Alright, this last week I started up a new game set in the Forgotten Realms using the old Grey Boxed Set and the module Under Illefarn. We are using the D &D Rules Cyclopedia for the game engine. There are three PCs and one NPC in the group:
Fandral Ironwill: A Shield dwarf from Daggerford and son of Derval Ironeater.
Ahrenar Starsigil: A Moon (Silver) elf from the household of Sir Elorfindar Floshin of the House of Long Silences which is near Daggerford.
Larry Shinpi: A Mystic originally from Daggerford who has returned after training at The Path of the Legendary Lands monastery near Waterdeep.
Cork "Corky" Shepardson: A human Fighter from Daggerford.
Instead of rolling 3d6 in order for ability scores, I had them roll 2d6+6 in order. I also let them take the best of two hit die rolls for their starting hit points.
The game opens up in Daggerford with the quartet on Militia duty. They are called into the office of Sherlen Spearslayer, Commander of the Daggerford militia. She tasks them with patrolling the Trade Way as far as the The Way Inn, and making sure it is clear for any caravans trying to make north before the winter snows arrive. They are given a horse and supplies for the detail, and they head out immediately.
They make it to Liam's Hold with no problems and stop there for the night. The innkeeper Binn is friendly and makes the group feel at home and comfortable during their stay. The old man hadn't seen travelers nor locals in a couple of days and was aching for company and conversation, which was had by all. They leave in the morning and make it to one of the campsites that dot the Trade Way. They check it out and move on when nothing strange is found. Shortly after visiting the first campsite while on the road, they notice a strange creature watching them from some foliage- a lone Ceratosaur. It was watching the group and unsure if it should attack them. They bristled their spears at it and kept moving the down the road. It was more afraid of them than they were of it and so once the group was out of eyesight, the creature took off to the west and north back toward home in the swamps.
However, after some discussion while moving down the road about keeping the road safe for travelers, the group decided to turn back and see if it was still around. They planned to kill it if it was still there. Upon returning to the area they discovered it gone, but Ahrenar tracked it for a while until they realized that it had left the area. They returned to the road and continued their journey to The Way Inn. They had made to the second campsite by nightfall and set up to spend the night under the stars.
I rolled a random night encounter and it turned out to be a Nightmare so I disregarded that roll since it would be a TPK. I re-rolled and got the Bugbear encounter result, and rolled a 4 for the number of Bugbears. I dropped their HP down to 12 each and saying that they had previous wounds from their last encounter, which they were on the losing side. The group set up watch order: Ahrenar, Fandral, Larry, and Corky. I rolled for the second watch. Luckily, Fandral had the Alertness skill and the Danger Sense skill as well. He wasn't surprised by the Bugbears charge and javelin volley, although he was hit by an incoming javelin. The fight was on!
The dice gods were with the group that night! Larry has a 9 AC and 4 HP. He got hit twice by a bugbear's battle axe and I rolled a 1 and a 2 for the damage. Ahrenar had 7 HP, and both Fandral and Corky had 8 HP. The fight lasted 7 Rounds with the PCs victorious. Fandral was hit twice for 2 and 3 damage, and Ahrenar was hit once for 2 damage. Corky was missed completely in the fight, and was the character that turned the tide for the group. Fandral was bitterly engaged with his original bugbear opponent from the start of the fight and kept whiffing. He finally hit his opponent once for 2 damage. Corky, on the other hand, speared his bugbear three times before finally taking it down. Ahrenar was playing the kite game with his bugbear by throwing a couple of javelins before engaging it with his spear. After Corky finished his bugbear he ran over and assisted Larry. Ahrenar hit his a couple of times and finally rolled a natural 20 (the only one of the night) and I gave him maximum damage on the strike which finished off his bugbear.
Now, Ahrenar ran over to assist Larry and Corky, and both of them did a double spear into the back of Larry's bugbear from each side, and they took it down. While all this was going on, Fandral and his bugbear were locked in a bitter struggle with battle axe on battle axe action. Larry, Ahrenar, and Corky ran over and the combined might of the four of them finally took down the bugbear leader. After catching their breath, they realized that three of the bugbears were still alive but bleeding out. They dispatched the bugbears and put them out of their misery. They dragged the bodies about 50 yards from their camp for wolf food.
They searched the bodies and found 300 gold in assorted coins, a garnet and a pearl.
That's where we ended it for the session.
===== D&D RC - FR Session #2 =====
-- The gems found on the bugbears were a garnet and pearl.
