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  • #64516
    Avatar photojagannath
    Member

    Smashing! Glad Eydis and Erland are united!

    #64551
    Avatar photoPatrice
    Participant

    Interesting explanation of the rules system, thanks.

    15mm? Superb! At first sight I thought it was 28mm…

    http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/en.html
    https://www.anargader.net/

    #71511
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Part Four Coming Soon!

    #71513
    Avatar photoDarkest Star Games
    Participant

    Ya tease!

    "I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

    #71537
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Several months after our heroes removed the bandit threat they return to Simurgh and see that the town has grown.
    New buildings, more people and even a small shrine.

    It is whilst browsing the wares that they are summoned to the aforementioned shrine.

    The monk who looks after the shrine explains that the tribesmen of Utuseb stole a valuable relic that was bound for the shrine and killed the escort.
    Whilst of no material value you understand, the relic has significant religious value and our heroes are offered reward should they recover it from the heathen tribesmen.

     

    I am using the Copplestone Picts as my tribesmen.

     

    TURN ONE

    Trying to sneak up.
    I decided that the tribesmen on guard will allocate their 2 dice into Special and use these as a sort of perception test.
    For our heroes to sneak up I decided that they must allocate dice to Movement (well duh) but also allocate dice into Special.

    The heroes will be able to move the allowed distance based on what their Movement dice allow but in order not to be seen, their Special total must exceed the Special total of the look out guards.

    So in order for our heroes to get into the bushes they will need to move 12cm.
    I allocate them 6 dice for movement and 6 for special.

    We turn over the first card and see it is the archers, they roll their 2 Special dice and get 8.
    This will be the level of their perceptiveness.

    The next card is Erland, we roll his Special and get 22, he is not seen by the guards, but how far does he go?

    We roll his Movement dice and get 22, more than enough to get into the bushes and sneak up to the rocks.

    The next card are the other group of archers, who having no reason to suspect anything carry on being lazy.

    The next two cards are warriors who follow the example of the archers, meaning Eydis is the last card.

    She also rolls 22 for her special so sneaks without being seen.
    However her movement roll is an amazing 32, so she glides up next to Erland, and then past him and drops down onto her haunches and she slides across the hot sand getting tantalisingly close to the gates.

    TURN TWO

    So with Eydis now being in the open, she needs to be super quick lucky.
    Erland has a plan.

    Erland allocates 6 dice to Movement and 6 to Combat.
    Eydis allocates 8 to special and 4 to movement. (I have decided that being in the open she needs to roll double what the guards do to avoid detection)

    The first card is some warriors who carry on chilling.
    The next is the archers who roll 11. Pretty good.
    Next card is Erland, he decides that a distraction is needed and picks up a rock.
    He casts an eagle like gaze and hurls the rock (using 4 dice) to take the attention of the guards away from Eydis.
    Catching the guard completely by surprise the rock smacks into his nose and hurls him backwards of the lookout platform where he falls and takes some damage.
    He then rolls his 6 Movement dice and gets a pretty amazing 31, like a cobra he leaps out from the rocks and darts across the hot sands toward the gates and through!
    Curses, he is right inside the village walls and only has 2 combat dice left…

    This was potentially not his wisest move.

    The next card are the other group of archers who quickly fire arrows at Erland, he whips out his shield to stop the first arrow which he does (his 2 dice come up 9. The archer a measly 6)
    But that leaves him nothing to defend against the other archer, who hits and inflicts 2 hits.
    Erland now has 10 dice in his pool.
    The next card is the final group of warriors who only manage to roll a 7 for Movement, they cant get to Erland this turn, maybe his dumb idea of rushing in was a great surprise tactic after all?!

    So this leaves Eydis who as we know was gearing up to be all stealthy so she only allocated 4 dice to Movement, this gives her a dreadful 8!! (a 5 and three 1’s)

     

    TURN THREE

    Needing to go first our heroes allocate 1 die each to special which gives them the drop on the hapless thieving tribesmen.

