Plynkes' Five Leagues Thread

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Does it require much in the way of figures for the enemy?

As mentioned above, the number of figures in a battle is small, but encounters will probably have different enemies each time. The maximum numbers are generally predictable even if the number your party encounters is not.

The options for enemy selection for a particular threat are random (D100) or escalation - working through the enemy list in order.

With the latter, you can build your opposing forces as you go along.

With the Whispers from Beyond (Undead) list, a number of them can use the same figures (in my case Fireforge Undead peasants, Fireforge Rabble, Mantic Ghouls, Frostgrave Cultists, Fireforge Living Dead Warriors and possibly Frostgrave Demons).

For The Faceless Kingdom I am using my Nilfgaard figures (Fireforge Byzantine Auxilia and Spearmen).

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

As mentioned above, the number of figures in a battle is small, but encounters will probably have different enemies each time. The maximum numbers are generally predictable even if the number your party encounters is not.

The options for enemy selection for a particular threat are random (D100) or escalation - working through the enemy list in order.

With the latter, you can build your opposing forces as you go along.

With the Whispers from Beyond (Undead) list, a number of them can use the same figures (in my case Fireforge Undead peasants, Fireforge Rabble, Mantic Ghouls, Frostgrave Cultists, Fireforge Living Dead Warriors and possibly Frostgrave Demons).

For The Faceless Kingdom I am using my Nilfgaard figures (Fireforge Byzantine Auxilia and Spearmen).

Many thanks, very useful info there, cheers.   

[mweaver]

It is always comforting to see someone from my old TMP games still gamin' and playin', Señor Plynkes!

aardtacha sends her regards. She is registered here, but rarely posts.

-Michael

[Plynkes]

Some threats, such as The Whispers From Beyond and the Ice-Heart Court seem to me to have a real wide variety of enemy types. Even though the Whispers are described as the undead faction, only a tiny number of the foes you face when fighting them are actually undead. The Ice-heart Court is similar.

But some factions you really can use just one set of figures for pretty much the entire faction, such as The Ruin Within or The Faceless Kingdom. So if you aren't keen to paint oodles and oodles of figures, it can be avoided somewhat by judicious choosing of your threats.

Though as we have discovered, lots of other enemy types outside of your threats will keep popping up during the campaign. We've played multiple turns and haven't faced any of our chosen threats yet.

[MysteryMachine]

Just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed this thread, and particularly your battle reports and photos. It's great inspiration to keep going with my painting backlog (after a slight hiatus, injury-related). I am very much looking forward to being able to have a go at a 5 Leagues campaign.

(And then re-using the miniatures and scenery for Sellswords & Spellslingers, Rangers of Shadowdeep, Nightwatch etc etc). I love fantasy!

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Some threats, such as The Whispers From Beyond and the Ice-Heart Court seem to me to have a real wide variety of enemy types. Even though the Whispers are described as the undead faction, only a tiny number of the foes you face when fighting them are actually undead. The Ice-heart Court is similar.

But some factions you really can use just one set of figures for pretty much the entire faction, such as The Ruin Within or The Faceless Kingdom. So if you aren't keen to paint oodles and oodles of figures, it can be avoided somewhat by judicious choosing of your threats.

Though as we have discovered, lots of other enemy types outside of your threats will keep popping up during the campaign. We've played multiple turns and haven't faced any of our chosen threats yet.

Thanks, duly noted. We have started with the Ruin Within, Ice-Heart Court and the Curse of War. It's interesting to see that you haven't faced any of your chosen threats.

[Plynkes]

Yes, they don't seem to come up via random event rolls, or at least they haven't for us yet. But you can choose to engage them any time you wish, rolling on a few tables to find out where they are, what they're up to and such. Seems like the onus is on the players to kick it off when it comes to the chosen threats.

[Plynkes]

As our heroes were preparing for the next stage of their quest, they couldn't escape the feeling that dark forces were moving against them. Evil men and strange creatures were stirring, and the Exiles couldn't escape the feeling that shadowy figures were dogging their every move. Cautiously doubling back, they turned on their pursuers, and discovered them to be...

Cultists! Dark worshippers from the Cult of Spiridon. The Exiles hastily prepared for battle!



The Cult of Spiridon. Men who, in these times of religious upheaval and uncertainty, have fallen into worship of the dark spider-things from the Vale of Ungol.

In game terms we had received two very unlucky rolls. On consecutive turns we had rolled the same event: Enemy patrols. One from the Ice Heart Court, and one from the Gnawling Horde (both threats we're not using as the main threats in this campaign). Each one, while ignored, costs us an Adventure point we would have gained after a battle, so we were now on -2 Adventure points each time we fought, and so decided to do something about it. The closest were worshippers of Fey Spiders (Ice heart Court). Time to deal with them.

See how we fared very soon...

[Plynkes]

The group turned on our pursuers who retreated towards the familiar territory of the Ungol Vale. They wanted home advantage, it seemed, and our blood was up so we were happy for them to have it. They reached the cover of their Fey-haunted wood, but we were not giving up so easily, and resolved to make them regret ever bothering us...




The cursed woods of the Ungol Vale would be our battlefield for today.




Ominous and frightening, few have returned from under those dark eaves to tell tale of it.