-- Larry healed himself 3 HPs and was back a full after the bugbear fight. He rolled a '1' on Healing Fandral and gave him back 3 HPs too. He rolled a '20' on Healing Ahrenar and did 3 points of damage to him causing him to drop to 2/7 HPs.
-- The group makes to Bowshot by midday and stop in the tavern. They meet the barkeep and two of his sons; Richard (12) and Dougie (11). They stay a whole day so that Ahrenar can heal some, and he does heal back 3 HPs bringing him up to 5/7 HPs.
-- The group leaves Bowshot at midday the next day and head out for The Way Inn. They make it there before dusk, and they are greeted by six spearmen and four archers on rooftops. Once they indicated that they are from the Daggerford militia, they are greeted warmly and welcomed into the village. They are directed to speak with Dauravyn Redbeard.
-- Redbeard introduces the group to Meldar Farwander and his group. The party agrees to escort them back to Daggerford, and Meldar agrees to pay them 30 GP each for the job. They leave the next morning early for Daggerford.
-- The group reaches Bowshot by late afternoon, and stop briefly for some food and drink. They head back out onto the road.
-- They reach the second campsite very shortly before darkness and make camp. The make a fire and set watches; Fandral, Ahrenar, Larry, and Corky.
-- However, before they went to sleep, the camp is ambushed by five goblins with darts.
-- Fandral charges out and takes on the goblins who are about 40-feet outside of the camp and throwing darts.
-- During the first three rounds, Larry is hit by a dart (thigh; 1 damage), Corky is hit by dart (stomach; 1 damage), Delora is hit by dart (head; 1 damage), Dooley is hit by dart (thigh; 3 damage), and Meldar is hit with natural 20 with dart (right shoulder; 3 damage).
-- In round 4, Fandral and Larry finish off the goblins. However, the group is attacked by three orcs who come out from behind the wagons. Corky is not surprised and warns Ahrenar. Ahrenar is attacked by two orcs, and Corky by one. They both kill one right away in round 4, and then Ahrenar badly wounds the last orc. Corky finishes it off with a spear through the back of the neck and out its mouth in Round 5.
-- Fandral killed two goblins (head shot; decapitated other), Larry killed two goblins (javelin to chest; uppercut to chin), and Ahrenar killed a goblin with a javelin in the face.
-- The find 6 darts, 5 spears, 3 scimitars, 3 javelins, 45 GP in assorted coins, and 5 chunks of onyx.
-- Larry goes to work with his Healing skill on everyone, and he makes his skill roll for himself, Delora, and Corky and heals back 1 HP which brings all of them back to full HP. Larry makes his Healing skill on Dooley and heals back 2 HPs which brings him to 3/4 HPs. Larry fails his Healing skill roll on Meldar and Meldar is still at 3/8 HPs, but the dart is removed and wound bandaged.
===== D&D RC - FR Session #3 (06-12-2012) =====
-- The morning after the goblin and orc attack, the group starts moving and gets on the road quickly.
-- About midday, they stop a lone traveler on horseback and talk to him. They warn him about the attacks lately on the road, and ask him to tell Binn at Liam's Hold that they will be delayed. They part ways and he promised to tell Binn.
-- The group pushes on after nightfall and arrives at Liam's Hold around 9:00 pm. Binn his happy to see them and glad that they are safe. The are three locals in the tavern. The group stays the night.
-- The next morning they leave for Daggerford. They arrive in Daggerford in the late evening, and Elos who is a militiaman on duty at the gate. Meldar asks them to join him for dinner tomorrow night at the Happy Cow Tavern. The group agrees.
-- The group reports to Commander Spearslayer and tells her everything about their journey. She is pleased and tells them that they are on duty early tomorrow morning.
-- The group heads over to Derval's Smith. Fandral's family greets him and is happy that he has returned safely. His father and uncle are proud that he served well. Ahrenar bargains with Derval and negotiates a suit of chain mail and a pike for 107 gp.
-- The group goes to Korbus' Jewels and Fine Ornaments and speaks with the gnome about the stones they found. He offers to buy the garnet, pearl, and onyx pieces for 400 gp, and the group agrees. They each receive 20 pp.
-- The group splits up the coins found during the journey, and the each receive 116 gp, 2 sp, and 5 cp.
-- The next evening they meet Meldar and Delora at the Happy Cow Tavern. They have a table reserved and ordered the full 10-course meal. Meldar thanks the group for saving their lives, and rewards them with some gifts. He gives them a map that he said was found in far Scornubel a couple of years ago. He planned to sell it in Daggerford but wanted the group to have it for their bravery. He gave Larry an Elven made dagger. He gave Corky an Elven made spear. He gave Ahrenar a wizard's staff of striking. He gave Fandral a potion of Heroism (red) with one dose, and a potion of Gaseous Form (ochre) with three doses.