    Eydis gets the drop on the wounded Erland, rushes past and wades into the 3 nearest enemies.
    Within seconds she leaves them all a bloody mess on the floor, though having spent all her combat dice she is vulnerable to attacks from the others.

    Erland having only 10 dice allocates 5 to movement as he wants to close on the last group of warriors, leaving 5 for combat.
    He closes and his first blow is parried and he takes another wound!
    This unleashes the savage in him and his next blow cleaves the axe of the dog, smashes through cutting deep and splitting the man from his neck to his naval.

    Tiring though now and being off balance from that last brutal attack he takes another wound to his thigh!

    The arches are last and fire at both Eydis and Erland and strike home.

    TURN FOUR

    Badly wounded the heroes are down to 8 dice for Eydis and 6 for Erland.
    The fighting is bloody with Erland slaying the last of the 2 warriors.

    Eydis springs up and runs for the nearest archers and swinging both her swords she cuts them down, splashing crimson on the sand.

    This leaves 2 archers who decide that fleeing is better than dying, especially as their shaman is not here to see!

    However, even wounded, Erland and Eydis easily catch them and make sure that no-one is left to tell of who came here.

    As the last cur is put to death and they recover the relic, he mumbles about how the dead will avenge them and that our heroes are now cursed.

    For a second they think they hear a wail come from the standing stone in the village, but it was surely just the wind?

    #71541
    Avatar photoRhoderic
    Member

    This is awesome! I’ll need to catch up with the full story later, but I’m loving it.

    #71546
    Avatar photojagannath
    Member

    YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS! Brilliant – loved the RPG bits at the start.

    #71554
    Avatar photoAlexander Wasberg
    Participant

    Great addition to the chronicles!

    It looked a bit dicey there for a moment when Erland just charged in, but I figured some lowly guards wouldn’t be enough to stop the duo.

    I’ll be looking forwards to seeing what happens next 🙂

    #71563
    Avatar photoDr De’Ath
    Participant

    Great AAR, looking forward to part 5

    #71565
    Avatar photoVictoria Dickson
    Participant

    Excellent report, thanks. 🙂

    #71590
    Avatar photoDarkest Star Games
    Participant

    Well done Mike.  If Erland isn’t careful he’s going to fond himself employment as a pincushion!

    "I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

    #77936
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Erland has been in three sagas so far, with my new house rules if he survives the next one he will have survived four and be entitled to earn a skill/feat.

    Tomorrow I plan to play his fourth game…

    #77947
    Avatar photojagannath
    Member

    Looking forward to the next one – will the trader and bodyguards be showing their faces??

    #77951
    Avatar photoStroezie
    Participant

    Cool !

    Look forward to seeing how the new rules will impact the game.

    Also, I could use a good CROM story to motivate me and keep me painting & building.

    Cheers,

    Stroezie.

    #77954
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    I smell the impending unnatural stink of sorcery!

    #77956
    Avatar photoDarkest Star Games
    Participant

    Aw, no spoilers!  Looking forwards to the next chapter!

    "I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

    #77958
    Avatar photoPrince Rhys
    Participant

    I’ve just caught up as well. Great reports and great terrain as well as well as figures of course.

    #77962
    Avatar photoGone Fishing
    Participant

    These are deeply inspiring. Can’t wait!

    #77970
    Avatar photokyoteblue
    Participant

    Very cool.

     

    #77975
    Avatar photoThomaston
    Participant

    Hi, I’ve been following this.

    Very excited for the next installment.

    #78003
    Avatar photoAlex Bates
    Participant

    Very nice!

    If only it were in 28mm!  😉

    Eye of the Cyclops pre-orders now available, for a short time only:

    https://eyeofthecyclops.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

    #78005
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Very nice! If only it were in 28mm! 😉

    #78008
    Avatar photoAlex Bates
    Participant

    Eye of the Cyclops pre-orders now available, for a short time only:

    https://eyeofthecyclops.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

    #78078
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Every few weeks Ali Durust comes to Simurgh to ply his various wares.
    Today he has arrived and sets up in the market area.

     

    Ali confidently haggles with a local as the rest of the people go about their business.

