strength damage bonus, with a derived stat, which is another thing to follow up on. MiniSix and StarWars D6 are more simplistic on that, as you use the strength as is. Personally I think it’s better to put the balance in the weapon stats instead of adding another statistic to follow.
Also I was put off by the different naming of the key attributes. I found myself several times choosing the wrong attribute for a test, just because of the weird naming. Overcomplicates things without need.
Another thing that wasn’t adequately explained were the Wound Levels for creatures. There is a Wound Threshold table that’s self-explanatory. But creatures also have Wound Levels described which makes no sense. I got confused, and I’ll probably go out to the OpenD6 subreddit to discuss it and try to understand it.
I did make a lot of mistakes due to the above because I ended up being tired by the abundance of rolling dice and calculating results. I’m certain I should have given Gilmithien some difficulty modifiers for shooting at point blank range or over Ugmar’s head, but on hindsight it doesn’t seem to have mattered a lot.
I may also have made several mistakes on spellcasting, but I was too tired to look up again the rules in the middle of combat. Perhaps Estald couldn’t have cast so many spells. I don’t know now, and don’t really care at this point to be honest.
What I loved though, when skimming the system, was the Spell Design. It’s quite great actually and something that should be ported to other systems, as you get a lot of different spells with components, gestures, difficulties. A whole world of spell design. It’s absolutely great.
And of course I love the core D6 system design. Overall, though I’d not use it again, and only use MiniSix, and take parts that I like and plug in it (for example, spell design).
What about the Dungeon Crawl?
The heroes are strong, and in most circumstances they get to survive. Though, a lucky roll can kill them in one hit, as happened with Ugmar. Perhaps one should consider the use of Fate Points and Character Points retrospectively, because in Solo you are in both sides of the same coin.
Also I would like some more detailed statistics for the enemies, with typical equipment. I ended up having to do it on the fly, and since I was already fatigued from all this rolling I didn’t bother to sit down and give different items and skills based on Kobold vs Gnoll. I should have taken some time and create a handful of index cards before going in the dungeon, but I hadn’t thought of it beforehand, and it was too late to stop afterwards.
OpenD6 does lend itself to a good dungeon crawl.
Summary
The D6 systems are some of my favourites. On this particular case, OpenD6 failed for me as I had combat going on for several rounds with tons of rolls, which many times didn’t have a meaningful result. I think using MiniSix with plugged in parts of your favourite OpenD6 ruleset is the way to go.
Gatou, and 
Solo, Pen, Paper and Dice 
midgetmanifesto 2:43 am on October 15, 2023 Permalink |
Combat takes SO long in most systems. Opposed rolls are super tedious too. I found with chaosium Basic (elric, etc) the opposed rolls were a drag too. I recall vaguely our GM house ruling it to turn it into static numbers (maybe via a subtraction of skills from each other or something).
Do you find this system was PARTICULARLY bad for combat?
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giorgis 3:51 am on October 15, 2023 Permalink |
BRP (and derivatives) opposed rolls work quite differently, as they are rolls the attacker and defender do against their own skills. This creates a matrix of results that with the combination of critical and special successes and fumbles gives all sorts of interesting results (weapons being damaged, impale effects, blocks, etc).
D6 opposed rolls on the other hand are in direct comparison to each other, giving a linear pass/fail result, which means that you don’t get any more meaningful output for the same amount of effort as in say BRP.
Also while you can roll for Random Armor Values in BRP, that’s an optional rule, therefore the damage rolls by RAW are against a static number.
So in comparison I find that BRP is more effective in utilising the combat rolls. D6 should be more streamlined as in MiniSix or be modified to use the rolls more effectively.
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