-- The next day Ahrenar receives his pike from Derval Ironeater at the militia barracks.
-- Three days later, Ahrenar receives his new suit of chain mail armor from Derval at the barracks as well.
=== XP Awards ===
726 = Fandral
715 = Corky
825 = Ahrenar
553 = Larry
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This week we introduced a new player to our game and a new character:
Elos: A human Fighter and Daggerford local who is also on Militia duty currently.
-- It is the first week of Uktar and Corky, Fandral, Larry, Ahrenar, Elos, and Sgt. Tom Garner are on duty at the main gate.
-- Elos and Ahrenar spot a rider approaching at a hard gallop from the west. However, he only gets to within 20 yards of the gate and falls off the horse. They rush out and find that the man is near unconsciousness. He gasps out that lizardmen have just raided Baron Cromm Redhand's hold and passes out.
-- Larry examines he and discovers a nasty blunt trauma wound to the man's ribs and that several ribs are broken.
-- Sgt. Garner immediately orders the men to go and get saddled up and to ride hard for Cromm's Hold to assist. He also sees that the wounded man will be taken care of.
-- The group springs into action and is on horseback with half an hour at a hard gallop to the west. It is about 15 miles away. After riding hard for about two hours the group arrives near the hold.
-- As the crest a hill they can see smoke and the wall of a building collapse. They walk their horses into the hold and see destruction.
-- They are confronted by Piann, the Baron's wife, who pleads for help through sobs. Her attendant tells the group that lizardmen had raided while Baron Cromm Redhand and most of his men where out hunting. He returned while the lizardmen were finishing up and the Baron slew some of them here. The Baron and his men followed the rest of the lizardmen raiding party into the swamp to get bloody vengeance.
-- The Baron didn't hide his trail and the group easily followed it into the Lizard Marsh looking for the Baron and his men.
=== D&D Rules Cyclopedia - Forgotten Realms Session 04 Recap (07-03-2012) ===- The party enters the swamp on horseback. Marching order: Fandral, Elos, Ahrenar, Larry, and Corky.
- There was no encounter rolled on the Marsh Encounter Table for the party when they first entered the Lizard Marsh.
- The party finds the remains of Baron Cromm Redhand and his men after traveling for about half an hour into the swap. They see carrion birds rise up from the trail ahead as they neared the scene.
- The party finds the remains of a fight. There are dead men and horses sinking into the mud on both sides of the path.
- On the path they find the carcass of a large ceratorsaur. The livery on one of the dead men identified him as the baron's man.
- They check the bodies and discover the corpse of Baron Cromm Redhand. The body had been partially consumed and is missing his signet ring and his armored gauntlets.
- They notice that several of the baron's men are also missing their weapons.
- At first no one noticed the lizardmen tracks in and out of the scene, but as the party was discussing what to do next Corky noticed the tracks. The party decides to take the baron's body with them, and tied it onto Larry's horse.
- There was no encounter rolled on the Marsh Encounter Table while the party searched the bodies at the scene.
- The party follows the lizardmen tracks deeper into the Lizard Marsh.
- A giant frog jumps out from a clump of grass about twenty-feet away and attacks Corky; biting him in mid-leap for (4) damage.
- Since Ahrenar was next to Corky in the marching order and had a pike in hand, I let him get an attack on the frog with his pike; and the quick reacting elf hit the giant frog for (9) damage!
- The giant frog wins the Initiative roll and jumps further away and deeper into the swamp. The party waits for a two rounds just in case, but then decides to continue on their trek following the lizardmen trail.
- The party moves for a few more minutes and finds a small hillock and stops. Larry makes a successful Healing roll and gives Corky back (2) Hit Points.
- The party comes across and watery area, and Fandral notices something disturbing the water and warns the others. (No Surprise Round).
== Combat Round 1 ==- The party rolls a (4) on Initiative, and the giant crocodile rolls a (4) on Initiative. (Simultaneous Initiative).
- Fandral hurls a throwing axe at the giant crocodile and rolls a Critical ('20' rolled; x2 weapon/dice damage) for (6) damage. He loses the axe into the murky water.
- Elos makes his Riding roll and moves his horse closer and into the water to attack the giant crocodile, and hits it for (3) damage.
- Ahrenar attacks with is pike and misses.
