Duel in the ruined city

Inspired by many great battle reports done with the system, I have decided to purchase Red Sand, Blue Sky gladiator battle set of rules.

Since my roman miniatures are still unpainted, I had to test the rules with the 28mm figures I already have finished. As background I have used ruined city scenery already set on my table for another game.

Therefore, my hero, elf ranger (REP 5, armed with bow and sword), while exploring remains of the ancient city, encounters undead legionary (REP 5, 2H spear).

Warriors start 13” away from each other.

Ranger gets initiative, shoots and hits, wounding skeleton’s belly. Legionary moves forward. Elf shoots again but misses, and skeleton continues its advance.

Seeing that enemy is getting close, Elf tries to hide behind fence and gain some advanced position.

Skeleton gets into position to attack, so elf throws away his bow and pulls the sword. Being primary ranged fighter, he will fight as REP 4 in melee.

Skeleton wins initiative, moves 1" away from elf and attacks with spear. Elf burns 3 dices, skeleton 2. Both sides get 1 success, to no result.

Elf closes in. He again dedicated 3 dices against legionary's 2. Again, both sides get 1 success, to no result.

Elf tries Flank and attack move. For this purpose he is again Rep 5. Elf scores 1 success, but skeleton gets 2. Elf gets to the flank, but skeleton turns to face him, end ranger has to burn additional dice.

Anyway, elf gets skeleton where he wants it. Legionary now has tripping hazard behind its back, so even if the elf's attack bounces off armor, skeleton will burn some additional dices.

Elf dedicates 4 dices against skeleton's 2 and hits legionary's left arm.

Fight continues, elf again dedicates 4 dices, skeleton 2. This time, attack hits skeleton's chest, wounding it again. This is second body wound, so skeleton crumbles to the ground, finally dead.

Egg Hunt

This is a battle report from the Song of blades and heroes game I played with my nephew.

Scenario is EGG HUNT by Bren M. with small modifications.
Each player assembles a three model warband of 150 points. One such model may be a personality costing no more than 75 points. The board should be a maze of forested terrain with as much rubble and the like as one wants. There will be 1.5 markers per the number of players (round up) that are randomly placed within 3 long of the center of the game board. These markers will serve as the approximate location of the Velikimrav nests.When a model ends its movement on a marker, roll two dice (scatter and D6) near the marker. Scatter dice determines the direction of the real nest and the other one determines the measuring sticks used for distance. Distance die: 1-2: two shorts; 3-4: two medium; 5-6: two long. After the exact location of the nest has been determined, place a nest along with 3 Giant Ants (or any creature available). The ants will follow the following rules for activation after all players have had a turn. No number of failures will end the ant's turn.

1. If an egg has been stolen, a guardian ant will roll 3 dice attempting to become adjacent and powerful attack the poacher if possible.

2. If there is an enemy within medium distance from a nest, an ant will roll one die to activate and attempt to move adjacent to the nearest enemy.

3. If an ant was shot with a ranged weapon (or a magical spell), it will roll 2 dice and attempt to become adjacent (attacking if it has remaining actions).

4. If an ant is adjacent to an enemy, it will roll 2 dice trying to get a powerful attack if possible.

5. If an ant is farther than 1 long distance from its nest, it will roll 1 die and move directly towards it (stopping if it hits an enemy model).

6. The ant will do nothing.

Giant Ant: Q3+ C2 Specials: Poison, Big.

A model adjacent to a nest may spend 2 actions to pick up an egg. While carrying it, the model will suffer -1 to its combat score. Each nest holds 1 egg.
Victory condition: pick up more than 50% of eggs and leave table by starting age. If no warband manages to achieve this, victory belongs to Velikimravs.

