The Infected Trees

After the investigation of the deserted village, Hwyll and his companions stopped to bandage their wounds and build a pyre for the dead before following the tracks they discovered into a forested area festooned with thick, clinging webs. Among the darkened trees could be seen large arachnid creatures the size of hounds creeping and scuttleing. Also barely visible in the gloom were large cocoons hanging from the branches, some of which wriggled and writhed and some that sat ominously still...

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I really enjoyed every aspect of my first game of Rangers of Shadow Deep; from creating my ranger and his companions, setting up and playing the game and then writing up the adventure for others to read. And here is Hwyll the ranger's next adventure in the Shadow Deep...

Mission 1: The Missing

Scenario 2 ~ The Infected Trees

Following on from scenario 1: Mouni the tracker found her way back to the group having being knocked unconscious after a violent shove from a rampaging zombie whilst the guardsman Malaka was carried to safety and cared for with a bandage and a swig of hard liquor.

Once again Hwyll, the Autumn Elf from far off Carterhaugh, is accompanied by his companions: Mouni the tracker, Osimund the conjurer, Vlaka the rogue, and two brave guards men from the king's own regiments: Joco and Malaka.

And who is the lady on the right? Read on and find out!

My "Spiders" ~ I am a hopeless arachnophobe with a very real fear of spiders.

I can't even make model spiders unless they look very toy-like. These are my space bugs that I'm going to use as substitutes.

The gloom beneath the trees was deep but not so dark that Hwyll couldn't fail to see the giant creeping, arachnids with his keen elfin eyes. Mouni the tracker had led them to this spot but not quickly enough  to avoid the spiders (failed TN12 Track Roll - which would have seen one less giant spider). On the way she searched for Farlight Leaf to aid in their archery, but failed to locate any (another failed roll - This time TN 12 Survival).

Ahead of our heroes (on the top table edge) sat four Nest Trees covered in thick webs - each containing hundreds of egg sacks, each with thousands of eggs. They would have to destroy these trees by the most expedient method available: Fire!

The puffs of white fluff represent the cocoons hanging from the trees.

On Hwyll's left, Vlaka the rogue moved forward to investigate one of the cocoons. He cut it open and a dead body fell out. Straight ahead the elfin ranger spied a creeping monster and let loose an arrow which failed to hit the scuttling horror.

 Meanwhile Joco advanced into the twilight under the trees.

No sooner had the companions set forth than movement could be seen ahead as many jointed legs quickly sprinted towards them. The closest creature ran straight at Joco but he managed to keep it at bay with his long spear.

In front of the other three companions another arachnid appeared. As soon as it was in the open Mouni sent a shaft straight through it's chitinous body (Shoot Roll 20 - Critical Hit!) & the vile creature writhed on the forest floor for only a few seconds before death took it.

The three moved forward as they perceived no further threat in their immediate area.

Right in front of Hwyll and Vlaka another great brute landed on the forest floor and looking up they saw yet another Nest Tree. (Event Card ~ another randomly placed Nest Tree).

Thinking quickly, Hwyll loosed an arrow at the newly arrived crawler and pinned it, dead, to its own tree. He then moved towards Joco to help him dispatch his foe, Unfortunately he was too late and the many legged beast darted forward and stung the guardsman (even with +2 from Hwyll's intervention Joco rolled bad and lost the fight). Meanwhile Vlaka set tinder and flint to the Nest Tree and set it ablaze. But not before "liberating" an interesting looking item from the tangle of webs.

As if from nowhere, cresting the low, central rise and leaping from branch to branch an arachnid landed at the feet of Osimund and prepared to attack the hapless conjurer (it used two move actions so could not attack immediately).

A choice: a second spider creature had moved up quickly, close to Malaka but he was better able to defend himself. Mouni chose to go to the aid of Osimund who had little to no fighting skills.  With a deft swing of her staff she stove in it's head and its many eyes blinked out.

Malaka searched yet another of the cocoons. He was completely unaware of the danger lurking up behind him as he gazed at the swollen rotting corpse within.

