Year 4042. Janvar 8th. Hex R17. Cold Season. Clear and windy weather.
Party plan to patrol nearby hexes.
Encounter 1 in 6 (per day). Feature 1 in 8 (per day). Event 1 in 8 (per day).
Yes (reset), No, No.
Type/Name: Village of Bisset
Recent Event: Great fire. Abandoned by original occupants. Repaired by refugees.
Valuables: Tobacco crops (Hex QR18, SW of Bisset) symbol = $$.
Facilities: Labourers, Public Well, Blacksmith, Brothel, Tavern, Shrine
Goals: Secure the future of the settlement by rebuilding and growing, making land safe and re-opening trade routes.
At the New Year celebrations, the Head Woman of Bisset calls the village together and explains their situation. The village must be rebuilt after the Great Fire, they must secure from monsters, re-open trade for their tobacco and grow the population. Volunteers are called to make themselves known.
So, a week after celebrating the arrival of the New Year, the party heads out. They spend 1 day patrolling the barren plains EE and E, in hexes RS18 and S17. In the badlands East of Bisset, at (roll=) 3pm the party encounters a Slaver “Lord Noble” and 5 of his gang looking for victims. (roll=) All are mounted and they have a caged wagon with (roll=) 1 occupant. A scouting/perception success vs DC9 ensures they get advance warning, but do the Slavers have an effective scout? I rolled for the troops 5d6 with 6=yes, and no sixes, the PCs can get surprise, evasion etc. Distance = 2d6x50 feet (x2 plains) = 300 feet. Relative direction to the enemy is NW.
Is Bisset leaving smoke that can be seen? 50-50, yes and the Slavers are heading there!
The group are not sure what to make of this - are they a lawful patrol or nefarious villains? Bisset is in the middle of nowhere, so this is unlikely to be the law - but they agree the riders must not find Bisset unchallenged. They calculate that the riders will not reach Bisset before dark so they decide to follow along stealthily to learn more, then act depending on circumstances. All characters stay out of sight apart from the scout Omarn who stays behind ridges, scrub, boulders, whatever is available. She makes a Stealth roll easily and thus the party are able to follow to the camp. Along the way they see the lack of uniforms, mistreatment of the prisoner, and Sleine the Elf’s sharp ears hear them refer to the prisoner as “slave”, so they decide the riders are evildoers. The party decides on a rest, cold dinner and attack at night.
Anything interferes? Unlikely = yes but Guilt. One of the Slavers takes the captive out for a stretch, toilet, etc. They are jeered by their comrades. Will this change the PC plan? They may get a turncoat and a helper, so they attack now in the open gloom.
They can safely get to 100 feet, which is in range of bows and Sleep. Sleine the Elf Fighter and Roil the Dwarf Cleric will run in, throwing spears and Javelins at -2. They both have an oil flask that they will attempt to throw in the campfire, should the situation require it.
Roll says the Slavers are a Tank + Thugs:
Lord Noble: HD2, HP10, AC3, Att +2, Dmg d8, ML10, Skill +2, Move 20’ (slow)
Slavers (5): HD1, HP2,4,6,6,7. AC8, Dmg d6, ML9(7), Skill +1, Move 30’ (average)
What are they doing? Locations are Campfire, Horses, Watch, Tent.
The camp is set up in a diamond pattern with the Campfire in the middle. A spellcaster can target the campfire and 2 other adjacent points.
Centre = Campfire, 1 Slaver.
North point = Horses: Lord Noble, 1 Slaver.
South point = Watch: 1 Slaver.