Warband 1: Humans
Wizard (54), Q3, C2, Greedy, Magic user, Sharpshooter
Hunter (80), Q3, C4, Dashing, Long move, Shooter: long
War dog (15), Q4, C2, Animal, Savage

Warband 2: Ratmen
Shaman (50), Q3, C2, Magic user
Giant Slayer (82), Q2, C3, Barsek, Giant slayer, Combat master
Giant rat (15), Q4, C2, Animal, Savage

Turn 1:
Ratmen go first. Slayer and Shaman move to the possible nest location, nest is 2 shorts away.
Giant rat tries to move with 3 dices, fails 2, so moves just 1 medium.

Time for humans. Hunter reaches the possible nest location, nest moves 2 medium. Wizard tries to move with 3 dices, fails 2, so moves just 1 medium.
Velikimravs do not move.

Turn 2:
Ratmen Shaman fails 2 dices, so ratmen turn ends.
Humans: Wizard moves 2 medium. Hunter moves within long distance from velikimravs and shoots at the nearest one. 9:4 for hunter, one velikimrav is dead. Wardog moves 2 medium.

Velikimravs have been shoot at, so they activate with 2 dices. One passes bouth and closes to hunter, other one passes just one and stays 2cm short.

Turn 3:
Shaman moves one medium and casts a spell. One velikimrav fails to resist and it is transfixed. Slayer approaches, attacks transfixed monster and scores gruesome kill. Morale check for remaining two: one passes with 3 dices, but other fails 2 dices and runs off the table edge. Rat moves 2 mediums.

Humans: Wizard casts attacking spell on one velikimrav, but gets bad dice roll – miss. Hunter attacks another velikimrav but gets even result 7 to 7. Dog approaches monster that is threatening wizard.
Velikimravs:
One near the ratmen warband rolls one succes and approaches giant rat.
One adjusent to the dog fails both rolls.
One adjustent to the hunter scores power attack and hunter falls. He is poisoned and becomes Q4.
Turn 4:
Ratmen:
Slayer approaches to velikimrav and attacks. Velikimrav falls.
Shaman approaches the egg, but can not take it yet.
Rat scores power attack on fallen velikimrav ang wins 6:4. Velikimrav is dead.
Human:
Wizard transfix monster near the dog.
Hunter stands up and attacks velikimrav, which falls.
Dog scores power attack on transfixed velikimrav but rolls 1 on monsters 3 to total score of 5:5.
Vellikimrav:
One near the dog scores 2 of 2 to break transfix.
One near hunter scores 1 of 2 and stands up.
Turn 5:
Ratmen:
Shaman passes 3 dices, takes an egg and moves 1 medium.
Ratmen decided that the egg human warband is after is easier gain then the undescovered one, so the Slayer goes in that direction. Rat fails all 3 dices.
Humans:
Wizard casts transfix, but velikimrav resists!
Hunter scores 1 succes and attacks, velikimrav recoils.
Velikimravs:
One monster approaches the hunter, another scores power attack on dog and scores gruesome kill.
Moral check for human warband: Wizard fails one dice and runs 1 medium towards the table edge. Hunter, being poison and seeing his favorite dog dies, decides to call it for a day, fails 3 dices and runs away. This calls for another morale check, since more than 50% of human warband is lost. Wizard fails 2 dices and runs off the table.

Turn 6:
Shaman gets closer, Slayer approaches to closest monster and uses power attack to kill it.
Giant rat rolls one succes and moves 1 medium.

One remaining velikimrav activates with one dice and approaches to Slayer.

Turn 7:
Shaman transfixes veliki mrav, Slayer makes a kill. Rat moves toward starting table edge.

Turns 8 to 10:
Slayer picks up the egg, and all models move toward starting table edge. Clear victory for ratmen warband!

Adventure of Half elf bard

This post contains adventure that came out of the solo Mythic RPG session.