Thanking the tracker, Osimund said; "Now ti's my place to give aid where needs be." He spoke an arcane word and a flash leaped forth from his staff. It struck the spot where the second arachnid had stood just seconds before... (He cast a Magic Bolt spell: +5 Shooting attack - but only inflicted 1 pt of damage).

Without a second to spare, the many legged beast leaped at Malaka. The trained guardsman spun and ran his spear straight through the spider's body pinning it to the ground. With his iron shod heal he delivered the coup de grace.

Joco managed to kill his foe and, even though the wound looked insignificant, the kings' man looked pale and began to sweat. Hwyll suspected the spider's venom was at work on the guardsman's life blood. (Special Ability: Poisonous - Any figure reduced below full HP is considered poisoned & reduced to 1 action when activated.)

Vlaka was managing to hold off another arachnid. He was uninjured but it was only a matter of time before he too would be stung. Hwyll dashed to his aid and split the thing in twain with the Sword of Aventine (another roll of 20: Critical Hit!)

With the way clear, Mouni ran to the crest of the central rise and caught sight of another of the scuttling menaces. She aimed her bow and loosed an arrow as a shaft of light broke through the forest canopy driving the hairy legged brute back in a hurry with an arrow protruding from it's hind quarters. (Event card: A Ray of Light & it was wounded but not killed).

The way was quite clear now with no danger present other than the wounded arachnid. Vlaka inspected another of the cocoons and noticed something moving within. Gingerly, he sliced it open only to find a young maiden. Injured but still alive. 

As the rogue helped her to her feet the wounded spider attacked but ran onto the spear of the pale faced, and shaking Joco who had pushed up with an effort to see his companion and the survivor safe and sound.

Osimund found the last cocoon and burst it open with a swing of his staff... Another dead body. But as he let the webbing fall aside a  zombie which must have been tangled in the cocoon's fibers tore free. (I rolled Zombie...but this sounds much more dramatic).

All parties now advanced towards the Nest Trees in order to set them alight. Hwyll lit the first tree but Mouni, moving towards the second, walked straight into a giant web as strong as brambles and just at clinging that was cast right before the tree. (Event Card: Web).

Once again, trusting to his spell casting ability Osimund cast a Burning Light spell that hurt the undead creature but failed to kill it for good. Malaka, close at hand charged and thrust his spear through the walking corpse and laid it low.

 And then proceeded to get tangled in another Web.

With nothing left to fear, the companions broke free of their webs, took to the trees and set them alight. But as the trees and their unwholesome cargo burned a final arachnid shot forth out of nowhere at lightning speed. So fast was it's assault that Hwyll's arrow missed...(Just bad rolling but I should have remembered something...)

 ...And the brute charged right at the tracker, Mouni who, by now, had the measure of these evil creatures and with a deft flick of her staff she crushed the thing like she would one of it's smaller cousins (yet another critical hit).

Aftermath:
This scenario had the potential to be nasty because of the spider's Poisonous special ability. By trying to keep them at a distance and using ranged attacks where possible their full potential was minimized. The only hero to be wounded thus was Joco the guardsman. In most cases where the heroes failed in their melee attacks the spiders actually rolled so low that they didn't manage to penetrate the heroes' armour & failed to inflict wounds.

So, although there was potential to be lethal Hwyll and his companions pretty much breezed through this scenario. But there was a cost... They didn't collect enough experience points for our hero to attain 2nd level. He managed 195xp so - 5 short of level 2. However, the treasure found by Vlaka turned out to be a Blocking Hand Weapon (1) - This means that it has the ability to block and totally ignore 1 single attack. This may not seem much but it means that if it's saved until absolutely necessary it could be the difference between life and death. So it's pretty decent. Hwyll will get this as he's the only hero capable of using it.

Hwyll's bad shooting and what I need to remember... He has the Heroic Ability - Aimed Shot (+5 once per game). I need to keep in mind that as the main character he has more than just the ability to shoot and fight. He has bonuses for both shooting and fighting as well as other things including a couple of useful spells. 

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Conclusion: 

Again, I really enjoyed the game even though it was a bit less nail-biting than the first. One of the great things with the game mechanics is that every attack, even if it's by a fairly innocuous creature has the potential to really knock your characters about. Those spiders are pretty easy to kill but one good hit and they can put the hurt on pretty bad. So that final spider that appeared right at the end could have been nasty if the dice rolls had gone the wrong way.

