Hi!
Thought I'd start a new subject.
I've been coming across music on YT with a historical leaning. I think it is worth sharing so you can play it in the background at shows or for your own pleasure playing games or just listening to.
The Epic of Gilgamesh by Peter Pringle in Sumerian!
He has several songs of similar vein.
Enjoy!
Hi!
I had a couple of deliveries last week for things I'd bought on eBay.
First up The Forbidden Lands. The RPG I planned to help bring more interest to a Sell Swords and Spell Slingers campaign.
What do we get in the box?
The Game Mater's Guide
The Player's Handbook
Legends and Adventures
Used for generating characters and adventures
Map
Stickers
All good for a skirmish game campaign. I hope!
Also, I wanted to increase the horde type encounters and looked on eBay for Beastmen. And, yes, some ridiculous prices. But there were some half decent ones, Then I saw these:-
Skaven, from Games Workshop. 30 little vermin to cause havoc in any town, village, city or anywhere there is a hole to crawl out from. The painting has started.
And out of the cupboard under the stairs:-
Two lots of Dungeons and Dragons boxes. A starter set with a paper games mat, a few 2d scenic tiles and 12 figures of various beasts and an expansion of 8 equally monstrous miniatures. Most are a little on the small side but probably useable.
And it included a Wyvern. Seen here with a DnD Minotaur and a figure from Northstar Frostgrave soldiers pack for scale. The notice board is DnD also.
I know, I'm getting a bit carried away with it all. And I'd still like the Beastmen as the look of them is just, fantasy gaming.
I'm ready for my first adventure using both systems.
Legends have been overheard and decisions made. Who? What? Where? Why? and When?
Soon!
Hi!
Whilst I'm waiting for the Forbidden Lands order to arrive, being a wargamer, I couldn't resist playing a game.
I used the Games Maters Book of Random Encounters to flesh out a story.
The four humans stood in front of the gnomish jeweller in the caravan bazaar. He had sent out notice he wanted some guards for his caravan which he was organising to go to a new city to the north. It would be 10 days give or take. You could never be exact as 'things happen' along the way on too regular a basis.
These 4 had, each in turn, approached and offered their services. He had asked them to gather 2 days before departure to go over things. The big Norseman he appointed captain and asked if anyone had any objections. None did. Good.
Halfdan introduced himself to the 3 when they had been dismissed by the gnome. He noted their names and what their specialities were. He was glad of a little magic and an archer. He smiled at the tall muscular blonde with the two-handed axe. Norse blood. Strong. He liked that. He'd heard of monsters which might require the bite an axe could give.
Then, having a free night he took them down to the Two Door Tavern for a night of bonding.
The TWT had a two door policy. You were either right door or left door. His group were right door.
What followed was a raucous night of games, one door against the other. Halfdan was chosen to represent the right door team in ale guzzling contest. He lost to a halfling left door patron. He endured the jeers of his right door team with good humour.
That night they bedded down at the gnomish jeweller's tent to familiarise themselves with how it operated. Thirty six hours later they were on their way.
This is a custom scenario based around that old favourite The Wagon Train. That is, getting from one table edge to another.
The four heroes will move as normal with the caravan activating after two of the PC's. Then the other two..
The caravan movement rate is 1D6 inches (The archers on the caravan base have no attack) The DL of the caravan is 8 and HP2
The event card deck was customised. The following cards were used
Loss of balance
Stood on a scorpion
Horde activates x 2
Ambush x 2 (Horde of 4 figures each time drawn)
Wandering monster x 2 (monsters straight from the deck)
Monster activates x 6
Further information regarding the statistics used:-
The characters activate by rolling 1-3 die depending on the players preference. Activation occurs if the score rolled on any die is over 8. Less than 8 on any die and an Event card is drawn and acted upon immediately.
DL is the roll you have to pass on a D20 to hit the attacker/defender; cast a spell or some other action. It varies depending on the action.. Only the Player characters roll and if they fail the DL take wounds as indicated by the DMG (damage) level or fail that action. Some factors such as a character wearing armour or using a shield enables a saving roll.
Some None player characters carry jewels, objects or coins (SP- silver pieces)
The order of activation was as follows:-
Halfdan, Sigilla, Caravan, Batilde and Old Tom.
 |
| The caravan trundles forward |
The heroes were quite fortunate in the first turns, each rolling 2 die and achieving activation. Even Sigilla.
It was going so well until Batilde failed two activations. It was fortunate that no horde or monsters were on the table at the time.
 |
| Ambush! |
Then Halfdan failed an activation. Ambush!
Out come the brigands
DL7, HP1, DMG1, 2D6SP
He is swift to spear one of the brigands.. Their swords bounce off his armour and shield.
He cuts another down.
Sigilla moves to attack but only reaches the fray.
The caravan moves forward hoping to go around the fight ahead.
Batilde moves up to the rear of the caravan.
Then Old Tom fails his activation and is attacked by another horde of brigands!
What a great ambush! As good as it gets attacking both the head and tail of a column/caravan.
Again, the brigands suffer,
 |
| Ouch! |
Halfdan fails one activation again and is hurt as a brigand slashes his unshielded side. He also fells one of the brigands.
Sigilla stabs twice at a brigand but he is wily and suffers no injury.