    Erland decides to approach and to inquire as to what news there is.

    One of the local women glances over shoulder as Ali slips backwards and his goons step forward…

    So it transpires that a few days ride away from a little known oasis there is an old long forgotten temple that has been in ruins, yet not three nights past did Ali see torch light at the temple.
    He bids Erland go see if there is religious loot to be found and he will pay Erland a handsome price for anything he finds.

    Never one to pass up an honest days looting, Erland accepts!

    The Ruined Temple


    As Erland approaches the ruins he can make out some robed figures and hear chanting…

    Foul Sorcery!!

     

    TURN ONE

    Allocating dice.
    The priestesses allocate all their dice to special as at the start of the game they are busy practicing a foul ritual.

    Erland seeing them is not sure if to sneak or just run or watch and wait, so he allocates 4 dice to special, 6 to movement and 2 to combat.

    Flipping over the top card of my new fancy pants CROM! Deck we see the priestess is up first.
    They are activated as a group and as they are unaware of the presence of Erland they use 1 of their 4 special dice to put into the summoning pool, had they been aware they would have expended more energy to hurry the ritual up, but currently they are in no rush.
    They roll a 1, 6 and 6, putting 13 into the summoning pool.

    The next card is the high priestess and again being in no rush she does not use all her energy and puts in 3 of her 8 dice, she rolls 4, 5 and 6 making 15.

    The summoning pool has 28 dice of magic.

    (These are not the official CROM! Summoning rules, these are my own version as detailed HERE)

    Last up then is Erland who seeing what is clearly some treacherous foul sorcery decides to act sooner rather than later, he rolls (with my new fancy hand carved bone dice) a total of 21 for movement and 19 for special (stealth in this case, again a house rule)
    The cursed witches have dice left in special so roll to see if they spot him, however needing to exceed Erlands total of 19 they fail.
    Erland draws his sword and runs like a panther across the burning desert sand all the time keeping low and silent as a ghost.


    TURN TWO

    So magic, when using dice for magic they do not all come back the next turn, you only regain 1 per turn.
    So the priestesses who only used 1 of their 4, get that back and are at full strength.
    The high priestess however used 3 dice and gets back 1, but this leaves her at 6 from her original 8.
    Currently the summoning pool is at 28 points.

    The high priestess again uses 3 and her acolytes use again 1.
    Erland unsure if to rush in and disturb them or to watch and see what it is they may be doing, once again errs on the side of caution or maybe wisdom, but certainly not hesitant or afraid of whatever dark treachery these demonic dogs are doing.
    He allocates the dice the same way again.

    Flipping the cards Erland is up first, he rolls 21 for movement and 18 for stealth.
    The high priestess has 6 dice and is using 3 so she has 3 dice in her pool spare, if she rolls 3 sixes she could equal Erlands stealth roll of 18 and spot him, she gets 12 and is unaware of the mortals sneaky tactics.
    The cultists roll a combined total of 15 and the summoning pool is now 43.
    Erland like a cat moves up to the ruined column and presses his back against the strangely cold stone and listens to the weird chanting and murmuring that emanates from the she-devils.
    He decides he needs to act now as he can detect what seems to be a quickening of pace in their unearthly incantation.


    TURN THREE

    Erland allocates 5 dice to movement and 7 to combat.
    We figure these witches will crumble under his blade with ease so do not worry about allocating more than 7, we just need to make sure we can reach them.

    The acolyte priestesses again recover the 1 die they used and are back to 4, they allocate all their dice to special.
    The high priestess has recovered 1, she was at 6, and used 3 taking her to 3, but with the recovery she is now up to 4 dice, she allocates them all to special too.

    Flipping the cards, Erland is up and rolls his movement dice.

    He springs with a roar from behind the column and rushes like a desert lion at the first priestess who barely has time to turn before Erland strikes at her.

    She has no dice in combat so can not defend, he rolls his 7 dice and gets 2, 3, 3, 3, 5, 6 and 6.
    As she cannot defend Erland automatically wins and a win causes 2 hits.
    However you cause an additional hit for each 6 you roll.
    This means we have caused 4 hit and as the priestesses only have 4 dice in total she is killed.