East point = Tent: 1 Slaver
West point = Wagon: 1 Slaver
Vidane the MU fires his Sleep at the Fire/Horse/Watch sections for 2d4=5HD. Nobody saves! That gets the men at the Fire (1HD) and Watch (1HD) but the 2HD horses might protect the men nearby (and they do - 1 horse falls asleep, the other is unaffected). Omarn has no easy targets, given that they want to avoid shooting the wagon-man. So he attempts a difficult shot on the Slaver among the horses. +4 (ambush) will be countered by -4 (cover). Rolls 1! The arrow sails by far away. Does the camp notice? No but, the tent-man comes out and heads toward the fire. Roil and Sleine keep running, they get to about 50’ when the tent man reaches the fire. Vidane moves closer to hope to throw daggers. Omarn attempts to shoot the tent-man. 1d20=18! 1d8+2 (doubled for stealth) cannot fail to kill the evil man.
Anyone notice? No, but the men with the horses spot the watchman lying down. Lord Noble yells and orders the other horse-man over. The men at the wagon and horses get checks to spot the runners: rolls 6+1 and 7+1 both fail!
Roil and Sleine let fly their spears: Roil 7 (miss) Sleine 2 (miss). Omarn 17! Kills tent-man.
Vidane calls out “throw down your weapons and surrender!” Lord Noble surrender? (v unlikely) = Yes! But instead he flings himself on a horse to ride away. Wagon-man? (v likely) = Yes, and in fact he gives his weapon to the prisoner.
Results:
2 slavers dead, 3 captured, 1 escaped (“Lord Noble”), 1 prisoner freed.
5(-3) Horses and (a wagon) secured, as well as about 1 man-month travel supplies.
5 Leather armour, 5 short swords, 3(-1) bows, 60(-40) arrows. 21 gold. (Camping gear).
XP 25x5 (slavers) + 50 (escaping boss) + 25 (rescuing a prisoner) + 150 (hexes) = 350.
The party returns to Bisset.
Year 4042. Janvar 9th. Hex R17. Cold Season. Clear and windy weather.
Party plan to stay in town (reset all).
Encounter 1 in 20 (per day). Feature 1 in 100 (per day). Event 1 in 20 (per day).
No, No, No.
The party spends a day catching up on sleep, re-learning spells, splitting treasure and deciding the fate of the prisoners. The rescued captive is an acrobat taken from a travelling circus. They accept an offer to stay in town! (Population +1). Donate 2 horses, 20 gold and most of the weapons/armour to town = full sell price = 400xp.
Of the captives, there is no provision for a prison, so the headwoman proposes exile to the West for the slavers, death upon their return. Does the “guilt” slaver object? 50-50 = yes and (Alertness) - he will be an excellent watchman/herdsman ... or he will watch for an escape! Do the others object? No and (Rot) - their fate will be discovered later. Do the PCs object about anything? Yes! Does the Headwoman listen? No!
Year 4042. Janvar 10th. Hex R17. Cold Season. Clear, still, chilly weather.
Party plan to check tracks of Slavers.
Encounter 1 in 6 (per day). Feature 1 in 100 (per day). Event 1 in 8 (per day).
No, No, No.
In the morning the PCs go back to the camp (30 Movement Points) to look for tracks (6/30 MP): After (d4=) 3 hours (15/30) Sleine the Elf is stumped but Omarn manages to find the main slaver tracks heading E (DC9) but not the single rider tracks heading NE (DC10). They decide to follow, moving E into the light woods (24/30) in hex T17. They cannot move further (Grassy Hills) but Sleine and Omarn make the terrain checks for (lowest 2d4=) 2 hours (30/30) and by nightfall pick up the trail’s direction E.
Year 4042. Janvar 11th. Hex T17. Cold Season. Clear, still, chilly weather.
Party plan to follow tracks.
Encounter 2 in 6 (per day). Feature 1 in 100 (per day). Event 2 in 8 (per day).
No, No, No.
The PCs decide to force march (60MP. CON checks at the end of the day). They head E into the grassy hills in U17 (9/60), and again into densely forested hills at V17 (27/60). Taking a short rest but eating on the move, they travel E into W17 lightly wooded plains (36/60) forcing another track check, which only Omarn succeeds (48/60) but fast enough to allow travel into the thicker woodland of X17 (60/60). At camp, the group discovers that 2 of the horses are exhausted and cannot force march tomorrow (and suffer -2 on all rolls).
