Lost Tomb of the Bitchin Chimera Characters

 It has been a LONG time since I posted here... 

I backed the Lost Tomb of the Bitchin Chimera kickstarter last year. I don’t back a LOT of kickstarters and am not SUPER excited about doing it all that much. The shipping for so many is horrendous and it’s just WAY TOO EASY to go a little overboard on many of them. But this was one little book – A D&D adventure inspired by the songs of the Dead Milkmen – my favourite band through most of my teens and twenties… and I could probably even say it is my all-time favourite band… (It’s hard to unequivocally say that... there is so much music out there…). I checked with the people offering it and it seemed like the Postage wouldn’t be unreasonable (i.e. postage wouldn’t be MORE than the product itself!?) 

It finally showed up this past week and it looks hilarious and I thought I’d run it for my Saturday Night online group. One of the players is definitely a huge Dead Milkmen fan, two others are at least familiar with them and a couple of their songs… the other has no idea… but, whatever…

The game is written for D&D5E – which I have played… but I can’t say I really KNOW the system well enough to RUN a game… I had thought maybe it’s time to learn it… but then decided I should go with something I already know. I probably COULD have done it with FATE… but I decided on doing it with Savage Worlds. 

I decided on Savage Worlds, partly because I used it a LOT, back in the day, and was intimately familiar with it and didn’t think I’ve have much trouble picking it up again. Also… there’s the Savage Worlds Fantasy Character Generator Toolkit… It’s a book with, like, hundreds of d100 tables to roll on to generate fully fleshed out fantasy characters. Generally, they turn out considerably better than characters you could generate using the regular character generation rules…. Sometimes they are just batshit crazy… sometimes in a good way…. Other times… in a not-so-good way!? 

Sometimes you end up with stuff that’s just unplayable – once, we rolled up a party were there was a cowardly Elf werewolf mage, leading around two BLIND characters – one was another mage that liked to shoot lightning bolts around (even though he could see no one) and the other ancient half-orc bandit/mercenary that could, literally, drop dead from old age at any moment who was part of a secret society sworn to destroy any arcane items they come across!?

I had three evenings of making characters. Everyone who made it got to make a character and then could pick from one of the ones they made. I kept track of all the stuff they were rolling an promised to post it somewhere where they could see it and though, why not post it her as well? 

Names have not been put to these characters as the players have not yet decided WHICH one they are going to play… well… those that MADE more than one. CVT and Woody are kind of stuck with the ones they’ve got! 

These are very roughly and quickly typed up but can give you a pretty good idea of what the Savage Worlds Fantasy Character Generator Toolkit – often you get a batch of characters that have no reason to know each other, let along travel together as an adventuring party… but I figured this was a one-shot, tongue-in-cheek, silly adventure… why not have some fun making some silly characters… 

As I alluded to EVERYTHING presented here was generated by a roll on a table – it is just crazy that of the NINE characters generated, only ONE was a dude!? Not 100% sure which one Finnegan will take, but we could very well end up with an all-female adventuring party!? AND almost all of them are blond-haired and blue-eyed!?

Jon’s First Character

Female– Adult - Halfling

Attributes 

• Agility d10
• Smarts d10 
• Spirit d4
• Strength d6
• Vigor 6

Skills

• Climbing d4
• Fighting d4
• Gambling d6
• Intimidation d4
• Knowledge (Logistics) d4 
• Knowledge (Strategy) d4 
• Notice d4
• Shooting d8
• Stealth d4
• Survival d4

Edges

• Combat Reflexes

Hindrances

• Ugly (Major) (-4 Charisma)
• Code of Honour (major) 
• Vengeful (Minor) 
• Stubbourn
• Death Wish 
• Habit (Major – Alcohol)

Backstory 

White Hair – Brown Eyes – Buckteeth 

Adopted by family of Elven Entertainers in a large village in the Mountains. The elf family were relatively recent immigrants and had come there looking for better work. They were accepted by the community. 

Adopted Father – left home after siblings were born, no idea if dead or alive

Adopted Mother – Alive but in poor physical health – Treated you fairly

2 Siblings – younger female twins

#1 Alive and in good health – distant

#2 Alive and in good health – followed you everywhere and copied everything you did. 

During Childhood developed a strong moral code (Code of Honour), but was rather Mule-Headed and was always convinced they were right (Stubborn). She also never tattled on anyone who wronged her… she got even (Minor Vengeful) 

During adolescence, her mother made sure she attended school. She hit her head and had a spell of amnesia and completely forgot being raised by the elves! In her wandering, she heard the bard’s tale of tragic heroes that made a deep impression and a desire to do something worthy of such an epic before she dies in a blaze of glory (Death Wish)

Became a Mercenary Archer. Spent some time as a commander’s Aide de Camp, and at another time had to live of the land for an extended period. 

Made an enemy of a particularly sore loser in a darts competition – Female Dwarven Smuggler – Major member of a small group, wants to kill her friends (Minor Enemy) 

$300 starting cash. 



Jon’s Second Character 

Female – Adult - Human - shuns magic

Attributes 

• Agility d8
• Smarts d4
• Spirit d8
• Strength d6
• Vigor d8

Skills

• Boating d12
• Climbing d4
• Fighting d8
• Gambling d4
• Streetwise d4
• Swimming d6

Edges

• Hard to Kill

Hindrances

• Stubborn
• All Thumbs
• Illiterate
• Anemic

Backstory 

Yellow-Blond Hair – Brown Eyes – Red Nose 

Legitimate child of two Fishers. 

Raised in large town on an island. Family are recent immigrants (2nd generation) who were invited to move there. 

Mom and Dad are both alive and well and treats her fairly. 

EIGHT siblings

Eldest Sister (+3 years) left home recently, no idea if she is alive or dead – physically bullied. 

Older Brother (+2 Years) Alive, but totally senile - distant

Older Brother (+1 year) Alive and well – treated well 

Younger Sister (-1 year) Alive and well – ignored by

Younger Sister (-2 years) Alive and well – distant

Younger Brother (-3 years) Alive and well – treated well

Younger Brother (-4 years) Alive and well – treated well

Younger Brother (-5 years) left home recently, no idea if she is alive or dead – ignored by

Childhood – was a rough and tumble youth (Hard to Kill) and a bit Mule-headed.

In adolescence, bunked off school (Illiterate) and ran away to the sea. Unfortunately, they were well out to sea before they discovered she was rather clumsy (All Thumbs).

Continued the sailing life into adulthood. Lived a pretty hard life on the high seas; got Scurvy, helped hunt a sea monster and was eventually made ship’s mate. 

$180 starting cash. 

Jon’s THIRD Character

Female – Young Adult - Elf 

Attributes 

• Agility d4
• Smarts d8
• Spirit d8 
• Strength d4
• Vigor d4

Skills

• Boating d4
• Driving d8
• Gambling d4
• Intimidation d4
• Knowledge (Quister - Bleaching) d6
• Lockpicking d4
• Notice d4
• Persuasion d12
• Shooting d6
• Stealth d4
• Streetwise  d6

Edges

• Connections – Slavers (Countrywide, but weak, -2 to gain help)
• Command 
• First Strike

Hindrances

• Minor Phobia (Stairs) 
• Sterile

Backstory 

White Hair – Light Blue Eyes

Father unknown, Mother married after character was born. Step Father is a powerful local merchant that owns a shop. 

Mother was a crafter (Quister – bleaches things) that came from a long line of Quisters that had lived in the region for 12 generations – having moved there after a plague fell upon their ancestral lands. Raised in a small town surrounded by farmland. 

Step Father – Alive and well – thinks character is a disgrace (as he does of both older sisters) 

Mother is alive and well, but embarrassed by character 

Older Sister (+2) – Left home recently – no idea if alive or dead - ignored

Older Sister (+1) – Died in a house fire – treated character well

Younger Sister (-1) Alive and well – treats well

Younger brother (-2) Alive, but in poor physical health - jealous

Known to some friends of her mother’s from when Character was a child (Connections – Slavers). Was a born leader – organizing play and games (Command). Had a nasty fall down a long flight of stairs and developed a lifelong phobia of stairs

Was a bit of a rebel as an adolescent and a petty thief. When getting into trouble learned quickly it was best to hit first! Kicked in the guts by a horse and left unable to bear children. 