Vuk is a half elf bard who lived all his life in isolated forest laboratory belonging to his elf magician mother. He is on a search to learn as much dragon lore as possible, and some day meet real dragon…

Scene 1:
Setup: Vuk is coming to the small town, planning to enter the tavern and earn some money performing. Threads: get a job (minor); find a dragon (Major)
D10 roll: 2 – Interrupt
Event meaning: waste magic
Interpretation: Bard’s magic is its performing skill. Vuk never saw so many people in his life. Seeing them, he gets stage fright (new weakness): his performing skills fall to miniscule whenever someone is watching him; he can no longer earn money as performer; he gets -2 shift for all willpower checks whenever he is not alone. New thread: defeat stage fright.
Is he getting also one stunning emotional wound – same as standard stunning wound but uses willpower check to heal? A sure thing. Against toughness of below average it is 95. Roll: 64 – yes.
Action: Vuk finds some dark deserted alley and tries to recover from exceptional shock. His willpower is exceptional, but with emotional wound it turns to high. Vuk needs 35 to recover, but rolls 60 – no. Vuk uses 25 favor points for yes.
Scene ends. It was chaotic, so chaos factor moves to 6.

Scene 2:
Setup: knowing that he can no longer trust himself as performer, Vuk decides to try and earn money as a scribe with the town government.
D10 roll: 10 – as described.
Government offices are as always located in the center of the town. Can Vuk get there without having to ask anyone for directions? Very likely. Required 90, rolls 43 – yes.
Can he get there without exposing himself to the negative effects of the crowd? Intuition of townspeople is average; Vuk’s sneaking skill is high – required 75, rolls 55 – yes, but random event.
Event focus: New NPC. Meaning: Care a path.
Interpretation: there is a guard at the door of town hall letting in only selected people.
Can guard recognize that Vuk is half elf? Unlikely. With chaos 6, Vuk needs over 50. Rolls 96 – exceptional no. Not only that guard does not look at Vuk as someone suspicious, but for some reason lets him in without question.
Description questions:
Is a town hall simultaneously governor’s residence? For a small town, likely. 85 required, 24 rolled – yes.
Is governor experienced solder? 50/50. Required 65, rolled 12, exceptional yes. He is a retired veteran general of several campaigns. Therefore the guard let Vuk so easily inside, he is probably just an honor present from nearby military command. General will recognize Vuk as half elf immediately.
What does general think about elves and half elves? Intolerance prison. Well, he hates them and wants to have them all locked away safely.
So: Vuk entered the city hall, and approached General. But as soon as general saw him, his faced turns grim and he barks quick order. Vuk is suddenly grabbed from the back by 2 guardsmen. He is surprised, so his reflex falls from high to above average. Guardsman strength is high, but since they help each other, it becomes exceptional.
Does Vuk escapes from guardsmen grip? He needs 10, rolls 29 – no.
“This is not a place for nonhumans,” says General hatefully. “Drop him into prison until I decide what to do with him”.
Scene ends, it had chaotic ending, therefore chaos goes to 7.

Scene 3:
Setup: Vuk finds himself in prison, stripped of all possession, and tries to find a way to escape (new thread: escape from prison, new thread – find equipment.).
D10 roll: 1 – altered scene.
Question: Does guards temporarily lock Vuk in empty room in Towns hall, having no time to drag him to prison immediately? Odds: somewhat likely. Required: 85. Rolled 7 – exceptional yes. Guards were in the hurry to perform other duties from General, so they put Vuk in first available room they thought empty. They did not even bother to take Vuk’s possessions from him.
Is there something or someone else in the room? 50/50. Req. 75, rolled 41 – Yes.
What? Trick Ambush
Interpretation: Guards have left Vuk in this room on purpose so that their colleague that was earlier guarding the door could kill him and in this way redeem himself in front of General, or at least earn a lower punishment for letting Vuk in at the first place. I suppose the guard is armed with the sword, he enters the room and attacks Vuk.
Combat (short version): Guard attacked so he goes first. Miss. Vuk goes next, he kills the guard with 3 precise dagger blows (spending 14 favor points on first one, from there everything goes smooth).
Vuk takes the sword from the body, might come handy later.
Vuk stealthy checks the door the Guard entered the room, to see if his colleagues are waiting for him there. Are they? 50/50, chaos 7, required 75, rolled 78 – no one there.
Vuk goes out of the room and the scene ends. He left the room alive and with all his equipment, even getting a new sword. This closes the “Find equipment” thread and goes towards an escaping, so 10 favor points are in order. Also, Vuk was in control of the situation for the first time so chaos factor drops back to 6.