Thus completes Mission #1.

The next mission is different and will require a different sort of terrain but I already have that sorted. The next scenario involves gnolls & I don't have any gnolls but I do have decent substitutes.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you on the next mission: The Beacon Tower.

Hwyll ~ A Ranger of Shadow Deep

Welcome to the first post of my new blog...

This was my first game of Rangers of Shadow Deep. I didn't know what to expect and thought it would be a bit dumb playing a game by myself. How wrong I was. I got totally caught up in the game and the narrative. The mechanics keep it steady and a bit unpredictable whilst also being clear enough to keep it moving apace.

After a couple of turns I was getting through the turns fairly quickly and I'd say that the game took about two hours (I wasn't really counting). It would have taken about 90 minutes if I didn't keep stopping to take photos. Then again, that's all part of it for me. I want to write up the games to build a narrative. I mean: What else are we gonna do if we're locked up inside all day?

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Hwyll ~ The Autumn Elf is my ranger. A stranger from far off Carterhaugh, an elfin fastness in the mist shrouded mountain vales. He has come to lend his aid in this time of need and taken up the Young King of Alladore's Silver Star as a token of his commitment against the Shadow Deep. Hwyll is skilled with both sword and bow as well as other skills that can aid him in the wild lands. He can also command in some minor magics as well as some knowledge of ancient & arcane law.  

His current companions are: 

Mouni - a tracker from the borderlands,

Osimund - A conjurer and practitioner of the mystical arts,

Vlaka - A rouge of some dubious talent, 

And two tough guardsmen from the king's regiments: Joco & Malaka

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Mission 1: The Missing
Scenario 1 - The Deserted Village

This is the beginner mission from the main rule book.

Hwyll and his companions stood at the center of an eerie deserted village. They could smell death and decay and giant rats were creeping amongst the ruins. Even more worrying were the animated corpses that now surrounded them.

Hwyll acted first. He thought he saw something laying in a small hut. He inspected it and found a bundle that he took with him for future examination (it was a clue that turned out to be a treasure token).

Osimund moved forward towards a zombie and speaking a mystic phrase sent a bolt of magical energy at the creature. The hellish, undead vitality drained from it and it crumpled to the ground (he cast a Magical Bolt spell - a +5 Shooting attack).

And Joco the guardsman advanced only to have a giant rat charge at him and try to chew his leg off. He managed to fend the creature off but was finding it a difficult target for his long spear.

Prior to the first turn one character got make a perception roll. I chose Vlaka (+2 Perception). Because he passed, one of the clue tokens was moved 6" closer to him. So he moved up and found a crate containing a sheaf of dried out leaves. They smelled refreshing so he took 'em (Nightlock Leaves as it turned out).

 Malaka and Mouni moved in to take care of some other lurking pests.

Osimund, flushed with his success in smiting one zombie, thought he's try his hand at smiting a pair and saving Joco from their biting teeth. He cast a Burning Light spell (+3 Shooting attacks at all undead within 8") but it fizzled out doing only minor damage to one of the zeds.

The above action was the first part of turn two - I forgot about the Event Phase. So I did it now. I drew a card and it was TERROR!!! The character with the lowest Will score had to beat a TN16 test. (TN = Target Number & he needed 16). That character was Vlaka as he has a will of +1. He rolled a 15 & only just made it and his terror passed.

The cards below were left by my dad (we're Welsh). When I had to clean out my parents house this time last year I found them and I've been looking for a use for them because I'm not a card player. Anyway, I have now found a place for them to do their thing.

 Hwyll saw what was happening and left his searching to smite one of the zombies. Giving at a second death for it's time on Earth.

Malaka killed a giant rat but was bitten pretty seriously. But he did avoid infection. Meanwhile Mouni dispatch the zombie she was fighting.

While the undead and the giant rodents were distracted Vlaka made his way to a second clue - This one was a body with mysterious bite marks that he had not the skill to recognize (failed a Survival Roll - TN6).

A lone zombie threatened Osimund and Joco but their blows seemed to have no effect on the undead creature (bad combat dice rolling). Hwyll moved in to help thinking the zombie threat was over. But was it. What are those figures creeping closer...?