But today there were no faint hearts. The Exiles advanced confidently. Arrows began to whistle past us, though happily none found their marks. This would have given lesser adventurers pause, for the Cult of Spiridon are famed for their dread envenomed blades and darts, harvested from the Spider-Things they worship.

But not the Exiles. Not today.





Lenore and Wicklow Pottler, our halfling mystic, charged into the shadowy wood, while Iago and new party member Sir Godfrey of Ham turned to face the Ungol-Men on their flank. Morgaunt the Slightly Fey and Neville provided support with their bows. Two shots from Morgaunt's mighty longbow found their mark, wounding a brace of enemies. But they were still in the fight for now.

Morgaunt yelled "It's people like you that give the Fey a bad name! And you silly sods aren't even bloody Fey! Go back to your farms and villages and cease this folly!"

This did not have the desired effect. More poisoned arrows flew from the wood. Morgaunt sighed, saying,

"Well, you can't say you weren't given a chance" and drew back her bowstring once more.





 
Lenore clashed with a brutish cultist under the green leaves of the wood. They exchanged blows briefly. Lenore forced him back, but then he gained the upper hand, thrusting his barbed, envenomed spear into her stomach. It was time finally for our hearts to be in our mouths. We had forgotten the lessons of previous battles and were somewhat overconfident again by now. All that was needed was for the spear to overcome her armour and she would fall because of the spider-venom (Over the past few games Lenore has received a couple of advances and is now very tough indeed, but that toughness doesn't protect one from venom).

But no, we need not have worried. This was our day. The blow was turned by her armour, leaving her unhurt. His own armour did not prove so strong, for the next second Lenore's blade was poking out through his back and his life was over.

His nearby comrade was not cowed by the sight of his friend's death, nor the fact that he had one of Morgaunt's arrows sticking out of his arm (brave lads these, if somewhat religiously compromised). He advanced through the brush, aimed his bow and launched an arrow at point blank range while yelling a curse in some forbidden tongue.

"Good thing I've got this armour" thought Lenore as the arrow sped at her. It's also good that he missed.


Pottler screwed up his face into a mask of malice, channelling his anger at seeing his friend in danger into a hateful spell of rending arteries and the deepening of wounds.  At this the archer's arrow-punctured arm began to gush blood like a waterfall.
(This was the Bleed spell, which when cast on a wounded enemy has a chance to make them bleed to death in each subsequent Tracking Phase of the game.)





Nearby events were moving quickly. Sir Godfrey and Iago raised their swords and charged with yells of "Heathen dogs!" and "For True Religion and the Pontiarch!" Their blood was up and they were young and full of vigour and confidence. It was all over in seconds. The poor cultists never stood a chance.


Back in the wood the cultist archer felt his legs going wobbly under him and so leaned against the nearest tree. Rather pathetically he squeaked,

"I don't feel very well," and breathed his last. (Sickers had only rolled a 6 on the Bleed spell! First time he had ever used it in a game and it came through for us.)


Only one cultist remained, their second archer, and he was wounded. It seemed like it was all over. And then suddenly it was. Another of Morgaunt's arrows brought him down. She really is becoming rather reliable in that department.







The group made camp on the edge of the vale, feeling rather satisfied with their efforts, and happy that nobody had been harmed. Their thoughts turned to their next moves, and they discussed this around the campfire. Morgaunt had noticed some strange tracks, and they decided to see where they led. But as they were settling down to sleep a sudden cry of terror pierced the night. One of the dread spider-things, no doubt enraged at the deaths of its worshippers, had leapt out of the gloom and into the fire light. Before anyone could react it had pounced on Wicklow and given him a nasty bite. The others managed to chase it back into the woods, but in the dark nobody felt like pursuing it. Taking up the wounded Pottler they moved their camp further from the eerie and dangerous treeline. Nobody slept that night and all eyes peered into the night, imagining legions of monsters and cultists creeping out of the darkness. Happily no more attacks occurred.

(This was a random event, which left us with a wounded halfling and it had also somehow broken his bow. He would be out for one campaign turn. Luckily we had a couple of doses of tonic so he took one. This allowed him to recover more quickly and be ready for immediate action next turn.)




Next morning our intrepid band gathered their gear and set off to follow the strange tracks. Where would they lead? Find out soon.

[mweaver]

Excellent report, as usual.

I liked the spider webs.  Nice effect.

-Michael

[blacksoilbill]

Great report, and I like the look of the cultists too.

[Grumpy Gnome]

Sounds like it was a fun game and your skillful narrative made an excellent write up of it.

[Doug ex-em4]

I’m enjoying this topic. It illustrates how much better games are when part of a campaign. Small battles take on a big significance. Excellent game report and attractive figures - I look forward to seeing how things progress.

One question; the useful looking tree-stumps. Are they commercial or self-made?

Doug

[Plynkes]

They are 3D printed ones I bought from an Etsy store. There are loads of people selling 3D printed terrain stuff on that site, it's worth a look. Those particular ones came in a campsite set which included tents and a cooking fire, which will come in handy for any future camp raid scenarios in Five Leagues.


Yes, even though I do enjoy the combat rules, it is really the campaign structure that makes this game a huge winner for me. Adds so much to the experience.


Thanks for the encouraging comments, guys.

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Very enjoyable and informative report, thanks. It's the same with us, I think. The campaign structure has really grabbed our imagination.