As an adult became a merchant

$500 starting cash



Woody’s Character

Attributes 

• Agility d4
• Smarts d8
• Spirit d8
• Strength d4
• Vigor d6

Skills

• Boating d4
• Driving d4
• Fighting d4
• Gambling d4
• Intimidation d6
• Knowledge (Brasier) d6
• Persuasion d8
• Streetwise  d6

Edges

• Ally – Bandit – Female Half-Orc – Seasoned Character 
• Connections – Noble Family – Countrywide, moderately powerful 
• Ally – Female Dwarf Assassin – Veteran Character
• Property – Ruined Tower (requires $1500 repairs) 

Hindrances

• Bad Luck
• Code of Honour
• Greed (minor) 
• Vow (minor) – Secret Society

Backstory 

Yellow-Blond Hair – Light Blue Eyes – Inauspicious Birth

Father Unknown – Mother never married.

Mother is a Master Crafter (Brasier) 

Mother’s family has lived in the region for 10 generations – having left their previous home for “political reasons”

Raised in a Large Village in a Forest – Halfling Hippy Commune

Older Brother (+2 years) Died of disease during youth – treated fairly

Older Brother (+1 Year) Left home recently – ignored

Younger Brother (-1 Year) – Alive and well – protective

Younger Brother (-2 Year) – Alive and well - distant

Younger Brother (-3 Year) – Alive and well – HATES character 

Younger Brother (-4 Year) – taken by slavers – took great interest in character

Was a bully in her youth – but developed a strong sense of right and wrong. 

In her adolescence, swore a blood sister oath with a half-orc that went on to become a bandit. Helped out a local Noble family who has forever been 

Became a drug dealer as an adult. Invested in a wagon train that brings in a steady income. Joined a secret society that opposes slavery and raids slave caravans and compounds to free slaves. Made friends with an Assassin for whom she was able to procure some rare ingredients for a drug they were concocting. Another noble who was unable to pay for product ordered for a major orgiastic festival, gifted her a ruined tower as payment. Had to fence a wagon-load of stolen product – managed to do so with no one figuring it out. Got a little greedy in her old age. 

Starting Cash $800 



CVT’s Character

Female – Barely-an-Adult - Human

Attributes 

• Agility d8
• Smarts d4
• Spirit d8
• Strength d6
• Vigor d8

Skills

• Fighting d4
• Gambling 
• Healing d4
• Intimidation d6
• Notice d6
• Streetwise  d4
• Survival d4

Edges

• Danger Sense

Hindrances

• Loyals
• Outsider (in home town -2 Charisma) 
• Minor Phobia (Rats) 
• Illiterate
• Enemy – Powerful (heroic-level) Leader of large group, wants to kill you. 

Backstory 

Yellow Blond hair - Light Blue Eyes

Raised by a family of entertainers – the INSANE CLOWN POSSE – in a large village surrounded by farmland. The family were ancient arrivals, having lived in the region for 9 generations. And were FEARED by all the other families in town…? (-2 Charisma, but +2 intimidation when dealing with locals!?) 

Father – taken by slavers – status unknown

Mother – Alive and Well – treated fairly

Younger Brother (-3 years) – Alive and Well – Jealous

Younger Sister (-5 years) – Alive and Well – Distant

Younger Brother (-6 years – twin) – Alive and Well – Grasses on 

Younger Sister (-6 years – twin) – Left home after youngest born, no idea – was protective

Younger sister (-8 years) Left home recently, no idea – treated well. 

In Childhood developed a fear of rats. Being bullied by other kids forced her to develop Danger Sense. Turned out to be a bit of a thickie (Illiterate) 

In her adolescence, tried to elope with the firstborn son of a rival group of clowns earning her the eternal enmity of the patriarch of the family (Enemy). Took a vow to pray five times a day and experienced a particularly hard winter (survival) 

Has been working as a bodyguard the last few years, during which she joined a Secret Society and turned out be okay with taking a few hits. 

Secret Society - the Rumormongers - They are information brokers, gathering information from any source then selling it to interested parties.

$300 starting cash. 



Christian’s First Character

Female – Young Adult – Human 

Attributes 

• Agility d8
• Smarts d6
• Spirit d6
• Strength d6
• Vigor d10

Skills

• Fighting d6
• Intimidation d4
• Knowledge (Inker) d6
• Notice d4
• Shooting d6
• Survival d6
• Taunt d4
• Tracking d4

Edges

• Luck
• Connections – Adventuring Party – widespread and moderately powerful

Hindrances

• Curious
• Clueless

Desert Dweller (+1 to resist heat / -1 to resist cold)

Backstory 

Yellow Blond Hair – Light Blue Eyes

Illegitimate – unaccepted

Father was a baker and will not acknowledge character as his child  

Mother is a Master Crafter (ink maker) – know all across the land – favoured of scribes and wizards… 

Raised in a large village in the desert. Mom was a relatively recent immigrant having left her homeland in disgrace (perhaps for having a child out of wedlock… and then went on to have two more!?). The family is admired by the locals, though – perhaps because of the business they brought into town from those that travelled there to seek out her inks… 

Mother – recently died in a work-related accident (explosion while making magical ink!) 

Two Younger twin siblings

Younger Brother – Alive and Well – takes an interest in the character – loves to hear her stories

Younger Sister – Alive and well – embarrassed by her sister. 

During her childhood, she was a bit of a bully and a joker. Also became known to some friends of her mother’s – and adventuring party whose wizards would ONLY use her ink in her spellbooks – they visited often and were always charmed by their friend’s precocious child. 

In adolescence, she got many childhood diseases – and survived leaving her quite tough. Turned out to be very lucky (Luck) and had an extremely inquisitive mind (Curious).

As an adult, developed a bit of wanderlust and disinterest in following in her mother’s footsteps and became a Ranger. While having extensive knowledge of nature and her homeland… in the desert… but knows little about other matters (Clueless). Has served as a guide for caravans crossing the desert for some time and spent a fair bit of tiem protecting her homeland from a number of threats and invaders. 

$500 starting cash. 



Christian’s Second Character

Attributes 

• Agility d12
• Smarts d6
• Spirit d4
• Strength d8
• Vigor d6

 Skills

• Climbing d6
• Fighting d8
• Lockpicking d4
• Notice d6
• Persuasion d6
• Shooting d4
• Stealth d10
• Streetwise d6
• Tracking d4

Edges

• Great Luck
• Harder to Kill 
• Attractive
• Acrobat
• Florentine
• First Strike
•  Quick
• Quickdraw
• Combat Reflexes
• Nerves of Steel
• Up Close Fighter (bonus to fight and parry = reach of opponents weapon) 

Hindrances

• Poverty

Backstory 

Platinum Blond Hair – Dark Blue Eyes

Truly Blessed; When priests of her homeland heard of her birth on the darkest hour of the darkest night of the year, they held a special ceremony to honor the God of Darkness who blessed her with many lives (Hard to Kill, Great Luck). Unfortunately the God of Thieves felt shunned and cursed her (Poverty – any time she makes money, some theif acolyte shows up and takes it away!? ) 

Legitimate child of courtiers who serves a count who controlled a castle, a large town, 7 villages, 2 barons, 19 landless knights, and 162 Men-at-Arms. They lived in a large town in a forest, just outside the count’s castle, where their family had lived for 11 generations and were accepted by all. 

Father is alive and well and FEARS her!

Mother is Alive and well and treats her fairly

Only child

As a child she was one tricky customer – learned how to avoid trouble by ducking and diving and to get back at bullies by tricking them (Acrobat). Loved to climb all the highest tress in the forest and was a master at hide and seek. 

As an adolescent, her parents made her take fencing lessons. She had a brief courtship with the Counts son. As the count did not approve she had to do a LOT more climbing and sneaking around. 

As an Adult… became an ASSASSIN!!!