    Next are the 2 remaining acolytes who use 3 of their 4 special (to use all 4 would be to spend the last of your life essence and they do not willingly do this) they total 16 making the summoning total 59.

    The high priestess now calls upon her arcane and demonic lore, her cries and those of her sisters reach a terrible crescendo and a foul stench fills Erlands nostrils and the hairs on the back of his neck rise as the ground begins to tremble and shake.
    The tiles of the ruined temple floor crack and a screech like those of the damned rips the air apart as before his eyes the dead awaken.
    Frozen in horror Erland is transfixed as once dead temple guards rise to life and pull themselves from beneath the temple floor.

    The summoning pool is at 59 and the skeletons being 2 dice minions require 14 points each to be summoned.
    56 points gives us 8 dice so that equates to four 2 dice skeletons.

    However once you have summoned the dead you must bind them to your will or they will attack you for disturbing their slumber.
    Fortunately as the skeletons are weak they should be easy enough to control.
    To control them you must roll equal to or higher than their dice total.
    They have a dice total of 2 so require a roll of 2 or more to control.

    There are 4 creatures summoned this turn so that makes a roll of 8 or more, the high priestess has 4 dice so it should be a certainty.
    having said that, to fail could be death at the boney hands of her undead slaves, so we elect to ‘burn’ a d6 and make that an automatic 6, so even if we roll 1’s on the other dice we will control them.
    Burnt dice are removed from the game though.
    So her 4 dice become 3.

    But the skeletons do her bidding!


    TURN FOUR

    Erland has 12 dice and allocates them all to combat.
    The acolytes have 2 dice (was down to 1 but they recover 1)
    The high priestess has 4 dice (was 4 but she burnt one, so that is 3, but she also recovers a spent magic die each turn)

    The acolytes allocate both dice to special at the instruction of the high priestess, who in turn allocates all her dice to movement!

    The skeleton card is added to the deck.

    The priestesses begin a new ritual in earnest, rolling 6 in total, the high priestess seizes the chance and in the confusion, flees the temple making for the edge of the cover, rolling 14 and disappearing into the lush greenery.

    The undead creatures are drawn next and they all strike with 2 dice at Erland.
    He decides to play it safe and splits his 12 dice into four groups of 3 dice.

    By Yimir’s Axe I will send you foul creatures back to Valhalla!

    And to be fair his rolls are incredible.

    The first attack on Erland is a 6 and 1, making 7 (which with a 6 will cause 3 hit rather than 2 if it is the highest roll)
    Erland however rolls higher so the attack fails, and Erland causes a single hit on the attacker (if you roll higher as defender you only inflict 1 hit instead of 2)
    Except that Erlands defence roll had two 6’s so he actually adds 2 hits to his 1 and strikes the skeleton for 3, as they are 2 dice creatures it is slain.
    Erlands shield parry lifts the creature off its feet and it flies backward with terrible speed and smashes into the column where it falls to the hard temple floor once again a lifeless pile of bones.

    As another skeleton lunges in with the spear Erland drops low on his haunches and thrusts his own blade upward through the ribs, splitting bone and piercing upward through the skull.

    Wasting no time he spins and as the mace narrowly misses his head Erland again rams his shield into the boney lifeless skull of his dead assailant and smashes the ribs into splinters.

    Only one remains, but fatigue from fighting in this cursed heat and uncertainty at what the witches behind him are up to, Erland dodges the spear thrust and quickly jumps back and glances over toward them…

    TURN FIVE

    The high priestess again puts all her dice into movement, the acolytes horrified at the betrayal and afraid for their lives put their dice into special, Erland puts 6 into Movement and 6 into Combat.

    The priestesses are first and throw themselves prostrate on the ground pleading for forgiveness, unaware of this until he smashes the remaining skeleton he glances upward, scanning the dais but is unable to see the high priestess.
    He bounds up to them and not until certain that she witch is gone does he turn his attention fully to them.

