Orc raid on a village with nothing but PEASANTS as defenders?

[LoxIslay]

8-9 max was also what i thought.

I think i plan in several Stages.

- Small Farm house as a test Skirmish will be the Start
- After this 4-5 Buildings
- also a small celtic round house as an old witch or lumberjack hut as an 'outpost' or the coal burner camp once its finished or a hunting party with some tents
- and after this going for 8-9 and a church/temple

Building style is also a bid open, i mean i got a ringfort that could be used. Also more later Dark Age buildings are needed anyway. And some High Medieval/Fantasy stuff is already done.

Also the orignal WD Article about the fimir with the village raid scenario for WHFRP and paul
bonner art is somehow sticking around in my head.

P.S. The Rangers are cool. Saving Partys are always a nice option to diverse the game. A Nobel Knight with his scarce (hopefully the right english word) coming through the village, some dwarven merchants, some pointy ears all possible. 

[Citizen Sade]

P.S. The Rangers are cool. Saving Partys are always a nice option to diverse the game. A Nobel Knight with his scarce (hopefully the right english word) coming through the village, some dwarven merchants, some pointy ears all possible. 

A knight and his squire would certainly help with the defence. Some other saving party thoughts off the top of my head: gypsy caravan, armed pilgrims, tax collector and guards (a very mixed blessing); stereotypical adventuring party (fighter, cleric, wizard & thief). I'd be tempted to make such things one of many possible random events and to roll for what arrives. Events that can either aid or hamper the attackers or defenders might be interesting.

[LoxIslay]

A knight and his squire would certainly help with the defence. Some other saving party thoughts off the top of my head: gypsy caravan, armed pilgrims, tax collector and guards (a very mixed blessing); stereotypical adventuring party (fighter, cleric, wizard & thief). I'd be tempted to make such things one of many possible random events and to roll for what arrives. Events that can either aid or hamper the attackers or defenders might be interesting.

I like the double rading party (Tax Collector) 

[LoxIslay]

Now i had to write a Draft with some Ideas. All a bit vague, but what better thing to do on holiday. Just wanted to brainstorm a bit more.

Hope no native english speaker gets a stroke. (sorry if so)



i.   Rangers

1.   A group of Forest Bandits in Light Armour trying to use the Distraction to make a good loot.
2.   A group of Outlaws will help the Villagers as long as the Moral is high. They will flee if the Orcs gain the upper hand.
3.   The selfless Rangers of the King are experts in killing Orcs.
4.   You cant trust these Elves, but at least they kill Orcs pretty fast.

ii.   Travelling people

1.   Strangers are never a good sign or are they? Especially if they are heavily armoured and look more like mercenaries. Flip a coin to see if they help or slaughter the villagers.
2.   These people look a bit to pale to be living. Must be a Necromancers Dream to stumble upon a fresh battlefield.
3.   You heard the rumors of the night traveling folk. They Drink Blood and capture your children. Flip a coin to see if these are real Vampires or just kind helping People.
4.   The Carnival is in Town! Great to have some Stranger with different Powers helping to kill some orcs. Flip a coin to see if they are good or evil.

iii.   Tax Collector

1.   You didn’t know the Kings Tax Collector was dead, but this Elf with dark armour and a whip, has some good arguments, that he is the new Tax Collector. A Dark Elf party tries to enslave the villagers and orcs.
2.   The Gods have a strange humor. Sending the most hated Tax Collector in the hole Realm. A good servant he has only one desire, to protect his tax collection and to get the most livestock and money out of this burning place. A Villagers live is completely useless.
3.   Dead Villagers don’t pay Taxes. Lets kill some Orcs.
4.   They say the new Queen has such a beautiful gaze that it freezes the Blood in your veins. So it should be no surprise that the new tax collector is an expert in catching villagers for their blood.

iv.   Knight and Squire

1.   You here’d the Tale of Robber Barons, but you never thought to see one and a orc for the first time in your life at the same day. Its a bad day to be a villager
2.   The shining Armour blindes the peasant eyes and saves the day!
3.   These knights look kinda strange. Hopefully the piety of the villagers is convincing enough. Flip a coin if the crusaders help the Villagers or try to cleans the hole area.
4.   The Horn of the kings guard echos from the hills surrounding the village, its the prince!