$750 Starting Cash

Finnegan’s First Character

Female – Middle-aged – Half-Orc

Attributes 

• Agility d6
• Smarts d6
• Spirit d6
• Strength d10
• Vigor d6

Skills

• Fighting d10
• Intimidation d8
• Knowledge (Battle) d4 
• Notice d4
• Shooting d4
• Swimming d4

Edges

• Common Bond
• Hard to Kill
• Tactical Genious (d10 Wild Die on Knowledge – Battle) 
• Natural Leader

Hindrances

• One Leg
• -2 to resist Poison
• Bloodthirsty
• Cautious

Backstory 

Ginger Hair – Brown Eyes – HUGE +1 size/+1Toughness

Legitimate child of two farmers – Human father, Orc mother

Grew up on a farm near a large village in the hills. Their family was shunned (-1 Charisma) – though her parents familes both lived in the region for many generations, locals didn’t much like mixing of the races. 

Father - died in a work-related accident – trying to impress orc mom, trying to lift ox, which fell on him. 

Mother alive and well and treats her fairly

Older Sister (+2years) Laive and well and protective of her younger sister

Younger Brother (-2 years) – left home recently, no idea if alive or dead.  

As a child, she injured her leg, which got septic and had to be amputated, but developed strong ties with friends and family and all around her (Common Bond) 

As an adolescent, almost drown in a nearby creek, came into a small inheritance and ran off to join a band of mercenaries. 

Became a professional mercenary as an adult – as an infantry soldier (with one leg…? I guess she had a really good prosthetic) – very quickly rose to become the commander of her own band of warriors. She is a veteran of many conflict and said to be a cautious general, but a tactical genius, who is adored by those who fight under her… In later years, after losing a few to many close friends to she became a little bloodthirsty and just stopped taking prisoners… 

Starting cash $400



Finnegan’s Second Character

MALE – Young Adult - Dwarf

Attributes 

• Agility d8
• Smarts d6 
• Spirit d6
• Strength d4
• Vigor d4

Skills

• Boating d4
• Climbing d4
• Faith d8
• Fighting d8
• Knowledge (Religion) d4
• Lockpicking d6
• Notice d4
• Stealth d10

Edges

• Connection – Group of Smugglers – single city and weak power (-2 to gain aid) 
• Arcane Background (Miracles) 
• +5 Power Points

Hindrances

• Major Enemy - Smuggler – weak (novice character) – leader of a small group (8) seriously determined to destroy his reputation. 

Powers

• Beast Friend
• Healing
• Elemental Manipulation
• Burrow

Backstory 

Trained up by his people from a young age to be an Axe Man. 

Grew up in a large family of professional thieves. Their base of operations was a small village in the hills and are generally accepted by the other members of the community. He and his siblings are the first generations to live there after their parents fled their homeland to avoid a plague. 

Father – Alive and Well – treats fairly

Mother – Alive and Well – treats fairly

Older Sister (+4 years) – Alive and Well – Distant

Older Sister (+2 years) – Alive and Well – FEARS HIM!

Older Sister (+1 year) – died in house fire – FEARED HIM!

Younger Brother (-1 Year) in prison for a Major Crime – ignores him

Younger Sister (-2 Years) – Alive and Well – treats fairly

Younger Sister (-3 years) – Alive and Well – HATES him!

Younger Sister (-4 Years) – Alive, but in poor physical health – physically bullies him

Younger Sister(-5 years) – Alive, but in poor physical health – treats fairly

Younger Sister  (-6 years) – Alive and Well – Worships Him!!

As a child spent a lot of time in boats on the nearby river.  The God of Thieves called upon him to serve him at an early age.

AS an adolescent, fought in a duel over a girl, and won. Practised petty thievery. As a coming of age gift was presented with a (stolen) suit of chainmail armour!? 

Went on to become a Novitiate Priest of the God of Theives

Starting Money $1270!? 

Escape to the South

Following on from our last previous episode, our heroes escaped with the 800 odd freed slaves of Pax Tharkas in the middle of the night as a snow storm brewed up. Chased by Draconians, which they periodically had to chop in half with Wyrmslayer, they trudged on through the night up through the high mountain pass in nearly zero visability. By dawn the refugees were dead tired (and a dozen of them were genuinely dead from exposure) and so they rested until noon.

Just before noon the heroes were summoned to a council that had been formed to direct the refugees. For all their efforts they were offered a non-voting advisory role on the council… nice…

Through the afternoon the group pushed on, ever southward through the snow and wind. They camped in the evening and tried to sleep through the night. Exposed as they were they lost another dozen or so through the night.

The morning broke clear but cold. They marched further south coming out of the mountain pass into a plain. Around noon they came a tower with some strange instruments and a big stone slab. Finding nothing much of interest they pressed on into the hills where they spent another chilly night.

In the morning they tightened their belts – finding they had pretty much ran out of food – and marched on further to the south – hoping to get to the wooded vales of the mountains beyond the plains, or perhaps find Skullcap, the fabled tomb of the great wizard Fistandantilus….

By the afternoon they left the hills and were on a plain again. Occasionally they came across evidence of a great battle long ago. After another hours march they came to a marsh. Skirting around the march to the right they wandered ever southward…

Late in the afternoon they a great skull-shaped mound of stone loomed out of the fog of the marshes – Skullcap!

By that point it was getting late and we decided to call it a night rather than delve into the ruins. Not a lot of action this evening… but they made it to skull cap with ~760 (starving) refugees…. And no immediate sight of a Dragon Army in hot pursuit…

Pax Tharkas (Part Two)

For those who have not been following along, I am running the old classic Dragonlance campaign adventures using Savage Worlds for TWO different groups, more or less simultaneously. One is for the “Saturday Savages” – the Saturday night “adult” group that’s been playing Savage Worlds for some time and whose shenanigans have been chronicled on this blog – but the group goes even further back than that… The other group I am running it for is my kids and a couple of other homeschoolers….

This is what the "adult" group has been up to..

We’ve only had TWO sessions since I last updated in the intervening eight weeks… A number of weeks were cancelled due to not having Campaign Quorum (players off doing other things…) or because I was busy preparing for (or on the 25th, actually RUNNING) the Dark Age DBA Campaign.

In the last two games the group stormed up the stairs fought their way through the chaos on the landing (caused, indirectly, by the Kender’s shenanigans – it was, afterall, the dragon melting the chain – while trying to roast the kinder - that tripped the big rockfall trap…).


Beating down some Goblins and Draconians at the top of the stairs.


Here come some more…

They snuck into the kids place and had most of them herded out when Flamestrike – their ancient, senile red dragon nanny – woke up and was a little irate about them trying to steal off with “her children”. Gilthanas, who was taking up the rear, was bitten in two.


Norfindel charged in with Wyrmslayer and… well.. slayed the wyrm…

Now those of you who are familiar with the Dragonlance series of adventures or novels are probably laughing your asses off – it is NOT supposed to go down like that… Flamestrike is actually supposed to SAVE the characters later from being roasted by Ember – the other younger red dragon – as it is about to roast said player characters along with all of “her” children!

They mopped up a few more Draconians and hobgoblins that charged in when they heard the ruckus… and that’s where we left it….

That was February 4th…

The next game we played was last night (24 March)… seven weeks later…


I still wasn’t sure how I was going to resolve the module so I had a band of hobgoblins rush in (the same band that the Kender had been following when he last did something)


They battled said baddies and Magnus Blackburn died (seven wounds… his head was cut off… Goldmoon tried to reattach it, but Mishakel just wouldn’t hear her prayers – probably because Magnus worshipped the false gods…)

Ultimately I decided that Verminaard (or was it Verminarrd… I can never remember if it’s two “a”s or twr “r”s…) was off on patrol with Ember – of flying out to retrieve his dragon army to come back and “deal with” these rebelling slaves and the heroes led the slaves off in the middle of the night through the pass and away to the south… with no real idea of where they were going…

Dragonlance Kids Campaign Update

For those who have not been following along, I am running the old classic Dragonlance campaign adventures using Savage Worlds for TWO different groups, more or less simultaneously. One is for the “Saturday Savages” – the Saturday night “adult” group that’s been playing Savage Worlds for some time and whose shenanigans have been chronicled on this blog – but the group goes even further back than that… More on their adventures in a moment…

The other group I am running it for is my kids and a couple of other homeschoolers….