Year 4042. Janvar 12th. X17. Cold Season. Cold and frosty weather.
Party plan to follow tracks.
Encounter 3 in 6 (per day). Feature 1 in 100 (per day). Event 3 in 8 (per day).
Yes (reset), Present (reset), No.
At dawn they track E (30MP) once more into the grassy swampland of Y17 (12/30). Unfortunately here they lose the trail, so instead spend the day exploring the hex. The random encounter is going to happen right at the end of the ‘day’ (last watch at night). But in the meantime (only 2 hours after breaking camp!) the group discovers the slavers’ hideout!
In Swampy Grasslands the hideout could be (d3) Tents, Ruins or Stilt-Huts = Stilt-Huts. 2d6x50 = 250 feet away they spot the roofs through the tall grass. Is there a lookout? Likely = Yes but, the party has a chance to hide. Assuming that the roofs and mounted men/wagons are about the same height, the PCs have to quietly dismount and get in the water or find another low point to reduce their profile. Low point/water nearby? 50-50 = No, but not far. Need (worst) Stealth (DC10) and (best) Animal roll (DC9) to turn quietly & hide.
Stealth roll Fails! A Tree lookout spots the PCs. he yells an alarm. At 250 feet, no missiles or spells can hit. The camp hosts 4 Slavers + Lord Noble. 10 crude huts, stables and cages on Sturdy Ground.
The Slaver Camp Looks like this:
2 Slavers get into the trees with bows. The others fan out and crouch-move towards the PCs location (north) slowly and keep to cover, looking for signs. They will not enter close missile range to the last known location. Not knowing this, or how many enemies there are, the PCs decide to flee and potentially approach again with surprise or reinforcements. Their Scout passes a DC10 check to avoid getting lost after fleeing.
The party left the hex early (after 2 hours, 18/30) so it is not “explored” or “safe” (even if the camp is cleared later). Moving NW to XY16 Barren Swamp takes the rest of the day (30/30). Here is where the random night/dawn encounter occurs! Giant Serpent! Let’s say 1d4 = 2 Crocodiles, swimming (d8) E-W. HD2, HP10,11. AC15, Dmg d8, ML7, Skill +2, Move 30’. What’s That Animal Doing? (d12) = Playing! We’ll say chasing/mating ritual.
The PCs camp looks like this:
(1d4=) Sleine the Elf is on watch. He easily hears the splashing of “playful” crocs and given the hour, quietly wakes the party. We’ll say this plus the fire alerts the Crocs, but also negates any surprise rounds. Reaction is “unfavourable”. The Crocs hiss and snap. The party throws 2 rations to try and urge the Crocs to leave: New Reaction +1 is “favourable”, and the party lobs more rations far. Reaction +2 is “unfavourable” … Crocs charge! Sleep spell fires off, none of the Crocs save so they slump on the ground, and Sleine the Elf beheads both Crocs with his halberd. A successful Survival check vs DC10 replenishes the spent rations and more, plus some intact pieces of skin. XP 150. GM note - I'm too used to players not having Sleep, this was surprisingly easy!
Year 4042. Janvar 13th. XY16. Cold Season. Cold and frosty weather.
Party plan to head home via circular route.
Encounter 1 in 6 (per day). Feature 1 in 100 (per day). Event 4 in 8 (per day).
No, No, Yes (reset).
Vidane discovers 5 of his rations got wet and are useless - they share the remaining out and decide to head West at travel speed and discover grassland (6/30MP) before the swamp returns at VW16 but with light forestation (24/30). As the hour grows late, they spend 2 hours (30/30) climbing the tallest trees to scope the areas north and west, and see more swamp W and NW, but plains opening up to the E.
Year 4042. Janvar 14th. VW16. Cold Season. Mild weather with clouds.
Party plan to head home.
Encounter 2 in 6 (per day). Feature 1 in 100 (per day). Event 1 in 8 (per day).