v.   Armed Pilgrims

1.   These guys kill orcs because their god says so. Better don’t Stand between them and the Orcs.
2.   You always wondered why these Monks had burning flails, until you saw a burning orc running towards the well.
3.   These Paladins are known to cleans complete landscapes from infidels. Throw a coin to see if they help the villagers or burn everything to the ground.
4.   Its the King on a Pilgrimage! Lets hope his entourage has some weapons.

vi.   Adventure Party

1.   The myths are true! The famous monster hunters are real and here to save the day.
2.   They are no human and they use magic and they eat kids, once a drunkard told you. But they kill monsters if the price is right.
3.   A wizard and his children and a dwarf and a elf and two humans walk in a Inn…
4.   You have never seen such muscles and long hair. Must be the most handsome Barbarian in the World. Flip a coin to see if he follows the right god, and doesn’t want to drink blood from your skull.

vii.   Merchant

1.   They have long beards and smell like beer, but they have also axes who split orcs in half.
2.   They have long heads and beards and smell burned, but you have never seen a dwarf bevor so maybe they are friendly slavers.
3.   These goods are so rare and exclusive only a king could buy them. If the Villagers help protect the Merchant they earn a nice bounty.
4.   They call themselves Merchants, but are definitely a raiding party. Orcs or Villagers makes no difference for them.

viii.   The Doctor/Scholar/Elder/Bounty hunter

1.   Hey the doc is back in town, but why does he wear a beak mask? The People on his wagon look a bit bloated? At least the orcs fear him.
2.   This strange wise man has some good inventions, that definitely help to save the village or at least thats what you thought, until one exploded.
3.   For centuries the old women of the town ventured into the woods and came always back in the time of Need.
4.   A group of Bounty hunters arrives at the Village, Flip a coin to see if they hunt a villager or the orc boss.

[v_lazy_dragon]

Some great ideas there!

Re the adventuring party, I'd also suggest randomizing their experience level... Are they level 1 rat killers, experience fighters or literal gods of war? Could make for a fun extra element
*Villager* "look - wandering adventurers! We're saved!"
Newbie fighter with a blunted rusty dagger attacks the weediest looking goblin and loses
*Villager* "...nevermind"

[LoxIslay]

Some great ideas there!

Re the adventuring party, I'd also suggest randomizing their experience level... Are they level 1 rat killers, experience fighters or literal gods of war? Could make for a fun extra element
*Villager* "look - wandering adventurers! We're saved!"
Newbie fighter with a blunted rusty dagger attacks the weediest looking goblin and loses
*Villager* "...nevermind"

Thats a good Idea!

[Patrice]

Some great ideas there!
Re the adventuring party, I'd also suggest randomizing their experience level...

Excellent. 

In a fantasy game I ran some years ago, a player with a Hobgoblins troop had to explore some ruins before going to the main battlefield for a fight vs Humans and Dwarves etc.

In the ruins he encountered a group of four human NPCs, there was a fighter, a wizard, a female cleric and a thief (all very old vintage figures) who were running after a poor lonesome Kobold and shouting they wanted to gain “experience points“ whatever that is. The Hobgoblins killed them very easily.

[v_lazy_dragon]

four human NPCs... running after a poor lonesome Kobold and shouting they wanted to gain “experience points“

Perfect!

[Cacique Caribe]

v.   Armed Pilgrims
1.   These guys kill orcs because their god says so. Better don’t Stand between them and the Orcs.
2.   You always wondered why these Monks had burning flails, until you saw a burning orc running towards the well.
3.   These Paladins are known to cleans complete landscapes from infidels. Throw a coin to see if they help the villagers or burn everything to the ground.
4.   Its the King on a Pilgrimage! Lets hope his entourage has some weapons.

