Post-Demi-Humans

I recently read through the 5E book "weird wastelands" by Web DM as well as rewatched the land between two rivers streamed game made by the same folks. Part of the set-up for land between two rivers is that all traditionally "good" fantasy races have gone the way of the dodo since the fantasy apocalypse. Throughout the series the PC's still encounter several humans which for some reason or another survived or were created after the apocalypse, though no dwarves or non-drow elves are ever found. As such I had fun designing some versions for 5e versions of "post-dwarves" and "post-elves". The "elves" are in this case a dark crystal rip-off while the "dwarves" are inspired by the character of puddles from my old hill cantons campaign. Do what you will with the ancestries, hopefully you will think they're neat. 

from the Time Machine (1960)

Click Here for 5E Post-Demi-Humans!

Hankerin' for Classic Fantasy

I've recently been really excited at the prospect of starting up a new campaign since the end of my irregular Dolmenwood campaign. Simultaneously I've also been playing through the classic installments of Baldur's Gate and getting really into the AD&D rendition of the forgotten realms. Throw Campaign 26 into the mix (whose deadline I've already blown past due to only finding out about it last week) and my decision to start a new classic fantasy game this year seems like a clear choice. A personal renewed interest and recent studies of medieval history is just an added bonus. 

Another goal of the campaign will be to play through some of the adventures i've picked up recently, chiefly the necrotic gnome adventure anthologies as well as the adventures found inside the vacant ritual assembly zines. These were some of the first gaming supplements I ever got my hands on yet I've never had the chance to play through them. I've pondered running some sort of mega-dungeon campaign yet I'm thinking it might be a bit too much to throw people who are very new to the OSR playstyle into something so daunting. 

I'm hoping to have the campaign running by the start of march. We'll see wether I can stick to that promise or if the old end-boss of scheduling conflicts and finding somewhere to play rears its twin heads again. I suppose the only way of doing is by first trying. 

A battle of brother against brother in a war for the throne

The System

I shall once again look to the excellent Old School Essentials provide the mechanical structure for the campaign, albeit with several caveats. 

For one I will be using my own version of the split ancestry and class system, giving some more interesting abilities to both demi-humans and humans alike. Choice of ancestry and class will initially be limited: dwarves, elves, halflings and humans are the available ancestries and clerics, fighters, magicians, and thieves are the only initial class choices. The idea is to make other more "advanced" ancestries and classes available as the campaign progresses and the players encounter them in-game. 

Many of the changes to the base version of B/X made in the Dolmenwood game system will also be ported into the campaign. I particularly like the d6 skill- and ability check system as well as the many procedures for camping, foraging, and smoking pipe-leaf for instance. A lot of the changes to classes will also be brought along; thief customisable skills, fighter combat feats, cleric holy orders, and magician magic detection. 

Finally some minor additions like blackpowder weapons and a slew of new arcane spells will also be included. All-in-all I hope even the fairly simple mechanical basis of B/X will prove crunchy enough (at least initially) to my 5e-familiar players. 

A few urban islands in a sea of rural sprawl

The Setting

I plan on setting the campaign in what i shall call "Schrödingers campaign setting", in which most things will not be developed until they become relevant as the come up in the campaign. It can be assumed that most things follow the conventions of the standard "euro-fantasy" tropes. The only initial setting-information will be the campaign hex-map as well as the following very rote "campaign truths" (see below). This is all very inspired by this classic Hill Cantons post. 

The great kingdom is in disrepair with several claimants vying for the throne and the rule of law at an all-time low. The campaign is not initially set in the heart of these dynastic disputes but the ongoing conflicts create refugees and plot hooks, and attract mercenaries (new PCs and hirelings). In keeping with gaming tradition the kingdom itself is a pastiche of the medieval holy roman empire. 

High level characters are rare and often found at the fringes of society or leading it themselves. This fact makes the PCs special and may serve to give their actions more weight within the setting. There are no level 20 captains of the guard to forcibly keep the party in line, but there might be one or more local mid-level wizards which are open to taking on apprentices. 