Scene 4:
Vuk is trying to find the study of the General, and see if there are some interesting data collected during his military years, and then escape the building and town, of course all without being seen.
D10 roll: 7 – as planned.
Is General’s study on the upper floor? Likely. 85. Roll 18. Yes.
Can Vuk get to the upper floor without being seen? Intuition of the guards is average; Vuk’s sneak skill is high, required 75, roll 12 – exceptional yes. He managed not only to get to the upper floor, but directly into Generals study, without being seen or heard.
Is there some kind of safe in the room? Unlikely. 50. Rolled 93 – exceptional no. There are not even drawers. Everything is left on the table or in shelves, clearly visible and unprotected.
Can Vuk find something of interest here? This is intuition test. Chances are small that anything important is left like this in the open, so difficulty will be high. Vuk has to check it all in a hurry, so he gets -1RS to exceptional. Required: 65. Rolled: 8. Exceptional yes. Vuk finds 2 interesting information.
What is first one? Oppose advice. Second: Pursue possessions.
Actually, Vuk finds a human military manual about dragons. Unfortunately, there is nothing new in it. Usual stuff about Dragons liking to pack treasure hordes. Also, advice to solders not to come close to dragon’s lair unless ordered or in great numbers.
Vuk decides to keep the book, as souvenir for his collection of dragon lore.
Is there a window in a room? Sure thing. 95. Rolled 89. Yes. Are there bars at the window? No way. 25. Rolled 18. Yes.
Vuk will have to come out the same way he came. This is a stealth test, only this time can be supposed that guards have found the dead body and they will be on a lookout. Therefore their intuition will go to above average. 55. Rolled 64. No. They have seen him.
Is this only one guard that has seen him? Very likely. 90. 14 – exceptional yes. It is the guard that has current duty on the exit door.
Is there time for Vuk to fire en arrow before the fight begins? Very unlikely. 45. Roll 1, exceptional yes. Vuk fires 2 arrows before the guard could rise an alarm.
Combat again shortened. Who goes next questions removed, etc.
Do arrows hit? Difficulty should be above average, because guard is partially covered with door. Vuk acts in a rush, so his bow ability goes from high to above average. 50.
Arrow 1: 95 exceptional no. String broke on the bow, no more shooting until it is repaired.
Guard screams the alarm but no one heard him (97 exceptional no) so he attacks Vuk.
Does guard hit? Average to average – 50. 89, no.
Vuk tries to run past guard through door. This would be Vuk’s agility against guard’s strength. Guard is blocking the door making it difficult, so Vuk gets -1RS. High vs. high – 50. 45 – yes.
Vuk gets through the door and runs into the city streets. Does guard run after him? 50/50 – 65. 73 – no. He stays at the door rising alarm again.
Can Vuk get out of town without problems? Very likely. 90. Rolled 17 - exceptional yes. Not only he gets out of town without problem, but the general decides he is not worth the chase.
This scene ends. It was chaotic, so chaos factor goes to 7. Still, Vuk managed to close the thread “Escape”, so he gets 10 favor points.
This concludes first adventure of Vuk. He went home, took a rest, repaired his bow; put his new book in the library. He will have to search for dragons somewhere else and avoid the nearby town for good.

To the potential reader

I started this blog in order to post battle reports from my solo and competitive wargames and RPGs.

BattReps will be in English, in order to be readable to people from all over the world. On the other hand, English is my third language, and having this in mind I hope all of you will forgive my language mistakes.

Have a nice read!