When I last updated the Kids Camapign They had just escaped the slave caravan and had made their way to Qualinost the capital of the Qualinesti – the woodland realm of the Elves. There they were charged with freeing the slaves of the Dragonlord who held them captive in the fortress of Pax Tharkas. They had followed Gilthanas – son of the Speaker of the Suns to a secret entrance to the fortress known as the Sla-Mori. They had entered there and found an ancient sword and killed a giant slug…. That was at the end of January.

We’ve had, I think, FOUR sessions since then in the intervening eight weeks… A number of weeks were cancelled due to vacations and book clubs and me preparing for the Dark Age DBA Campaign. Next weeks game will also be cancelled due to the other kids book club meeting…. Ah well, it will give me a chance to figure out what we’re supposed to be doing next.

In session #13 I made Christopher give up Wyrmslayer. He’s a Knight of Solamnia, not a tomb robber. He’s got his own (not-so-powerful) ancestral sword… Tanis now has it… Tanis… who never gets into close combat if he can help it, but rather stands just out and shoots his wimpy and ineffectual 2d6 arrows INTO close combat… I hate the shooting into close combat rules… it hardly EVER hits your own guys – especially when characters get shooting of d8 or d10 or better… Ah well…

The adventurers realized the way they had gone was blocked and went back the other way. Earlier, in the previous session, Christopher had INSISTED that Gilthanas would want to go that other way and insisted that he would split off from the group and go that way on his own…. I had him hand over Gilthanas’ card and told him they could have it back when they saw him again. They haven’t – they think they might have found his remains among the ZOMBIES!


They fought some zombies


So many zombies…


It’s been a while, but what I think we’re looking at here is someone who got a Joker… got a raise… and then rolled three ones for damage…

After that they fell into the trap beyond the hall of pillars… found the room with the cahin – while trying to divine what the purpose of said chain was Tanis went bust on his smarts roll and decided it must be the chain the secures the mountain to the ground and keeps it from floating into the sky… I think he successfully convinced a few others of this as well… Pushing on they made their way to the cellar where Sturm decided to yell “helloooo…” to see if it echoed… alerting the draconians in the guardroom beyond of their approach…

In the next session (#14) they fought those draconians…


Looks like the type that melt into pools of acid when they die…


SPLOOSH!

Also in this session they explored the lower realms of the dungeon and discovered the women prisoners and decided to go up and try to rescue the children…

They went up and things were going smoothly enough until Flint decided he’d had enough of this sneaking around business and charged out from his hiding spot and attacked some hobgoblins… around this time Tika, Riverwind, Goldmoon and Raistlin – who had been trying to herd the kids out pas the sleeping dragon, were discovered and trapped in the far back room behind the dragon – Tika and Riverwind were critically injured by the dragon.

Out at the top of the landing Sturm, Tanis and Flint were battling Draconians and Hobgoblins. Tanis and Sturm were also critically injured here and I decided to pull the old “send in overwhelming reinforcements to the bad guys so the PCs are compelled to surrender” trick.

Tanis didn’t want to surrender. I basically had to tell him that if he didn’t Tanis was GOING TO DIE (AND probably everyone else… AND the campaign would be OVER) if he didn’t… so he did…

The Next Session (#15) began with them, having been dragged out into the “courtyard” south of the Thardakan Wall. The women and children were collected up there along with all the men.

Laurana and Tasslehoff – who had been hiding in the cellar in the dungeon had to be convinced to follow the women up as they were herded out by the guards…

Dragonlord Verminarrd gave his “I’ve had it with you” speech and Flamestrike attacked Ember and the two dragons went tumbling off down the mountainside. The shattered PCs attempted to overcome the few guards hanging around them and got their stuff back. (I said the men and women and children overcame the rest of them). The slaves all gathered up all the stuff they could and off they went over the pass and off to the south.

Session #16 (this past Friday) consisted of a few skirmishes with scouts of the pursuing draconians…



We won’t be playing again until 6 April (book club, again…) and by that time hopefully I’ll have sorted out where they’re actually supposed to be going…

Qualinost and Sla-Mori (with the not-so-big kids)

Back at the campaign with the kids last week. We covered a LOT of ground!

After the Ambush of the Slave Caravan, the heroes gathered their equipment and fled into the woods with the Elves. Through the night they were pursued by Orcs and Goblins and Draconians. By morning (of Day 11) their pursuers had given up or had been picked off by Elves that had laid behind in ambush.

They marched on through the day and and made camp at a great waterfall. The next day (Day12) took them to the Elvish capitol of Qualinost where they met the Speaker of the Suns. They spent the rest of the day recovering and healing.

The next day (Day13) They met again with the Speaker of the Suns in a great council and were charged with going to Pax Tharkas to free the prisoners and create a distraction by leading the dragons armies off in a wild goose chase after them, to give the Elves some time to pack up and flee Qualinost!?

The following day (Day14) they headed off on their quest. Along the way they came across the scene of a recent battle and were ambushed by some Draconians!


The Draconians were quickly dispatched. Among the dead they found a sole survivor who decided to tag along with the group.

In the late afternoon they came to the valley leading to Pax tharkas and as they looked on a massive Dragon Army marched out from it’s gates. After the army had passed they snuck past the valley and into the next vale following an old stream up to the hidden entrance – The Sla Mori or “Secret Way”. Entering under cover of night they decided to camp out just within the entrance.

The next day (Day 15) they delved deep into the mountainside. Whenthey came to the first crossroads there was some dissent among some of the group as to which way to go. In the end most decided to head on straight into the mountain, but Christopher insisted that Gilthanas would want to go the other way and so the group was split. AS it was only one character (and an NPC) I decided to just take Gilthanas and they rest of the group went on without him.

They entered the tomb of Kith-Kanan and found his ancient blade: Wyrmslayer. Christopher quickly snatched that up for Sturm Brightblade, but I thought afterwards I probably should not let Sturm have the sword – he is a Knight of Solamnia, not a Grave Robber. He would not raid the tombs of the honoured dead and steal their sacred swords!

Passing through the corridor that led out of the room they entered a hall that was blocked with rubble – the far end of the hall had collapsed long ago. Before they could investigate and see if they could find a way through they were attacked by


A GIANT SLUG!!!

This was pretty quickly taken care of and we called it a day.

This week Bruce and his kids were at book club so Christopher came over and we played a separate Savage Worlds game (which I will chronicle as some point) and played a bit of Hordes of the Things. Hopefully next week we’ll be back to our Dragonlance Saga!

Pax Tharkas (with the BIG kids)

Whoops. I’ve slacked off a little updating the Dragonlance Campaigns. Here are the last two session of the big kids Saturday Night game…

Getting later into the afternoon (of Day 22… still…) our heroes retreated back to the “Chain Room”, having battled Draconians and saved the captive Elven Princess in our Previous Encounter

They ate some supper and awaited the return of the Kender – after an hour or so they heard some orcs and goblins heading down the passage towards them, evidently having come across the signs of the struggle and tracked them back to the Chain Room.


Riverwind rushed to the door, perhaps to block them from pouring into the room. Unfortunately not one went with him… so the orcs did pour into the room and quickly surrounded Riverwind.


It was quite the long, pitched battle, but I think it ended with Only Riverwind being seriously wounded (3 wounds!) and most of those, if I recall correctly, were from friendly fire into close combat!?

Afterwards Goldmoon, who’s starting to get the hang of the whole healing thing, healed him up pretty good (removing tow of three wounds). Princess Laurana and maybe Norfindel were also wounded, but survived and were given some quick first aid and set straight right away!

And that was Session 12… The battle took a while… we started late… and ended early…

This week our heroes left a note for the Kender should he ever return that way and forged ahead. They returned to the Guard Room where they had rescued Princess Laurana. They ahd a look out the two different doors leading out of the room and found dark hallways leading out of both.