Demi-humans are rare but not unheard of as they occasionally live alongside humans (a'la WFRP) although most prefer to keep to themselves in their own secluded enclaves. Humanity outnumbers all demi-humans put together 10-to-1 and most folk—human or demi-human—are superstitious of anyone significantly different to themselves. 

Monsters are encroaching on settled lands, threatening ordinary folk and claiming old ruins as their own strongholds. Since the kinghts and soldiers who would normally take care of such creatures are busy with killing each other it falls to the humble adventurer pick up both the proverbial and literal torch. 

Yuletide Adventures

When one of my old players asked me to run a one-shot over the holidays I couldn't help but say yes. Holiday gaming is not something i've done much of previously, but seeing this as golden opportunity to take a look back at the old Hill Cantons campaign I jumped at the chance. Due to scheduling we only met up after the actual holiday season, but it was a blast nonetheless. In addition, this post is coming along a couple weeks after the session itself, oh well! 

Typical pit-fighters

For the adventure itself the characters were contacted by the dwarves of Hoimatbuch, whom having sent help in the final battle against the eld now called on the party to repay the favour. The task therefore became to travel to the underground city of the duergar to take part in the annual gladiatorial games. Should the party make it through three rounds of battles they may be granted a wish to free many of the dwarves who suffer as slaves of the duergar.

The first battle is fought against an "A-team" of duergar and their allies (e.g. orcs, kuo-toa) as well as a ferocious owlbear. The second battle was much the same against two dragons (one copper and one bronze), one of whom was instantly defeated by a polymorph others cast by Pearl the Reckless. The other dragon was swiftly defeated once it landed and the now gauntlets of ogre power and girdle of giant strength wearing Natalie Bukowski. 

As the final and third battle is fought against a ferocious purple worm, the excitement of the crowd seems to reach a frenzy. Several onlookers jump into the arena, whilst fights break out in the stands. As the worm is slain by a now schnorkler-riding Huldovic Klyvballe. Through the chaos the party are able to free many of the enslaved dwarves, though not before escaping an encounter with the demon-lord Demogorgon whose presence seems to have been the trigger for the madness around them. The group return as heroes to the surface and then spend a merry yuletide getting shitfaced in dwarf-town. 

The adventure proved to be a success! I experimented with a sort of meta-currency dubbed "yuletide miracles" which could restore hit points or grant re-rolls. This was in an effort to be able to throw several fairly difficult encounters at the players without the risk of any character dying (since the campaign has ended after all). In addition, for each major opponent defeated, the person whose character dealt the killing blow was given a gift by your truly, which made for a fun twist (again very meta). All-in-all it was a lighthearted session and a great send-off to the characters and the old campaign as a whole, something I'd certainly do again. 

Dolmenwood - Winter's Daughter

A bit overdue, but here is the conclusion to my short-running dolmenwood campaign! Sadly due to scheduling conflicts it has no longer ongoing, but the ending was certainly a fun one. Below you'll find a session recap with some additional throughs at the end, enjoy! 

Characters

• Modestus Ursus - Level 3 Human Cleric
• Moggy "Mog" Cottonsocks - Level 2 Grimalkin Fighter
• Pansy Strongboned - Level 3 Human Fighter
• Dorcas Everbright - Level 1 Human Cleric

Followers

• Agnel Dregger - Level 1 Magician

Action Report

The party wake after an uneasy rest in the strange glade. Traveling further eastwards they eventually reach an area known as the whispering caves, where as the name suggests strange whispers can be heard echoing through the caverns. 

Meandering through the sandstone hills the group then arrive at the glade seen in the vision by Pansy. A stone circle stands at the centre of the glade with a stone altar in the middle. Behind the great dolmens looms a large and ancient barrow. Investigating the glade the group find the moss-covered skeleton of a stag lying upon the altar, as well as several strange metal owls with symbols carved into them. Some careful investigation lead the party to deduce that the symbols must be drunic. The dolmens and owls are ultimately deemed uninteresting and the party instead head towards the barrow. 