- Larry dismounts and moves back from the water with his horse and the corpse of Baron Redhand.
- Corky makes his Riding roll and moves into the water on the opposite side of Elos, and stabs it with his spear for (7) damage.
- The giant crocodile bites Elos' horse for (15) damage in the hindquarters, and knocks Elos off his horse into the water. Elos takes (1) damage in the fall. The giant crocodile starts its death roll with the horse (even though it was dead).
== Combat Round 2 ==- The giant crocodile rolls a (6) on Initiative, and the party rolls a (5) on Initiative.
- The giant crocodile starts eating the horse corpse.
- Corky makes his Riding roll and Strength roll and picks up Elos as they ride out of there.
- Elos lost his horse, but still has his backpack, armor, sword, and shield.
- The party successfully bypasses the dining giant crocodile and escapes any further combat with it.
- Fandral picks the lizardmen trail back up again after some searching, and the party continues further into the swamp.
- As the party passes a large hillock on its left and some deep water on its right, Fandral suddenly notices that there is a large group of lizardmen on the hillock to their left. Fandral calls for a slow halt and points it out to the rest of his party when they see about a dozen lizardmen emerge from reeds to approach the party.
- The party encounters the obvious leader, a rather large lizardman who spoke the Common tongue. He said that his name was Redeye and that he was a shaman.
- Ahrenar parlays with him for the party. Redeye tells them that it was not his tribe that attacked Cromm's Hold. Several in the party, including, Ahrenar realized that Redeye and his men were wearing red-brown pelts and not the blue feathers of the dead lizardmen he saw back at Cromm's Hold.
- Redeye says that he doesn't want war with the humans of the dry lands. After conferring with one of his lizardmen scouts, Redeye tells the party with confidence that it was the Blue Feather tribe that conducted the raid on Cromm's Hold. Redeye has no ties to the Blue Feather Clan, and if they are stirring up trouble then he will wash his hands of it. Redeye points the party in the direction of the Blue Feather tracks.
- As a token of good will, Ahrenar gives Redeye his quiver of five javelins as a gift. Redeye accepts the gift with respect.
- The party continues on the trail for about another fifteen minutes. (There was no encounter rolled on the Marsh Encounter Table for the party.)
- Fandral notices the lizardmen in the clearing, and pulls the party back quickly and quietly. He describes what he saw to his companions quietly: a clearing ahead with a tree and large rock, and there are five Blue Feather Clan lizardmen squatting between the tree and the rock examining a bunch of items on the ground; also, there was a lizardman guard on the rock but he was looking down at his companions and the items and didn't notice Fandral and the others.
- The quickly devise a plan of action: Fandral, Ahrenar, and Larry will dismount and rush into the clearing while Elos and Corky will remain on horseback and charge in after them. Fandral will lend Elos his horse for the attack.
- The party quickly executes their plan and does achieve a Surprise Round on the Blue Feather Clan lizardmen.
- Encounter area map. (http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll43/Drohem/Daggerford/Daggeford_106.jpg)
== Surprise Round ==- Fandral runs forward 20-ft. and throws a handaxe at L#1 and misses.
- Ahrenar runs forward 20-ft. and with his pike at the ready.
- Larry runs forward about 35-ft. and jumps onto the rock and executes a Captain Kirk karate chop on the back of the neck of L#6 for (5) damage!
- Elos rides into the fray and makes his Riding roll, but misses with his sword attack roll on L#1.
- Corky rides into the fray and makes his Riding roll, and he stabs L#2 in the shoulder with his spear for (7) damage.
== Combat Round 1 ==- The party rolls a (4) on Initiative, and the lizardmen roll a (2) on Initiative.
- Elos makes a Riding roll, his attack roll, and stabs L#1 in the stomach with his sword for (8) damage.
- Fandral pulls his warhammer off his belt, runs forward about 15-feet, and engages L#1 in mêlée combat; and Fandral hits L#1 in the ribs for (2) damage.
- Corky fails his Riding roll and does not get an attack roll this round; he must focus on controlling his mount this round.
- Larry attempts to force-kick L#6 off the top of the rock, but misses his attack roll.
- Ahrenar runs forward about 15-ft. and attacks L#6 from the ground with his pike. He rolls a Critical ('20' rolled) and does (17) damage to L#6! The elf moved up and put his pike's tip through the lizardman's head and brain, killing it instantly.
- The lizardman on the rock tries to spear Larry, but misses.
- Corky, Elos, and Fandral are engaged in mêlée with a lizardman wielding a warclub, and all three warriors are missed by the lizardmen attack this round.