Princess Laurana was able to lead them to the prison area where all the women were being kept. Henry FitzArnulf, actually being played by Christian for the first time in over a month and a half, stood guard at the Guard Room while others went off to rescue the women. While they were healing one of the prisoners and rying to make plans for getting them out a group of Draconians blundered into the Guard Room

“WE’VE GOT COMPANY!”


Henry charge the Draconians! Others followed – through their quick and decisive action, they were actually able to stop the two who had run off to get help before they made it to the stairs!

Afterwards I sent everyone upstairs for a bit so I could sort out what exactly The Kender was up to… I’ll have to fill you in on that later, lest my players sort out what’s going on…

Anyway, The rest of the women folk were freed but it was discovered that the children were being held hostage under the careful eye of an ancient red dragon! The men were being held elsewhere as well and were being forced to work as slaves in the mines… while they were plotting and preparing to head out the entire fortress became to shake as thought it was all about to collapse. Many were thrown to the ground and the trembling went on for half a minute. When it stopped all was deadly quite.

The silence was broken by someone wondering aloud “What did the Kender DO!?”

(If only they knew….)

Guessing that stealth and secrecy was no longer an option they formed ranks and, after making a quick check of the other rooms on this level of the dungeon, started climbing the stairs to the level above where it was clear complete chaos and pandemonium reigned!

We called it a night at that point because this was a bit of a departure from how I think it was imagined the module would play out – though, I think, not all that different from the books…. And I need some time to sort out where all the denizens of the fortress are at and what they would be up to at the moment….

Hopefully we will be forging ahead next week and finishing this part of the adventure!!!

I can’t believe how many sessions I’m getting out of each of these modules. WE started in September and still haven’t finished the second (of TWELVE!) modules in the campaign!?

More Sla-Mori

By the afternoon (of Day 22) our heroes had finished cleaning off zombie goo from the Previous Encounter and were ready to forge ahead…

They trundled through one hall and some of them fell into a trap and twisted ankles and stuff. Undaunted and not-quite-dead they carried on and found a room with a BIGASS chain rising up and out of sight through a tight hole in the ceiling high above. The Kender figured he could fit up there and decided to climb up and see what he could find.

Realizing the Kender was not coming back anytime soon some of the others forged ahead down the corridor, effectively splitting the party.

I hate it when that happens… It’s one thing when a character are going to scout ahead briefly and everyone else is going to stay put and wait until they return – but it’s something completely different when one group goes one way and another goes another with no clear plan as to how they’re supposed to meet up again. For one it means some players have to sit and twiddle their thumbs for great periods of time while others play out what their characters are doing. Another difficulty is how far ahead do you let one group delve before returning to the others. Further – how do you deal with information? If everyone’s sitting there listening and hearing all the stuff that they other group or individuals are doing , do you trust them no to act on information they hear that their characters would not have any clue about – it’s hard…

Previously (like, years ago) I would send the people not with an individual group into another room… Then I got sick of that because the group was ALWAYS splitting up and getting into separate fights in separate areas and some evenings some players wouldn’t get to play at all – and I essentially told them not to split up anymore…

I guess I could give them disincentives to do so – increase the likelihood of random encounters/wandering monsters and beat them down when they do.

Anyway the group that scouted ahead down below found their way into a cellar and then into a guard room


In the guard room they confronted a few draconian guards and freed Princess Laurana…

(Here I lowered the number of guards… should have kept it at the suggested number and beat them all to a pulp, took away all their stuff, and forced the others to now rescue them in addition to carrying out the mission… except now having to do it with less than half their number… and with the entire fortress aware of their presence – a totally impossible task – do I want to end the campaign in module two – of the twelve that I have successfully tracked down over the last year!?)

The Kender (Roscoe Thorngage) climbed waaaay up in the fortress and snuck around and found out some stuff (here I did kick all the other players out of the room).

Not sure if the game is going on tonight only two have confirmed their attendance, two are definitely not coming, the other two I haven’t heard from (but haven’t been showing up regularly so I generally assume that they won’t be here…).

Kids Savage Worlds DargonLance Campaign Update

I’ve been remiss in updating these campaign sessions… so here is a quick update of the last three sessions:

THE DRAGON

In Session 9, after about three months of playing we found ourselves at the afternoon at the fourth day after the adventure began… Oi!? Anyway… They found and confronted the dragon!


Bursting into the Dragon’s Lair! Huzzah!


No messing about – they charged in and tried to do battle (not realizing the utter hoplesness of doing so)

As per the adventure plot Goldmoon (at the bidding of Mishakels ethereal voice) strode forth and struck the dragon with the Blue Crystal Staff and they both disappeared in flash of blinding light.


I took a picture of it… it was a damage roll… I can’t remember exactly what it was for… I think it was for Sturm Brightblade, who was hit by a falling stone as the cavern began to collapse around them. I said he was buried under a pile of stone – to prevent them from trying to save his very dead butt (following the suggestion of “obscure deaths” written right into the book). Sturm has been a favourite of Finnegan’s and a few tears were shed… but I tried to keep things moving along…


They decided to try and take the “elevator” back up but found a few draconians at the base and had to fight them amidst the falling rocks…

They eventually made it up and found Goldmoon AND Sturm at the base of Mishakels statue in the temple above! Huzzah! Everyone escaped before the whole mess burned down, fell over, and sank into the swamp creating some very good foundations for further construction, methinks!)

BACK TO SOLACE (one way or another...)

In Session 10 the group hiked out of the swamp and over the hills and started to make their way back across the plains toward Solace. The passed the ruins of Que-Shu and debated whether to carry on to Solace or follow the tracks heading south. Eventually it was decided to head to Solace first.

At Que-Kiri, along the way, they ran into some trouble…


They ran into a new kind of draconian (that melted into a puddle of acid when they were killed) and were beaten down quite fiercely and ultimately captured. They were chucked into a cage on the back of a wagon and hauled over the pass to Solace – which they found to be in utter ruins!

THE CARAVAN

In Session 11 we were joined by our neighbors - Shawn and his son Christopher (who have also decided to start homeschooling). Shawn took over playing Riverwind, and Christopher took over playing Sturm Brightblade. Finnegan is still playing Flint Fireforge, Keira is still playing Tasslehoff, V. is still playing Tanis and Caramon, C. is still playing Goldmoon, but also took on playing Tika Waylan (Who was also thrown into the cage with them when they reached Solace), and Bruce is still playing Raistlin.

Everyone was in a pretty bad way – from the beat down in the previous session. So I made the caravan go a bit slower than suggested in the book (which was probably a more realistic speed for traveling though mountain passes!) to give Goldmoon a few days to try and heal people up.

As the caravan passed by the Qualinesti Wood they were ambushed by Elves!


This was a bit of an epic battle and we ended up running out of time before the battle was truly concluded… but in the end good triumphed over evil and our heroes escaped into the woods with the Elves. Huzzah!

This week we were to forge ahead, but Bruce and co. never showed. So I started a new side-campaign for Christopher, Finnegan and Keira – more on that in a bit!

Slave Caravan Ambushed

The whole crew was actually on hand to play their own characters tonight! Woot!

Picking up the action where we left off last week; Marcus Cabot, Norfindel, Henry FitzArnulf, and Roscoe Thorngage had, after destroying a few Draconians in the ruins of the Inn of the Last Home, slipped out the back door to find themselves surrounded by dozens of orcs and goblins and draconians. They were arrested and hauled to the center of what remained of Solace and locked in a big cage on the back of a wagon.

Up on the mountainside Lorena Whiteswan, Magnus Blackburn, and Goldmoon lie moaning in pain under the ever watchful eye of Riverwind. Lorena (through a fog of pain) spotted a patrol of Draconians headed their way. When she reported this to the others both Riverwind and Magnus (drastically failing stealth rolls) stood up to look around shouting “WHERE!?” The group was surrounded and also captured. They were roughly hauled down to solace and imprisoned in the same cage as their compatriots.

After a day of hanging out in the cages a caravan was finally organized and head out towards Pax Tharkas. After a couple days the caravan was traveling near the Qualenesti wood when the caravan guards started dropping like flies – felled by Elvish Arrows!