While inside the group encounter several seemingly haunted chambers; flying holy-objects, levitating dancing skeletons, and a mirror which paralyzes Pansy as she steps in front of it. Luckily Modestus is able to cure her, and the characters move a statue of a beautiful fey-looking woman in front of the mirror to block it. In the deepest chamber the group find a pair of huge stone doors, with equally huge stone hounds to either side of them. A carving on the door reads "call to the companions", making the group conclude that speaking the names of the hounds opens the doors. Searching through the barrow only one name is found. Mog and Pansy instead stumble down a set of stairs into what they initially think is just a lower level of the barrow, but what instead proves to be a gate into the frozen fairy-land of Frigia... 

The pair stand before a frozen lake with a tower in its centre. As a sled approaches the tower so do the characters and after some discussion with the goblin doorman the two are invited into the wedding feast that is apparently being held inside. Taking a seat alongside a selection of highborn frost-elves the pair thoughtlessly let slip that they traveled to the tower through a nearby gateway from Dolmenwood. A missive is sent to someone only referred to as "his majesty" and the characters are bid to wait for his arrival. 

As Modestus and Agnel consider their next plan of action back in the barrow, a stranger barges into the open entrance. Dorcas Everbright, another (unproven) cleric of the one true god pledges to help his superior, having been drawn to the barrow after hearing of it being a site for drunic rituals. Together they conclude that the stairs are a portal which can be traveled back through by taking a hidden pathway in Frigia. As they too reach the frozen lake they are forced to hide in the snow as what looks like a royal entourage approach the lake from the opposite side. 

As the party inside the tower is continuing Mog and Pansy are invited to the meed the bride herself; the so-called Snowfall-at-Dusk, princess of Frigia. Her likeness is recognized from the statue in the barrow and the elf lady explains that her love for the mortal Sir Chyde, the man who lies buried the great stone doors. The two were betrothed while Sir Chyde was alive and before the frost-elves were banished from Dolmenwood, their eternal love bringing the two worlds together and creating the portals to Frigia. If the group can bring the lady Sir Chyde's ring, the both of them will be together forever and the portal to Frigia will slowly close. The discussion is interrupted as the lady's father the Cold Prince arrives at the tower. Mog and Pansy are left no choice but to rappel out the window to escape the the fairy-lord's interrogation. 

Chaos ensues as Mog and Pansy are joined by Modestus, Dorcas, and Agnel who battle the few frost-knights left to guard the entourage's horses outside the tower. It is quickly realized that any prolonged battle will be futile and the party make a fighting retreat towards the hidden pathway back into the barrow. A fairy servant is summoned to spook the horses of the knights, Modestus blinds and silences, and Dorcas almost pays with his life as the group only barely escape Frigia just as the Cold Prince himself rushes out of the tower. 

While back in the barrow the group take a moment to breathe. The name of the second stone hound is discovered on a mould-covered tapestry and the doors to Sir Chyde's grave are opened. While inside the ghost of the Knight materializes and offers the party his grave-goods as payment for bringing his ring to lady Snowfall-at-Dusk. However before making another foray into fairy it is decided that the group will travel back to Castle Brackenwold to gather supplies. The trek back is uneventful and the party are able to put their feet up after a very cold and otherworldly adventure. 

A lake of ice in a land of endless winter

GM Thoughts

A great adventure all-in-all! In total the events described herein took place during three sessions of play. Winter's daughter has been lauded as a great starting adventure by others before, and I believe that also. What is nice about it is the lack of obvious combat encounters and focus instead on (diegetic) puzzles and social encounters, making for a very different playthrough than even the starting-adventure provided in the dolmenwood campaign book—the pipes on droomen knoll—which has several very hostile encounters. 

The exploration of the barrow seemed to me to be very engaging experience, with many things for the players to find and interact with. My previous musings on having higher level characters was again not an issue here, since the lack of combat encounters meant that they couldn't really bring many numerical advantages to bear. When this did become a factor (as in the battle with the knights), it was still a near-run thing as the knights were even more powerful and numerous than the party. Throwing the Cold Prince himself into the scenario was certainly fun and felt like a natural response to the characters mentioning having just come from the mortal world far too openly. 

