Adventures of the Splintered Band - Sellswords & Spellslingers 5/26 2nd Mission

[mikedemana]

I'm going to be running a solo campaign of Ganesha Games' Sellswords and Spellslingers fantasy miniatures skirmish. Part of the reasons I'm doing it as a prep for the games I will run for my regular Sunday evening group, but also because I hit a stopping point in my Sci-Fi solo campaign using Five Parsecs from Home.

I also have been wanting to get my Splintered Light Miniatures anthropomorphic animals on the tabletop, again. It has been years since we used them for a short-lived Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago campaign. So, I looked through them and picked out a likely group of four as my heroes. These include the Badger mage Jemmy Tar, his barbarian coyote bodyguard Yo-dee, drinking companion armadillo soldier Abraxis, and pine marten ranger Woodbine.


Jemmy Tar, badger mage, points out herbs to look for to a young apprentice he had before leaving on his adventures

I wrote up a dozen or so paragraphs as a prelude to introduce the characters, their motivations, and their world. I hope you indulge my hack attempt at fiction writing and read it. I understand, though, if you just scroll and look at pretty pictures...   

Thanks a ton to Sunjester on the Forum for answering all my annoying questions and your guidance. It is greatly appreciated, as it your Last Stand at Mistham campaign, whose scenarios are a great template for the Splintered Band's adventures. I intend to use your campaign (brought into the semi-historical world of Dark Age Britain) for the cooperative games I will run for my friends. Thanks for the resource!


Yo-dee the Coyote Barbarian has sworn an oath to defend Jemmy Tar with his life

Anyway, tomorrow I will likely post the first mission report for the Splintered Band. I wanted to give folks a chance to read the Prelude, if they are so inclined. So, without further adieu, I present hard-drinking badger mage Jemmy Tar, his bloodguard, oath-sworn loyal coyote Yo-dee, affable Abraxis, and quiet, competent Woodbinee...!

"I am looking forward to finally arriving at Porthewn," said Jemmy Tar, as he adjusted the shoulder straps of his pack. He was the tallest of the four who were walking single file along a forest trail littered with fallen leaves, broken twigs, and lots of mud. Jemmy next straightened his light purple mage's robes, craning his neck to see if he could spot the roofs of the riverside town ahead, yet.

"Are you looking forward to sampling the town's ales, my friend?" asked Abraxis, the stout armadillo soldier, who was breathing hard as he tried to match his tall companion's longer strides. "We know how much you love your ale...!"


The four companions - ignore the apprentice, please - arriving at Porthewn

Jemmy snorted. "Ales are just one part of it! I want to see this new town that has been chopped out of the Great Forest. I want to talk to the mice settlers, learn what challenges they've overcome setting up along the river. I want to study their relations with the Frogfolk, who trade along the river's winding course. I want to talk to their Town Elders, hear why mice chose to settle here, in a place that only scattered forest monasteries of the Emerald Robe existed before. What new plants or herbs have they discovered?" At this point, Jemmy paused, and looked ahead to see if the cloaked pine marten, whose footsteps they were following, reacted. He received a quick glance back from the ranger, who then faced front again, deep set eyes scanning left and right.

The Prelude continues on my Lead Legionaries blog:
https://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/2025/03/prelude-to-solo-sellswords-adventure.html

Mike Demana

[Frugalmax]

Looking good! Thanks for sharing!

[Sunjester]

That's a great start Mike, I'm looking forward to reading more!

[Dean]

Nice job Mike!  I used some of those lovely minis in my Narnian army, they are delightful, and you did a great job on them.

[mikedemana]

The Splintered Band escorting the wagon through the Great Forest

Thanks, everyone for the kind comments. Here is the first mission: Wagon Through the Woods. The Splintered Band is hired by the Order of the Emerald Robe to escort a weekly supply wagon to one of their monasteries that hasn't been heard from in several weeks. Their mission is to simply get from one side of the table to the other, and fight off any ambushes.


A massive tree trunk felled by a might, axe-wielding bear complicates the mission

This is immediately complicated by a Bearman Guardian cutting down a massive tree, whose trunk falls across the wagon's path. Not only must they move the massive tree out of the way, but they must first fight off the ambush sprung by rats, rats, everywhere!


Ambush! The rats are in the woods all around them...!

For the battle report, check out my post on my Lead Legionaries blog:
https://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/2025/04/adventures-of-splintered-band-first.html

Mike Demana

[Frugalmax]

Looks like a really fun game and great pictures! Particularly the one following the cart- great sense of atmosphere and depth. Nice work on the story over on the blog, too, keep it coming!

[Spinal Tap]

Absolutely riveting battle report and great looking figures and terrain.

I love Sellswords and Spellslingers, my most played game ever and has great flexibility for narrative, and challenging,  gaming.

I've had a campaign going for a while which I've diaried but never posted, you've inspired me to start with battle reports again now.

You're also reminded me I have numerous Burrows and Badgers miniatures that need to come out to play.

[Sunjester]

Superb Mike, a great start to your new campaign.

[mikedemana]

Thanks, guys! YES!! Please do write up battle reports. As much as photos, that's what I enjoy the most on the forum.

It is so cool how the cards and activation failures create their own ebb and flow to a game. Sellswords is a definite winner for both solo and coop gaming. Appreciate all the kind comments. 

Mike Demana

[Khusru2]

That's great! The Wind in the Willows goes adventuring.

[PineyPhantom]

As always I had a ton of fun reading what you put out! Can't wait for more!

[mikedemana]

As always I had a ton of fun reading what you put out! Can't wait for more!

Thank you! Very kind of you to say. I am formulating the scenario for Mission #2 right now. The Splintered Band arrives at the monastery and finds it all but under siege. They undertake to help the monks of the Emerald Robe in their struggle against the rats.

Mike Demana

[mikedemana]

After way too long of an intermission, I present another tale of the Splintered Band. This is my solo fantasy Sellswords & Spellslingers campaign using my anthropomorphic animals as heroes and villains.



In this mission, the four adventurers help Brother Barnibus and the Monks of the Emerald Robe stave off starvation as their forest monastery is under siege by an army of rats. After a few days to rest and recoup -- and let the starving inhabitants of the monastery regain their strength -- they cooperate in a mad dash to quickly harvest more food from their fields while the Splintered Band holds off the besieging enemies.



Check out what happens when the clamor of battle wakes up the sleeping predators of the forest. The full battle report and more than two dozen photos are on my Lead Legionaries blog here:
https://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/2025/06/splintered-band-bloody-harvest-in-fields.html

Thanks in advance for any comments!
Mike Demana

[Zodaxa]

Really awesome. Strong Redwall vibes.

[snitcythedog]

Very nice write-ups and your scenic boards are great.