So… we started with everyone (well all the player characters, plus Goldmoon and Riverwind, and Tike Waylan and Gilthanas – two additional NPCs picked up along the way) in one of the cages and unarmed – but with the locks just busted off by a Gully Dwarf slave (who wanted to sticki it to his soon-to-be former master – before scarpering off into the underbrush). I focused the encounter on just the area around the wagons – there would have been dozens more Orcs and Draconians on either side, but we assumed they would be kept busy by additional ambushing Elves. So on the table I have 7 Elf Rangers, 8 Kapack Draconians (the ones that melt into a pool of acid upon dying) 13 Orc warriors with either sword and shield or great axes, and 7 orc archers….


The Caravan rolls along what remains of the old road leading to Pax Tharkas


When the ambush was spring the Elves got to take one shot with the drop – and they dropped six foes right then and there.


On the Orcs first move they rushed the ambushers, not yet aware that the Gully Dwarf had broken the locks on our heroes cage…


Part of The Gang. From left to right: Christian who plays Henry FitzArnulf, Amanda who plays Lorena Whiteswan, Curtis who plays Magnus Blackburn, and Patrick who plays Roscoe Thorngage.

Also present (but not in any pictures) were Jackson who plays Marcus Cabot, Dave who plays Norfindel, and Rick who has been playing Riverwind since Curly plummeted to his doom off a subterranean waterfall…


When our heroes finally went (Gilthanas was blocking the door out) Gilthanas in one deft (multi-action) move leapt out, picked up a sword from a wounded orc and cut down another!


The rest blundered out scrambling to pick up weapons from injured foes…


Fighting other orcs, or trying to free the other prisoners…


The ambushing Elves.


In the end most of the orcs and Draconians in the center were slain and the remaining ones on the flanks (not on the table) fled! The Elves were dealt a serious blow – three of the seven on the table here were killed in action (by naughty orcs delivering killing blows!) one was seriously injured and another was lightly wounded.

In the melee Riverwind was seriously injured, but Norfindel was able to path him up pretty good afterwards.

Tika the barmaid was the champion of the day taking down at least four Orcs (I can’t say “singlehandedly” because at least two of them had been previously shaken by Roscoe!?).

After freeing the rest of the prisoners and recovering their personal effects the lot of them scarpered into the Qualinesti woods with the Elves…

Huzzah!

Flight of the Peagasi and Into the Swamp

In our last session the kids had met the forest master who had suggested that they go to Xak Tsaroth and find the “greatest gift”. He provided them with Pegasi (Pegasuses?) to swiften their journey.

In the game I ran for the other group I had the Pegasi land them near the Que Shu village (much as they did in the novel) and they had to hoof it over the Forsaken Mountains – I decided to skip that with these guys and had the Pegasuses fly them over the forsaken mountains and drop them off at the edge of the swamp.

So into the swamp they went!!

At the fallen Ironwood tree they were ambushed!



There was only three Draconian warriors and one Wildcard Draconian sorcerer… but because of the order they were in and the Draconicans ambushed them – most of the heroes warriors were stuck on the far side of the water.


The sorcerer menaced them with a few fireballs. Both times Caramon took two wounds and was unable to soak them. The second time, Raistlin, who was also in the blast template, took no damage so we said Caramon had leapt in front of his brother to shield him from the blast and took the brunt of it.

Tasslehoff, who had been frightful in the very first game first game we played, took a pretty severe beating at the hands of a pair of Draconian warriors.

When the battle was over no amount of healing, mundane or divine, was able to help Tasslehoff or Caramon. So Tasslehoff is severely wounded and Caraman has perished…. Yikes!

Next time: Further into the swampy ruins!

Henry FitzArnulf

Henry FitzArnulf – Wildcard Knight of Solamnia - Christian
XP: 23 Rank: Seasoned
Ag d8, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d10, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 7 (9), Toughness 7 (10)
Skills: Fighting d10, Notice d6, Stealth d6, Intimidate d6, Throwing d4, Survival d6, Persuasion d6, Riding d6, Swimming d4
Edges: Knight of Solamnia, Brawny, Arcane Resistance, Combat Reflexes, First Strike
Hindrances: Code of Honour (chivalry), Vengeful, Loyal
Gear: Heavy Armour, Large Shield, Sword, Dagger, etc…


Henry FitzArnulf is, somewhat reluctantly, an aspiring Knight of Solamnia. He is a quiet, taciturn man who keeps his feelings to himself, and tries to avoid attention, except in the presence of his friends, although he is given to the odd blasphemous outburst when surprised. His quiet exterior hides both a tendency towards depression and a quick and vicious temper, and people insult him at their peril. He is a large, fast, strong, skilled and resolute fighter, who is a master of the sword and shield. He wears his father's master crafted armour, which along with a fine longsword has been handed down for generations in the family.

Henry is the son of a real knight of Solamnia, Arnulf FitzHugh, himself the descendant of a long line of Solamnic knights. Arnulf did try to raise Henry in the traditions of the Solamnic code, teaching him the Oath and as much of the Measure as he could, and to fight and ride. Arnulf, however, was an outcast knight and a broken man who while preaching the code cheated, drank, stole, and beat Henry and his mother far more brutally than was ever required. His personal habits when combined with the general dislike for the Solamnic knights meant that Arnulf and his family could never remain in one place for long before being run off. This meant a hard life for Henry and his mother, who were forced to beg, borrow, and steal in order to get by. Events finally came to a head when Henry was fifteen. Arnulf was working as a bodyguard, and went on a particularly rough bender and started to beat his wife and Henry. Henry took off, but when he came back later that night, Arnulf had beaten his mother to death. Henry, in a fit of rage, fatally stabbed his comatose father in the throat, took his arms and armour, and then fled.

Henry spent several years traveling throughout Abanisinia working as a man-at-arms and caravan guard, until he ended up in Solace and met his current companions, the first people that he has felt comfortable with since his mother's death. Henry has never told anyone about his past other than that his father was a Solamnic knight who was killed, and that Henry inherited his arms. He will not speak of his mother under any circumstance, and reacts poorly to any mention of or questions about her. Henry has also decided that now that his father is gone, no-one will ever push him around. He reacts very poorly to any insult that he feels has been offered either to himself or to his companions. When the group split up, Henry went to look for other Solamnic knights, but found nothing. He is glad to be reunited with his friends, who he considers to be his new family and will defend to the death, and he is looking forward to more adventure.

Henry is very ambivalent toward the knights and their code. He can see that the code of the Solamnic knights is a good thing, and when feeling positive he talks up the knights and tries as best he can to live up to their ideals. Henry, for all he has been through, is a good person at heart, and he likes helping others. But when things are rough, or he is feeling melancholy, he sees the code as being an unobtainable standard, and his adherence to it wavers. After all, if his father was unable to live up to it, how will Henry ever do so? Similarly, Henry feels very ambivalent toward the knights of Solamnia in general. His father was a failure, and everyone must hate the knights for a reason, so even if he were to find one, it would probably be a big disappointment.

Savage Dragonlance

This all started because I was wanting to start a campaign for the kids… I thought they’d both dig a fantasy campaign… and I wanted a CAMPAIGN; an epic adventure of good versus evil sort of thing – not just a bunch of unrelated dungeon bashes… Immediately I thought of the Dragonlance Saga – which also has a great volume of novel tie-ins that I could probably get the boy reading.

Now I’ve read complaints that the campaign is a bit of a railroad; you just go from one event/encounter, doing what you need to do or finding what you need to find, then moving on to the next without a whole lot of choice in the matter. Frankly, a clearly laid out plot… that’s okay with me. The kids, I’ll point out are five and seven…

Anyway, I haven’t started playing with the kids yet – I’ll get back to that in a bit. I figured though, if I was doing all that work to prepare a campaign for the kids, why not run the same campaign for the Saturday (night) Savages!?