Osimund moved to search the main building. The door was locked but he bypassed the crude mechanism and pushed the door wide. Only to be met by the one of the former occupants living the un-life of the undead! (one of the Clue Tokens turned bad!)

Despite his lack of fighting skill he managed to fend off the creature and put some distance between it and himself. It moved up again in it's own time but again, he managed to keep it at bay.

But just as the conjurer's luck was about to run out, Mouni the tracker came to his aid and put the monster to it's final rest.

With all the action happening in the village yard, Vlaka tempted to sneak to the next clue without being noticed.

Stopping to examine the undead corpse, Mouni was set upon by a giant rat from behind and was unable to stop it before it gave her a nasty wound.

Another zombie threatened, but Hwyll stood his ground and stopped it from coming any closer.

With the zombie distracted Hwyll ordered Joco to inspect the nearby rocks where he suspected some clues may lay. He was right! Joco found the corpse of Aventine the missing ranger, dead and rotting in the rough ground where it looked like he made his last stand. Joco's knowledge of weapons also helped him recognise Aventine's magical weapon (passed an Armoury Roll - TN6).

Hearing a cry for help from Vlaka as a zombie noticed his movements and moved get him, Mouni once again raced to the rescue of one of her companions.

But this time the zombie struck too fast and took her out of the fight.

Meanwhile, Hwyll was also finding his opponent difficult to destroy. His blows seeming to stop the creature not at all. (Bad dice rolling). Enraged at finding the corpse of the good ranger Aventine, Joco the guardsman charged and ran his two-handed spear straight through the foul creature and knocking the un-life from it.

More rats to take care of...

Mouni's sacrifice gave Vlaka the chance to search out his next clue which turned out to be some Strange Tracks that lead off into the wilderness. But he saw Mouni go down and rushed to her aid as did Malaka from the opposite direction. But Vlaka is no fighter and the guardsman was seriously wounded and only Hwyll, with a burst of speed (Dash heroic skill), could get them out of danger.

In the background the pigsty crashed to the ground no doubt caused by rats gnawing the uprights.

The final clue waited and Osimund searched and found a survivor of the village folk. He began to escort her from her place of hiding when more zombies shuffled into the area. Only by the nearest margin did he manage to escape and take the victim to safety. (Moved off board).

Now the undead were closing in. Hwyll had sent Joco back with the sword of Aventine earlier and now only Vlaka, the wounded Malaka and the elfin ranger remained. The plan was to make a break for a gap in the fence and escape the area. Vlaka lead the way followed by Malaka whilst Hwyll fended off the living corpses (I remembered he had the Parry heroic skill...).

In the end only Hwyll remained and the undead closed in on him. But using his skills and his natural abilities to made a final dash for freedom. (again using his Dash skill and it was also Turn 8 - End of Game).

Aftermath:

Mouni and Malaka had to make Survival Rolls after the game. Both made full recoveries. They also had to make rolls for Disease because I pulled the Disease Event Card. Both came out okay. In the event they didn't the leaves Vlaka found were Nightlock Leaves which heal diseases. I now have these for later if needed. The first clue turned out to be a magic cross-bow. A shame I rolled a 4. If I'd rolled a 3 it would have been a regular bow for Hwyll to use. I don't know what effect the successful TN roll for the Strange Tracks has on any following games.

Hwyll the ranger managed to do some heroic deeds and helped to save his various companions a few times.  I earned 112 Xp which was enough to raise Hwyll to 1st level and increase some of his skills.

Huzzar!

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Conclusion: 

I really did like this game and I can't wait to get on to the next scenario (or is it a mission - I haven't quite come to terms on which is what at this stage). I got myself some toy spiders for the next game. Luckily the packet of spiders also came with a packet of flies. I know there are giant flies in future games so these will come in very handy.

I set this up in my garage using a 3' x 3' board I made several years back. The area on the right hand side covered with some teddybear fur got damaged last year when it slipped in front of my car as I was parking. I think this little board is going to come in handy for RoSD so I should repair the damage. The village is a Dark Ages steading/farm that made a couple of years ago.