LoxIslay

I REALLY like your “Armed Pilgrims” option.   Khurasan has “armed” pilgrims under the code KM-1208:

https://khurasanminiatures.tripod.com/frankish.html



Also, if I’m not mistaken, I think Essex makes one or two “Warrior Monks” sets that would be perfect as leaders of a group of armed pilgrims!

Dan

NOTE:  After I picked out all the “duplicates” (extras), I’m left with two near identical piles.  Actually, many of the figures in that “duplicates” pile are unique poses.  About 40 figures that I’ll never use.  If anyone is interested, give me a shout.  These are from the Khurasan, Baueda and Fighting 15s figures.

EDIT
Here are those Essex armed monks:
https://www.essexminiatures.co.uk/products/mfpe15?_pos=4&_sid=472a61940&_ss=r
https://www.essexminiatures.co.uk/products/mfpe14?_pos=6&_sid=472a61940&_ss=r

[ced1106]

I've been reading the Sellswords and Spellcasters session reports by 6mmfan (good job!) and am starting to think S&S would be an amusing recreation of an orc raid. Except that the players would be playing orcs, and the AI would be playing the peasants, maybe using kobold stats or something. The game system does annoying things like Ambushing, placing tough monsters on the board, that sort of random thing, perhaps to simulate guerrilla tactics, or chaotic ones! You'd take out any "elite" defending units, or leave them in as the self-appointed town protectors or would-be heroic adventurers!

One player has up to 5 characters, six players up to 2 each. So the game system supports 12 orc raiders!

S&S has some amusing negative traits that should suit orcs just fine!

Impulsive (-2 XP): The PC must always roll at least 2 activation dice.
Heavy Drinker (-3 XP): The PC drinks excessively. At the beginning of each game, roll d20. On a 1 or 2, the PC shows up drunk. On a 3 to 5, the PC shows up with a bad hangover.

[Cacique Caribe]

“Heavy Drinker (-3 XP): The PC drinks excessively. At the beginning of each game, roll d20. On a 1 or 2, the PC shows up drunk. On a 3 to 5, the PC shows up with a bad hangover.”

That “Heavy Drinker” option would make for a hilarious game!  And it might even bring about a few “friendly fire” situations.  Thanks for that.

Jon_1066 (on page 3) makes a similar suggestion.

Dan
PS.  After I picked out all the “duplicates” (extras), I’m left with two near identical piles.  Actually, many of the figures in that “duplicates” pile are unique poses.  About 40 figures that I’ll never use.  If anyone is interested, give me a shout.  These are from the Khurasan, Baueda and Fighting 15s figures.

[Cacique Caribe]

In many times and places they would be militia, border farmer/guards. That would give them a fighting chance.

Many of the scavengers at battlefields may have kept the weapons they found, just in case.  I’m sure they didn’t re-sell every single bit of arms and armor that they scavenged.

NOTE:  After I picked out all the “duplicates” (extras), I’m left with two near identical piles.  Actually, many of the figures in that “duplicates” pile are unique poses.  About 40 figures that I’ll never use.  If anyone is interested, give me a shout.  These are from the Khurasan, Baueda and Fighting 15s figures.

Thanks

Dan
PS.  I found this other vid on the Peasants Revolt of 1381, linked here for the benefit of those who expressed interest:

[SotF]

You know, this reminds me of the old mess that my group at the time had...

With Ronin, it was possible to flood the board using the peasants list where they might have enough people in play to win simply by sheer numbers that the other buntai in it wouldn't have the capability to all out kill enough to stem the tide

[Cacique Caribe]

That’s interesting!  I’ve never played Ronin, so I had no idea it had that possible scenario.

Dan

[SotF]

That’s interesting!  I’ve never played Ronin, so I had no idea it had that possible scenario.

Dan

One of the more obnoxious forces that someone can have is just to spam peasants with no upgrades.

You can take down a lot of the others by sheer numbers.

Most of the good forces are like 5-8 minis in it...Peasants done that way are like 50+ figures...you need to get very lucky to actually harm an opponent, but you have a LOT of chances to get lucky and limited rounds tends to mean that you're still outnumbering them massively if they do as much damage as possible.