No, No, No.
The group push NW to the boggy but clear V15 (12/30) and find more of the same at U15 (24/30). They spend 2 hours (30/30) scanning S and W to see the swamp finally giving way to wooded plains.
Year 4042. Janvar 15th. U15. Cold Season. Cold and windy, light snow.
Party plan to head home.
Encounter 3 in 6 (per day). Feature 1 in 100 (per day). Event 2 in 8 (per day).
No, No, No.
The group can use all their 30MP to return to Bisset, via TU16, T17, S17 to R17.
Settlement during Party absence:
Encounter 1 in 20. Feature 1 in 100. Event 1 in 20.
No, No, No.
Year 4042. Janvar 16th. R17. Cold Season. Clear and windy weather.
Party plan to stay in town (reset all)
Encounter 1 in 20 (per day). Feature 1 in 100 (per day). Event 1 in 20 (per day).
No, No, No.
The party rest and resupply, trading crocodile skins for feed, rations and supplies. Excess is donated. The map is shown to the headwoman and elders, and copied for town records. 13 hexes mapped (not explored) = 325 (round to 85 each after donations).
Year 4042. Janvar 17th. R17. Cold Season. Cold and windy, moderate snow.
Party plan to start early and head SE to explore.
Encounter 1 in 6 (per day). Feature 1 in 8 (per day). Event 1 in 8 (per day).
No, Yes (reset), No.
The group move E-SE and discover a swampy grassland at ST18 which they thoroughly explore - there is a monster settlement! Troll Holes! (1d8 = 5 adults 1xAlpha 4xTroll, 1 ‘child’). Lets see who’s here (50-50) in groups of Alpha (no, but home soon), 3xT (yes and watchful), T+C (yes and in proximity to each other). Trolls are about as tall as a mounted man, and probably the groups are about as noisy as each other, so the 3 Trolls on lookout will gain 1 bonus on Surprise, Sleine the Elf has 1 bonus against being surprised. All others will surprise as standard. Rolls are 4-6, nobody is surprised. Standard range is 2d6 (11) x50 but quartered for marsh and snow ~ 140 feet when both sides spot each other.
The lookout trolls shriek and scream and charge. The Party sees 3 large humanoid shapes charging out from some large holes in the raised swampland, and a pair of large/small shapes moving back into the lair. At 80’ per round (run) they cover over half the distance - the Party scrabble to dismount, cut the wagon loose (Omarn), help their Dwarf friend (Sleine) onto a double-mounted horse (with Vidane) and re-mount.
Initiative! Simply put, the horses out-distance the Trolls as long as the rider wins Initiative.
Vidane/Roil are at +0, Sleine and Omarn are at +2. Trolls roll 2, Vidane rolls 4, Sleine and Omarn can’t fail, so the party escapes … However Roil needs to make 1 extra save vs Death Ray (STR), being a Dwarf on a full size horse. Vidane can help with a STR Feat (2 in 6). Roil fails, but Vidane makes it!
The horses pull away from the Trolls, who pursue for almost an hour, shrieking and shouting even after they have lost sight and the night closes in. The Party force-marches into the night to gain extra movement and reach the tree cover in T17. Vidane survives the forced-march, as the only PC (or horse) with under 6 HPs. There is no night-time encounter.
Year 4042. Janvar 18th. T17. Cold Season. Clear and windy weather.
Party plan to travel home at best speed.
Encounter 2 in 6 (2/day). Feature 2 in 8 (1/hex). Event 2 in 8 (1/day).
No, No, No.
The Party returns to Bisset.
Year 4042. Janvar 19th. R17. Cold Season. Clear and windy weather.
Party plan to stay in town (reset all)
Encounter 1 in 20 (per day). Feature 1 in 100 (per day). Event 1 in 20 (per day).
No, No, No.
..................................
At this point I changed a lot of rules, and redefined the campaign setting ... so the Heroes' story ends here.