And so we’re beginning a new Fantasy/Savaged/Dragonlance campaign…

With the kids I think I’ll just make pre-generated characters based on the original characters. But for the Saturday evening campaign I’ve had the players make up their own and am running it as a sort of “What if ANOTHER group of heroic adventurers ran into Goldmoon and Riverwind before the characters of the novels ran into them?”

We started last week with four of the players making characters. Amanda is playing a human wizard, Patrick a Kender that is so buff and surly he might as well be a dwarf, Dave is an elf, and Christian is a Knight of Solamnia. (hopefully the players will all provide some background for their characrters – which I will post separately as they are submitted)


We then played a brief encounter along the road into Solace. The heroes were returning from some travel abroad and ran into some hobgoblins lead by Fewmaster Toede, who were looking for a blue crystal staff. Toede split, his goblins slain and the heroes carried on their merry way into Solace.


Sucks when you get a raise on a hit only to roll junk like this….

The next week (last night) Two more players who couldn’t make it the previous week made their characters; Rick made a Dwarven wanderer and Curtis made a priest (lacking divine magic because he worships the “false gods”).

Afterwards I muddled my way through them meeting at the inn of the last home (I’ve been reading the novel and the adventure module over the last couple weeks and things go down a little different in both so I got a bit confused between the two – but it all turned out good – the heros met Goldmoon and Riverwind.


A brief and confused brawl at the Inn of the Last Home

The Heros escaped from the Inn, and then ellusded some hobgoblins and made their way out of Solace!

We wrapped up the evening with one final skirmish as they discovered a a small party of hobgoblins guarding the bridge over the Solace Stream on road to Haven (where they have decided to accompany Goldmoon and Riverwind and seek the advice of the High Seekers)


The hobgoblins were dealt with in a swift and savage fashion – before finishing them off they interrogated one and discovered they, too, were looking for the blue crystal staff.

Hopefully this week I’ll get those characters generated and get the kids started on their own campaign…

What's Been Going On...!?

I’ve come to the realization that I fend RPG session reports dreadfully boring to read… and even WORSE to have to write… I don’t mind skirmish wargame reports – just take lots of pictures, add caption, done. But describing what went on while role-playing… too much work. I have very little time, and I’d rather spend time preparing the next adventure…

Just a little update however…

In the last Realms of Cthulhu adventure (after “Anarchy in the Ukraine”) the group was contacted by Bartholemew Ronson (The London Bank Manager from “Dueling Necros”). He bid them to travel to London at their earliest possible convenience to meet with him. Upon their arrival they found his house on fire and, after sending the cab off to summon the fire brigade, ran around back to find Mr. Ronson being dragged off by some masked cultist types.


Our Heroes rush to the aid of Mr. Ronson.

The Cultists were all slain and hidden in the bushes at the back to the property until the fire brigade was finished.

Some occult tomes were recovered from the secret cellar deep under the ruins of Mr. Ronson’s mansion.

I can’t remember what happened after that.

The last couple Savage Saturdays I didn’t have anything ready for another Cthulhu adventure so we played a coupel Fantasy games.

First we made some characters using the Fantasy Character Generator Toolkit to make some completely random characters. While this is fun, and it does a really good job of fleshing out a character background in a way that most players are too lazy or lack the imagination to do, it often makes characters that are virtually unplayable – and even harder to come up with an appropriate figures for!!

Here’s what everyone came up with…

Jerrot “the Hawk” Twoflowers (John)
Ag d10, Sm d6, Sp d4, St d6, Vg d4,
Pace 6, Parry 2, Toughness 4, Charisma -4
Skills: Shooting d4, Notice d10, Stealth d10, Persuasion d8, Lockpicking d8, Climbing d8, Streetwise d6, Riding d4
Edges: Low-Light Vision, Strong Willed
Hindrances: Overconfident, Loyal, Phobia (Major-Stairs), Very Ugly, Enemy
Gear: clothes, backpack, blanket, lockpicks, flask, Dagger (str+d4), Bow (Range: 12/24/48, ROF 1, Damage: 2d6)

The Hawk (Jerrot Twoflower) is an adult elf. He has strawberry blond hair and brown eyes. He is otherwise pretty average – other than the fact that he is fuckugly.

His parents were powerful merchants who owned three stores in the capitol city. Their family had residedt there since the very founding of the city untold generations ago. Jerrot’s dad is alive but going a little funny in the head, and his mother is also in poor health. While his mother treats him fairly his father thinks him a disgrace. Jerrot had two younger siblings. He has a sister (only 10 years younger) who is terribly jealous of him. He also had a brother who was about 30 years younger, but died in a work related accident (took up with a human and became a traveling merchant, fell off wagon and got run over).

In his youth Jerrot tried to make up for his lack of fine physical features with a charming personality (+persuasion). He was also very good at Hide and Seek (+notice and stealth). He somehow also developed a frightful fear of… stairs (fell down them a few too many times…?)

During his adolescence fell in with a bad crowd and became a petty thief (+lock pick and stealth, may become thief). He became very good at what he did (overconfident), and was fiercely loyal to his friends (loyal).

Theiving seemed more interesting than working in his parents shop so he continued his nefarious teenage hobbies as a profession. He mostly flitted about the city pulling off minor jobs, and tried his hand at being a highwayman. At some point he robbed the wrong person who swore he’d see Jerrot hanged (Enemy – Male, half-orc, entertainer, seasoned, leader of a small group - 2d6 followers – will attempt to kill Jerrot)

Ilesha (Brenda)
Ag d8, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d6, Vg d6,
Pace 6, Parry 5, Toughness 5(7)
Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d4, Notice d4, Persuasion d6, Knowledge (geography) d4, Intimidation d6, Knowledge (Law) d6, Streetwise d6
Edges: Low-light vision, Berserker
Hindrances: Bad Temper, Young, Outsider, Major Delusion (I am the captain of the city guard)
Gear: Clothes, Chain hauberk, Backpack, bedroll, blanker, canteen, flint an steel, handcuffs, rope, Shortsword (Str+d6)

Ilesha is a spirited young half-elf girl of 12 or so… She is bald and has red eyes(!?). She is Jerrot’s niece.

Her parents were powerful traveling merchant/traders. Her dad (Jerrot’s younger brother) fell off one of the family’s wagons and was run over and died. Her mother is alive and well but is struggling to keep the family business going while raising seven children. Ilesha has two older sisters One treats her well, while the other ignores her. She also have four younger brothers. Three are alive and well and treat her fairly, the thirs was sold into slavery…!?

The family operates from a large village surrounded by farmland. They mostly brought farm goods to the city and returned with goods for the regions farmers.

Ilesha was an angry child, when bullies tried to steal her toys the red mist descended (berserk). A strange old man once told her she’d have a glorious career (+1 roll on professional table – so…one roll… as , being a youngster she would have none…).

As she entered her adolescence she was sent to the city to live with the elf side of her family as her mother could not handle her any more. Upon her arrival in the city she decided she was the new captain of the city guard…

(yeah… okay this is how it worked… despite being a “youngster” and having no rolls on the profession tables I let her roll for a career and gave her the basic career package; she became a City Guard. Then I gave her the one roll on the professional table – from the “strange old man” event in her childhood. She rolled 99; “Promoted to Captain”… as she had also rolled a “Major Delusion” on her sole roll on the adolescence table we dicided that she, in fact, believed herself to be the captain of the city guard and wandered around the city inspecting and giving orders to all the guardsmen – the guardsmen, of course, humor her most of the time, thinking it rather hilarious…)


Brother Tobias
Ag d4, Sm d8, Sp d8, St d8, Vg d6,
Pace 6, Parry 2, Toughness 5
Skills: Throwing d6, Knowledge (Battle) d4, Knowledge (Religion) d6, Intimidation d4, Climbing d4, Healing d8, Persuasion d4, Faith d10
Edges: Secret Friend (Trow King), Arcane Background (Miracles), Healer, Power Points x2
Hindrances: Enem, Cautious, vow (pray five times a day)
Gear: Clothing, prayer mat, 2x Throwing Axes (3/6/12, Str+d6), Backpack, bedroll, blanker, waterskin, flint an steel, candle, soap, torch, food

Brother Tobias is a middle-aged human with red hair and brown eyes.