    He binds them with the musty decayed stink ridden cloth and straps from the undead and marches them back to Simurgh where they will face justice at the hands of the priest of Pteor.

    Erland wonders though if Ali would consider these witches as religious loot..

    Unaware is he, that not too far out in the dry desert a pair of eyes filled with hatred plan and scheme their revenge.

    #78079
    Avatar photokyoteblue
    Participant

    Woo Hoo!

    #78082
    Avatar photoStroezie
    Participant

    Very cool, really like your magic rules, I think they may make a magic user player character playable/fun.

    When I was playing my pictish adventures I gave Conan an elemental wich ally, but usually by the time she managed to summon anything the game was nearly done. I think I’ll be giving your magic rules a try when I start my new CROM games.

    #78083
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Yeah looking at the main rules and the summoning bit, it states that a 10 dice wizard will take 20 turns to summon a 10 dice creature.
    That is a long time and a hero of 12 dice should be able to win against such a creature, assuming the wizard is not slain in those 20 turns.

    I think the summoning of big creatures needs to already be underway or that there must be a lot of armed occultists to occupy the heroes.

    Even with my rules all that lot could only mange 4 skeletons before they were defeated.
    Another thing though to consider is that a 10 dice wizard if using 8 dice would probably roll 28 which is enough for two 2 dice creatures or one 4 dice creature, the wizard could burn the last d6 to control them, the wizard would be left on 1 die, but the summoned things would be more than a match for normal people which are what the world is mostly made of.
    So in the grand scheme of things a quick bit of one turn sorcery is pretty impressive.

    But against a mighty hero, maybe not so much.
    I plan on using Thoth Amon but he will use spells to ensorcel, obfuscate and confuse his foes, this will augment his minions.
    So things like whipping up sand storms to blind the heroes, making normal arrows burst into flames mid flight and inflict fire damage, that sort of stuff.

    #78087
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    With that being Erland’s 4th adventure he gains enough XP to earn a feat.
    I have chosen CHARGE OF YIMIR  from the list here.

    #78097
    Avatar photojagannath
    Member

    *air guitar*

    Excellent chronicle – particularly like this one… temple looks good, I haven’t painted mine yet, I’ve been trying to think of a set up… looks good like this though.

    #78104
    Avatar photoAlexander Wasberg
    Participant

    Foul undead and wicked sorcery is no match for the mighty Erland 🙂

    I like the summoning system, it seems to work well I’d say. Had anyone but a mighty hero shown up the might have been in real trouble!

    #78140
    Avatar photoGone Fishing
    Participant

    Yes, the new rules do seem to work well. I always struggled with the summoning rules and so appreciate those most. Erland certainly seems to be crushing wickedness beneath his sand–furry-booted feet!

    Simurgh looks like just the hive of scum and villainy needed for more scenarios. The temple looks good also; though the tops of the pillars are a little jarring to me – a little too clean and regular. I realize the thing is cast up, but perhaps a small scattering of rubble or debris on one or two might break things up a little? Just a thought. The whole thing is still breathtaking. Oh, and I’m extremely jealous. If only I had a town and temple like that for my 28mm lads!

    As ever, looking forward to more…

    #78148
    Avatar photoDinner For Wolf
    Participant

    If only I had a town and temple like that for my 28mm lads!

    I reckon for the cost of a 28mm town you could buy a whole 15mm collection!

    #78149
    Avatar photoMike
    Keymaster

    I reckon for the cost of a 28mm town you could buy a whole 15mm collection!

    Why did you say that?

    #78150
    Avatar photoDinner For Wolf
    Participant

    Why did you say that?

    He is Angel Barracks, nice guy, he won’t say it.
    So I say it for him.

    #78153
    Avatar photoGone Fishing
    Participant

    Oh trust me, AB has said it to before. After all, all’s fair in love, war and heckling over which is the one true scale…

    #78290
    Avatar photoMike Headden
    Participant

    There are 100 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data

    #79061
    Avatar photoDavyJones
    Participant

    Great stuff. 👍

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