Batilde fails her activation and the hordes (event card activates the hordes) stab at the heroes.
Old Tom suffers an injury.
Halfdan cuts down another brigand.
Sigilla is, again, thwarted.
Batilde moves and attacks the brigands sweeping her two-handed axe and taking one down. She received injury herself in return. (Rolled 3 activation dice and made all 3, moved and failed on dicing for attack on one die))
Old Tom cuts down the last brigands and moves closer to the rear of the caravan. (Again getting 3 activations and making the rolls)
Halfdan and Sigilla despatch the two brigands and the caravan rolls on.
Until Halfdan fails another activation and a Barbarian Assassin leaps out to attack him! It's a perilous road this caravan travels! The attacker dies on a well aimed spear thrust.
Then Old Tom fails his activation and is attacked by a Chaos Barbarian (disguised as a brigand obviously) and luckily cuts him down.
Batilde is ambushed by brigands. Her thirsty axe makes short work of them. (Took 2 turns but suffered no injury in return)
And the caravan rolled on to safety. Albeit with some minor injuries.
I couldn't have planned that ambush any better than the cards and die did. And the wandering monsters turned out to be humans and fitted the scenario really well.
The fact 3 hordes were activated was pleasing also.
All-in-all a satisfying game with lots of luck for the heroes in the melees and the fact no 'real' monsters wandered by.
I hope you enjoyed it to.
Hi!
Back from Atlanta and gaming Sell Swords and Spell Slingers.
I've enjoyed reading reports online of the scenarios and after action reports. So I ordered the rule book from Lulu (lulu) and the cards from Drivethrucards (drivethrucards). The rule book was waiting for me when I arrived home. I waited a few days before downloading the free print-outs from Ganesha Games (ganeshagames) and played a solo adventure 'Through the Badlands'. It didn't go overly well for the adventurers.
One reason was the activation of monsters. It seems strange that monsters don't activate after all the PC's have activated. So I moved them as you would in almost any other game as they didn't seem to be activating at all.. VERY big mistake! When the monster activations came it was thick and fast and the PC's were swamped! Lesson learned.
So I'm starting a new campaign with the same characters. Except I want a little more depth to it. I blame Geek Gamers on YouTube. The lady is brimming with ideas and 'how to's' and I'm hoping if I can copy a fraction of her inventiveness I'll have a better experience.
Seeing her use Forbidden Lands by Modiphius (forbidden-lands) for solo gaming I've decided to order that. I should have it by next weekend
Luckily the cards have arrived. Well done Drivethrucards! Much appreciated in the 4 week turn round.
I will be using some of the Frostgrave figures for the games as some are good substitutes and they are available. I did buy three figures, Owlbear, Stone Golem and Viking Commander in the Giga Bites Café (giga-bitescafe) in Marietta along with a Pathfinder forest game map. Back in my local-ish gaming store (Wargames Workshop) I found a Lizard and Forest Troll, from Grim Reaper Miniatures, old 1993 figures as they are on the list of monsters I bought them. A lucky find for such old figures, but at todays prices.
Our 4 heroes:-
Halfdan
Halfdan was on a trading ship, a Knarr, when it landed at a strange port far from his homeland. The buildings were of different styles and made of different materials to the wooden ones he was used to. Going ashore he was greeted with some strange human types of people and felt somewhat hesitant. His hand stayed on his sword the whole day. After several days of wandering the port he started to relax and view this strange place as a friendly port which he could come to again without quibble.
In the ale houses and inns which he frequented he overheard talk of treasures and rewards, and the dangers that often accompanied getting them. He started to engage with these travellers. When the Knarr left port a week later, Halfdan was on the dock to wave them off. He would stay and seek a name and fortune for himself.
A Viking type with spear, sword, shield and armour
Burly (+1 strength, only 2 activations), Leader, Strong,
A shieldmaiden with 2 handed axe and armour,
Strong, Armour, Glory Hound (seeks revealed XP)
Old Tom
Old Tom had lived in this land a long time. He was orphaned as boy by the wars fought against the creatures who roamed, sometimes in big armies, across the land. It was his home. He lived life to the full as the next moment may be your last.
Archer,
Greedy (must search corpse unless passes a will role vs DL of corpse), Healer (+1 to heal)
Sigilla
Sigilla is a mystery. She never reveals her face. She came from distant lands and never reveals why. Likely, she is a wizard growing into her powers and seeks knowledge and spells to further this.
Wizard
Hesitant (-1 activation), Spell Reader, Spellcaster.
Owlbear
 |
| Not quite finished painting |
Stone Golem
lizard
Green Forest Troll
Giga-Bites Café
I was so lucky that this was almost across the road from my apartment complex. Literally.
The address:-:-
1851 Roswell Road, Marietta, GA 30062
There are a lot of wargaming supplies in there including FOW, Bolt Action, Saga, Bad Squiddo, Games Workshop and a lot more. There is terrain from several companies. Also, a large board game section with large and small games.
As you can see, in the main shop there are large gaming tables. In the smaller part smaller tables which seem to be mostly for board gamers.
And food! Try some of that if you go.
Several people came from south Atlanta just to paint figures at the store. That is around 45 minutes to one hour travel by car just to hang out.
Looking forward to starting the game next weekend