He grew up in a large village in the hills. His family had only recently settled there having fled their ancestral homelands due to political upheaval. His father had been an officer in a unit of Light Infantry loyal to the king who was deposed. He has recently returned to his homeland to fight against the tyrant and has not been heard from since.

Brother Tobias mother alive and in poor health and thinks Tobias a disgrace (perhaps for not going along with his foather…?). He has five siblings. An older sister (by two years) wh o ignores Tobias), a sister less than a year younger who left home some time ago, but had always taken an interest in Toias. He had one brother, a year and a half younger, who dies of the plague. He has two other younger sister,s 2 and 4 years younger, the elder physically bullies tobias, while the younger takes great interest in him and all that he does.

A god (of healing) called tobias to serve him at an early age (may become priest, lots of bonuses). In his spare time he used to climb trees that were too high for his friends (+climbing). A strnge old man also paid him a visit to proclaim he would have a glorious career (+roll on professional table)

In his teenage years he was accepted by a knight as a squire (not skill bonus but had the option of becoming a knight..). At one point he thought he’d fallen in love and eloped. After a couple weeks he grew bored and sent her home. Her father has never forgiven Tobias and wants revenge (Enemy – Mercenary- Cavalry, Seasoned, DWARF(!?), swears to kill family). Afterwards he realized he should think before he acted (cautious). He also made friends with a Trow King. It swore Tobias to secrecy and he never broke that promise. The Trow King remains friendly to this day.

Tobias became a Novitiate in the church of the god of healing… He had strong faith (+Power Points). He became a full priest (+Spirit, Faith, healing, Knowledge). He took a major vow (to pray five times a day), Received a blessing… was strong in the lord… bla-bla-bla… oh, and then he became the member of s secret society… “The Faithful” a sect of hard-core believers in a diety (at first I thought it’d automatically be the diety that he is already a priest in… but, oh no! “If the character is a priest and rolls a different diety, he is a turncoat to haid faith (not the sect). The Faithful perform acts of intimidation against priests of rival gods and despoil their temples”… and so he became a member of The Faithful… for the God of Death…

yeah…

We decided that Brother Tobias was the cousin of

Anyway I made a character for myself for fun…

Nelwyn Darkleaf
Ag d10, Sm d8, Sp d4, St d6, Vg d4,
Pace 6, Parry 4, Toughness 3
Skills: Fighting d4, Shooting d10, Notice d6, Stealth d6, Knowledge (silversmith)d6, Gambling d4, lockpick d4, Streetwise d6, Tracking d6
Edges: Jack of all Trades, Ally
Hindrances: Small, Cautious, Minor vengeful, Enemy, Minor “vow”
Gear: Clothes, Cloak, Quiver, Arrows (20), Bow (Range: 12/24/48, ROF1, Damage: 2d6)

Nelwyn Darkleaf is a smallish adult half-elf. He has platinum blond hair and dark blue eyes, and a perpetually reddish nose…?

He comes from a family of silversmiths that lived in a small village in the jungle…? They have lived there since the dawn of time.

Nelwyn’s dad is alive and well and treats him fairly. His mom, also alive and well, more or less ignores him. He also has three sisters. An older one that hates him, one that’s about the same age that worships him and a younger one that “left home” and no one has any idea where she’s gotten to, who used to always tattle on Nelwyn.

While not a super genious, Nelwyn certainly showed an amazing ability to recount facts his parents never knew he had ever learned (“Lesser Prodigy” - Jack of all Trades). A foolish dare almost got him killed, however, and he quickly learned to look before he leaped (cautious). When someone picked on him or stole his toys he never cried or grassed on them. He got even (Minor Vengeful)

In his adolescence he turned out to be a bit of a book-learner, reading a smuch as he could (+smarts). He and a friend swore to remain friends forever, becoming “blood brothers” (Ally – Female, Halfling, bounty Hunter, Heroic)!? His father let Nelwyn accompany him to the tavern where he took up with some ill-favoured sorts (+gambling)

One thing led to another and somehow Nelwyn moved to the capitol and became an Assassin!? He started out in surveillance (+notice, streetwise, tracking) but then had an opportunity for a Big Hit , unfortunately the mark had powerful friends (Enemy – Assassin, seasoned, Human, male, leader of large group – 5d6 – out to kill Nelwyn…). Things went from bad to worse after that. He assassinated a Druid and the God of Nature took offense – Nelwyn can not sleep outdoors (equivaent to a vow – gains level of fatigue – presumably he is harassed by birds and squirrels and instest if he tries to do so and thus cannot – gaining him the level of fatigue…). At some point along the road he grew a conscience and had a change of heart and decided to become a… City Guard… further rolls on the professional table would have been on that one… but I didn’t have anymore – ti did however give me a reason for knowing one other member of the group – the CAPTIAN of the City Guard of course!!

That night we played a quick encounter. I said Nelwyn, through his contacts, had found out that a group od assassins, disguised as City Guard, were going to assassinate a visiting dignitary… He wormed his way into the dignitaries personal guard detail…


They were unsure who the other assassins were or when they would strike, to they had to follow the dignitaries around.


Turns out it was the guys out front…. Before the group could do anything the Dignitaries wife and personal body guard were down.


The whole group jumped in and took out the assassins saving the dignitary.

Here is “The Hawk’s Journal” entry on the evenings shenanigans (submitted to me by John):

The day dawn brisk and clear, I was in my usual perch, high atop a building. I was both vigilant and planning, always planning, for my next job.

I am still unsure of my niece Alisha, or her cousin, the priest. Her eyes seem to be glowing angry and red all the time (note to self, get her checked for pinkeye), she also claims to be captain of the guard, but she wears no tabard and her "office" is the shed behind our home. The priest seems to spend all his time on his knees... praying. The next thing I suppose is the priest will claim to be the God of Thunder. The other one is Nelwyn, the midget, he is a mixture of dangerous like a rattlesnake and skittish like a newborn colt, a bad combination for a city guard. I think, based on his looks, he tends to spend too much time in the wine. It appears my job will be to protect them all, a job I do not take gladly. The Hawk was born to fly solo.

The Hawk has heard rumblings of an assassination attempt on the Ilien Ambassador's life, I guess it will be up to me to protect him as well. I set up my forces, with three pikeman on the ground in front of him, the Ambassador, his wife and his security guard together. Behind them I station the bowmen, Alisha and the midget. Tobias brings up the rear, struggling to keep up, because he needs to pray every 3 minutes.The Hawk soars above, on a building. It is hot out here, hot and dirty, but I fear the work will get hotter and dirtier before too long because too late, I realise that the three pikeman are all assassins!

They strike before I am able to warn my team, killing the ambassador's wife, and his body guard. The fight commences, my bow whistles and critically wounds one, to be kill by another bowman. The ambassador wounds one, and Alisha kills him with a lucky shot. I almost have another one as my bow sings death again, Fie these men are tough, and Alisha kills the one I had severely wounded. The midget meanwhile tags one with a lucky shot but it must have only hit his cape as he is attacked again immediately. The midget and the crossbowman tag team the final assassin and the Amabssador is safe for now. I instruct the priest, Alisha and Nelwyn to guard the ambassador while I fade into the background. The Hawk needs no recognition, he only does what must be done.


THE NEXT WEEK

The Game Room still being in a state of… um… reorganization… and me still not having anything prepared for our Cthulhu campaign… I ran another little fantasy skirmish scenario.

This week Christian also made it. He also rolled up a random character… I can’t be bothered to type out another right now…

For the encounter I had the others wandering down a dark alley when Nelwyn Darkleaf came skittering around the corner. He ran up to them and said “Thank goodness I found you! You have to help me!” Before they could do anything 5d6 ninjas came following him around the corner


The gang


I think Nelwyn was killed….

Surprisingly none of the others were. I had kind of thought it’d be a party-kill encounter and I could have them all make new character for Rokugan and rekindle my Legends of the Five Rings campaign… The feeling has past, however, and after taking this past Saturday off, I’m hoping next week they’ll be back battling cosmic horror in the 1920s!