As this is most likely the end of this mini-campaign, I'm left with several open-ended thread I could potentially use in a future campaign in Dolmenwood. The development of the portal in the barrow could prove to be the core of a mystery where the players are tasked with investigating several sightings of strange blue elves in the eaves of the forest. Although with my semi-recent Hill Cantons campaign ending with a big showdown with a bunch of cold-themed elves I'd perhaps choose some other part of the dolmenwood to focus on. 

Dolmenwood - Session 02

The adventures in Dolmenwood continues this week with the PCs making their first attempts at exploring the forest proper. As always below is a short recap of the events of the session with some of my thoughts at the end, enjoy!

Characters

• Modestus Ursus - Level 3 Human Cleric
• Moggy "Mog" Cottonsocks - Level 2 Grimalkin Fighter
• Pansy Strongboned - Level 2 Human Fighter

Followers

• Agnel Dregger - Level 1 Magician

Action Report

The party awake and realize that Mog had been imprisoned the previous night. As such party make the decision to sell off the magical chalice—a potion of accelerate time—they found at Droomen Knoll. Using the funds of the sale Mog's ransom is paid and the Grimalkin is released from prison. 

Preparations are made thereafter for an expedition to the standing stones seen in the vision from last session. One of the magicians of the Shadow House—a woman named Agnel—is assigned to guide them to and help explore the strange stones. The party also stock up on supplies and purchase a couple horses, a charger named Buster and a yellow-flank named Roxy. 

The party set out northwards hoping to avoid as much attention as possible by traveling through a less trodden part of the wood. As they reach the eaves of the forest they spot a couple of dark-clad figures searching through the nearby underbrush. The group conclude the two to be members of the secretive sect known as the Drune. The group also spot a familiar figure with white thistle-like hair and ice-blue skin hiding nearby—the elf Thinwhistle—that the party had encountered at Droomen Knoll. 

The party learn from the elf that the Drune are looking for him thinking that he is some sort of spy. Wowing to help the group the next they meet him, the party help Thinwhistle escape by distracting the Drune with conversation. Things nearly turn heated but the group are ultimately only left with a warning to tread carefully within the woods beyond. 

Heading into the boggy woods beyond, the party come upon a group of goblins playing a game of "toss the baby". Intervening the characters decide to pay off the goblins to return the infant to where they found it. A bit of haggling ensues but eventually the goblins take the characters back into the Tithelands where the child is returned in exchange for 70gp and a promise that the goblins won't kidnap any more children. Before they part ways pansy purchases some fairy fruits from the goblins. The fruit is delectable but leaves Pansy with a palpable longing to visit fairy and sample more of the wondrous fruits. 

As the day begins to come to a close the group reach a strange glen with an ominous aura about it. Mog and Agnel both feel a strange feeling as if the space about them is somehow broken. Nonetheless the glade is dry and as such the party decide to make camp. After pitching their tent and fetching whatever firewood they can find the party decide to take a rest for the night. 

Trudging through the boggy eaves of Dolmenwood

GM Thoughts

In a sense this session was perhaps more of an introduction to Dolmenwood than the first as this session the players interacted with more of the systems of play different from standard B/X. In practice i found the systems around camping a lot more lightweight than i expected them to be. 

Releasing Mog from prison was quite easy, as was expected. Since the party had plundered a lot of valuables last session I had no doubts they would have the funds required for the release. If the party had not been as rich I would probably not had sprung such a punitive consequence on them. 

Having a magician follower in the party now acts as both some extra firepower and a good reminder that the shadow house has a stake in this adventure. It also serves as a good way for me as a GM to provide contextual exposition should it be needed, with the added bonus of it being in character. 

Finally I would like to commend the encounter tables in the Dolmenwood Monster Book, both the encounters this session were suggestions from the book. The encounter with the Drune and Thinwhistle in particular was great as it provided the group with some continuation from their previous adventure. This is certainly not the last the party has seen of the elf. The Drune are also probably going to appear again soon, and if so they will probably not be as forgiving as they were this session... 