- Two of the lizardmen warriors step back and throw javelins at Fandral and Elos, but both warriors are missed by the deadly missiles.
== Round 2 ==- The party rolls a (3) on Initiative, and the lizardmen roll a (3) on Initiative. (Simultaneous Initiative).
- Corky is hit with a Critical ('20' rolled) by L#3 and takes (12) damage to the head and goes down in a heap. Corky is now at -6 Hit Points. Corky failed his Save vs. Death Ray with a rolled '4' (as per the variant Keeping Characters Alive; Chapter 19). Corky is dead.
- Corky makes his Ride roll, but fails his attack roll on L#3 with his spear.
- Larry is hit by a javelin from L#5 for (4) damage and falls unconscious at exactly zero Hit Points. Larry makes his Save vs. Death Ray with rolled a '20' and is still barely alive.
- L#4 throws a javelin at Larry and misses.
- Larry tries to jump off the rock to attack the two javelin throwing lizardmen, but as he starts his leap he is hit by the thrown javelin. He falls
unconscious on top of the rock.
- Fandral attacks L#1 with his warhammer and hits it for (6) damage in the temple and kills it.
- L#1 attacks Fandral with its warclub and misses.
- Elos makes his Riding roll, but misses his attack on L#2.
- L#2 attacked Elos with its warclub and misses.
- Ahrenar attacks L#2 with his pike and stabs it in the lower back for (8) damage.
== Round 3 ==- The party rolls a (4) on Initiative, and the lizardmen roll a (2) on Initiative.
- Fandral attacks L#3 with his warhammer and misses.
- Elos makes his Riding roll, and hits L#2 for (6) damage as he stabs his sword through its heart and kills it.
- Ahrenar attacks L#3 with his pike and stabs it in the thigh for (7) damage.
- L#3 attacks Fandral with its warclub and misses.
- L#4 and L#5 throw javelins at Ahrenar and both attacks miss the elf.
== Round 4 ==- The party rolls a (6) on Initiative, and the lizardmen roll a (1) on Initiative.
- Fandral moves forward and attacks L#4 with his warhammer, but he misses.
- Elos tries to attack L#5 but fumbles (rolled a '20') his Riding roll and falls off his horse; also, he takes (1) damage.
- Ahrenar attacks L#3 with his pike, but he misses.
- L#5 stabs Elos while on ground with a javelin and does (2) damage.
- L#3 attacks Ahrenar with its warclub, but he misses.
- L#4 attacks Fandral with its warclub, but he misses.
== Round 5 ==- The party rolls a (5) on Initiative, and the lizardmen roll a (6) on Initiative.
- L#4 hits Fandral in the chest with its warclub for (5) damage.
- Fandral misses his warhammer attack on L#4.
- Elos stands up and hits L#5 with his sword in the guts for (9) damage.
- Ahrenar stabs L#3 with his pike for (4) damage, and kills it.
- The last two lizardmen, L#4 and L#5, automatically make their morale check and stay in the fight.
== Round 6 ==- The party rolls a(4) on Initiative, and the lizardmen roll a (4) on Initiative. (Simultaneous Initiative).
- L#4 attacks Fandral and misses.
- L#5 attacks Elos and misses.
- Elos attacks L#5 with his sword, but misses.
- Fandral attacks L#4 with his warhammer and hits in the knee for (3) damage.
- Ahrenar picks up a javelin off the battlefield and throws it at L#5, and he hits it in the shoulder for (6) damage.
== Round 7 ==- The party rolls a (3) on Initiative, and the lizardmen roll a (2) on Initiative.
- Elos hits L#5 with his sword in the neck for (4) damage, and kills it.
- Fandral hits L#4 with his warhammer in the elbow for (3) damage.
- Ahrenar attacks L#4 with his pike again, but he misses.
- Despite having a (12) Morale score, I had the last lizardmen turn to flee once he realized that he face three fierce warriors.
- Fandral misses his free attack on the fleeing lizardman.
- Ahrenar hits with his free attack doing (6) damage, and kills it instantly. He stabbed it in the spine and right at base of neck.
- Fandral rushes to Corky's aid and finds him dead with his skull crushed.
- Ahrenar rushes up onto the rock to Larry's side, and he finds that Larry is dying quickly.
- Ahrenar makes a Veterinary Healing roll by 10-pts. with a rolled '4' and stabilizes Larry from dying right there; he had a -8 modifier to his Veterinary Healing roll (-3 for human and -5 for dying.)
That's where we ended the session for the night.