"Beyond the Northgate Passage" my "West Marches" style AD&D 2E Campaign.

 

The current Player map for the campaign of the area around "Fort Venture"

A couple of months ago my role playing games group started a new Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition campaign in the "West Marches" style I named "Beyond the Northgate Passage".  This is actually the 4th West Marches style game I have run for my group in the last few years.  We've found the format good for the type of group that we have as we are often unable to make regular sessions with the same party members.  

Our previous West Marches games have all used the current 5th Edition of the Dungeons and Dragons campaign published by Wizards of the Coast but we have instead decided to go a bit more old school and use Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd edition.  We found 5th edition characters were too powerful for exploration games.  It's just too easy to rest up between fights and characters have few reasons to return to town or engage in diplomacy for that matter.   

The setting map.

One thing I have learned about running "West Marches" style games is that they require a fair amount of upfront preparation.  You don't have to work out every details of the setting you are using but as the game relies heavily on player driven exploration rather than guiding the party down an adventure path the DM needs to know what is going on in the areas that they Player Characters are exploring.  

I went a little aggressive at this stage of planning and tried to lay out most of the locations of things like monster lairs, dungeons, ruins, tribal camps, and other points of interest which resulted in a lot of information to work from.  I have started detailing those areas near the starting town first but just having the names and a little information about what kinds of things exist on the frontier has made it easier to get this campaign up and running.  

I've found it is good to have a lot of low level encounters and points of interest near the starting town in a West Marches game but it is also good to have some high level content.  This is important not only to provide some more interesting play for characters who have returned to town on business but also to add a sense of danger at all levels of play.  There needs to be some mystery for low level areas that will make players interested in coming back to explore areas after they have leveled up a bit. 

In a West Marches campaign it's best not to view the Player Characters as "Heroes" though they can engage in heroic acts.  In a previous campaign most of the player characters were involved in thwarting a demonic incursion which left many of them in positions of power and influence.  This is not however the typical goal for this kind of campaign.  Exploring new territory and gaining individual riches and power are the more typical motivators.  

Explorers investigate a crypt some dwarven miners accidently opened while excavating.  Though they gained some treasure they decided not to proceed further into the crypt due to the inexperience.  

    

In this campaign the Kingdom of Knottinglund has defeated the hobgoblin "Razor Rock Legion" who held "Razor Rock Keep" which guarded the Northern Wildlands.  Rumors of ancient riches and abundant land and natural resources have drawn dozens of treasure hunters and explorers to the region the player characters among them.  

The "Wildlands" are an extremely dangerous regions filled with aggressive tribes of humanoids and barbarians and broken civilizations of xenophobic elves and dwarves.  The land itself is dangerous and difficult to traverse but full of opportunity for those bold enough to seize it.  

A fine and often forgotten miniature battle rules set fully usable in an AD&D 2E campaign.

Another aspect of the "Wildlands" is that most of the factions are hostile and in order to truly take advantage of the opportunities presented them Player Characters won't be able to rely on personal heroics alone to save the day.  They will have to take command of armies as the kingdom expands settlements in the region.  I plan to employ TSRs brilliant "Battlesystem" miniature rules for the 2nd Edition into the campaign.  Player characters will have to recruit followers and hire mercenaries to help deal with large scale military threats.

At this point even the most experienced characters in the campaign are just reaching 2nd and 3rd levels but they are already getting invested in building up the region.  Due to an early windfall three of them have started building establishments of their own further into the region after being granted lands and permission by the local lord to do so.  No doubt they will have to defend their new holdings and build roads and bridges to increase the size of their little hamlet.  

Archers and Soldiers from "Tres De Aurum Legio" mercenary company who have recently establish a garrison at the former Hobgoblin stronghold of "Razor Rock Keep".

   

Although we are several sessions in we are still very much in the process of grinding through lower level content.  The goal for the moment for most of their player characters is to gain wealth and influence in the region before exploring the more interesting areas but that is to be expected.  The lower power 2E rules really play well into this as they limit the speed at which PCs  gain power and provide more reason for them to be more strategic in their actions.   