Dolmenwood - Session 01

A quick little report of the fist session of my new Dolmenwood campaign played online via discord and Roll20. The house rules for the campaign can be found here. Included below are a complete action report and some GM thoughts, happy reading!

Characters

• Modestus Ursus - Level 1 Human Cleric
• Moggy "Mog" Cottonsocks - Level 1 Grimalkin Fighter
• Pansy Strongboned - Level 1 Human Fighter

Action Report

Modestus Ursus, cleric of the one true god and general do-gooder; Moggy "Mog" Cottonsocks, grimalkin stuck in the mortal world; and Pansy Strongboned, disgraced noble turned outlaw; all meet on the road looking for work.  

Traveling on their way to the city of Castle Brackenwold the group are accosted by a family of farmers asking for assistance in helping locate their missing son Arda. The youth is tracked to a long abandoned keep known as Droomen Knoll, from which an enchanting melody can be heard. 

As the group approach, the sounds of revelry mix with the music as a group of wicked crookhorns make merry in the old courtyard. Taking out a sentry with a critical shot, the group surprise and nearly slaughter the crookhorns as only one of them manages to flee into the old dungeons below. 

Following the crookhorn the group take out a mutated rooster acting as a sentry. They then square off against the leader of the corrupted breggle. Even though he is a formidable opponent he is no match against three skilled warriors. 

Finding both treasure and the captive youth the group decide to keep exploring the dungeons. They find a strange imprisoned elf matching a mural in a nearby room. The elf introduces himself as Thinwistle, he is the one who has been playing the enchanting music that attracted Arda to the keep. The party take pity and release him as he runs laughing into the night. 

Clearing the dungeon the group pilfer the corpse of dead drune cottager and find a strange frozen pool through a secret door. Although Pansy takes some damage from the extreme cold, she manages to retrieve a chalice from the bottom of the pool. 

After returning Arda to his family the group are given shelter for the night, receiving a modest reward for their help in the morning. The day is uneventful as the group travel through the Tithelands, eventually arriving in the great city of Castle Brackenwold. 

The group make a stop at the magicians of the Shadow House who offer to identify the chalice for a fee. In addition group are offered the location of some standing stones seen in a vision—something which happened when the group touched a crystal carried by the dead drune—in return for the magicians receiving a cut of any magic items found there. 

As the identification will take a day, the group then spend some time selling off their other treasures and getting cured from any diseases contracted from the crookhorns. As Mog spends the night carousing she finds herself accidentally offending some noble, who then sees to it that the grimalkin is thrown in prison on trumped up charges. Mog is given a 1,000 gp debt to work off before she can be released. The rest of the group is left scratching their heads for how to best release their new acquaintance... 

A tower on a hill in a deep dark wood... 

GM Thoughts

If there's anything to be learned from this session it's that party composition matters! Having two fighters and a cleric combined with some really good rolls—Pansy rolled three whole critical hits this session—made the encounters nearly trivial for the PCs to overcome with violence. 

I did not realize how much treasure was actually in this supposed starter adventure. Since the party found pretty much all of it they all reached at least second level once they arrived in Castle Brackenwold. Ursus especially has an eighteen wisdom and so receives 20% extra experience! 

Combined with his bonus spells and praying at the cathedral of St. Signis (which also happens to be his new order of choice), Ursus will start the second session with access to three 1st rank and two 2nd rank spells. It should also be mentioned that Pansy has a mighty 20 hit points at second level due to rolling the maximum possible when leveling up. I take this all as a feature rather than a bug, as it just means I can throw scarier stuff at the party earlier.

All in all I'm really happy to take the dive into Dolmenwood. I've been a fan since the Wormskin days, and so finally getting to see it in play will certainly be a joy. 

B/X Monk Class

As my long-running Hill Cantons campaign has come to a close I though someone out there might get a kick out of my take on the Monk class that was used for the campaign. I'm generally a fan of using the OSE acrobat as a substitute, however in my lack of wisdom I had originally written the monk down as an option for PCs without fully detailing it, thinking no one would play one i guess (hubris at its finest). It's heavily inspired by the version of the same class found in the advanced edition of Labyrinth Lord. 

Click here for the Monk class!