I don't plan to detail every single "adventure" in this campaign but I hope to keep frequent updates about the campaign progress over all.  I will be including some reports of the more interesting sessions as well as significant battles that take place in the campaign.   

Cavaliers and Roundheads Episode 5 Skirmish at the Old Mill Ford

November 8th, 1642.  Captain Hewitt had heard that not all the supplies had been recovered from the Royalist camp at Edgecote.  Of particular note were two large barrels of powder and several hundred lengths of match cord that had been stashed in a small barn.  He decided to dispatch Sargent Osbury and Mable banks with a few men to gather the supplies and bring them to Banbury Castle to add to the garrison's stock.  

The supplies were easy enough to find and after loading up the supplies on donkeys and an oxcart they headed back towards Banbury with the intention of crossing the river Cherwell at Cropredy Bridge. As they approached the town they saw a gentleman riding towards them at full gallop.  The man brought his horse to a stop and demanded to know who the Royalist were for.  Charles replied "For the King!"  "Then you should know that Cropredy Bridge is being held by at least 30 Parliamentary militia.  I've just barely escaped from there myself." replied the man.  At that the gentleman spurred his horse on and disappeared down the road.  

Mable spotted a wooded ravine about a hundred yards off the road so the Royalist party decided to hide there until they could decide what to do.  As they were discussing their options a farmer heading towards the town seemed to have spotted them so they decided to move south along the river to look for a fording.  

 

They found a ford about a half mile south of the bridge near an old ruin that looked to be some kind of mill.  Mable scouted ahead and didn't discover any problems so they decided to chance a river crossing.  Sargent Gryffon and three musketeers took up a position on a hill overlooking the ford while the rest crossed with the supplies.   

Things were going well until suddenly two troops of Parliamentary soldiers sprung from their hiding places. One group was hiding among the trees on the opposite bank and another among the ruin.  

 

One of Sargent Gryffon's musketeers was shot down in the first exchange as the Roundheads advanced on their position.  

Sargent Osbury, Plunket, and Towne were caught in the open crossing the river.  Towne was hit but only lightly wounded.  The Royalist returned fire but had little success against their enemies well covered positions.  

One of the Parliamentarians advancing up the hill was shot down by Gryffon's men but they still had an almost two to one advantage.  

 

Charles spurred his horse onto the bank and charged one of the Roundhead musketeers running him down with his charger.  He discharged his pistol and wounded another.  Two of the enemy retreated up the hill.  

Continuing his charge Charles cuts down another trooper but he is shot by his companion.  The wound is not serious however.  

Towne is able to reach the opposite bank and reload.  He then shoots another enemy trooper killing the man instantly.  

Mable Banks abandons the oxcart and moves to aid the musketeers holding the hill.  She fires her crossbow at one of the trooper hitting him but not seriously.  The trooper turns to fire at her but misses.  Sargent Gryffon makes a desperate charge down the hill wielding his partisan and wounding one of the enemy musketeers.  

  

After finishing off the Parliamentarians on the hill Sargent Osbury charges down the hill at the others.  Plunket makes it to the bank and both he and Towne take down another Roundhead.  Plunket is however shot down himself.  

After cutting down two foes Sargent Gryffon is knocked out of action by enemy musket fire. Things are looking bad for the Royalist on the hill.  

  

Mable Banks falls back as one of the Roundheads chases her wounding her lightly in an exchange.  Eventually he gives up the chase and returns to his fellows.  

The last three Parliamentary militia men manage to take up the rest of the Royalist musketeers on the hill but not before all three were wounded.  

Charles runs down the last of the Parliamentarians on his side of the river.  Towne manages to staunch Plunkets wounds saving his comrade.  After securing the Western bank Charles turned and charged back across the river on his horse.  Towne turned and drew a bead on of of the Parliamentarians who had retreated into the ruin.  Despite the cover and range he shot the man dead.    

 

Mable Banks and Sargent Osbury killed the trooper that had been chasing her the moved to engage the last of the enemy.  The man threw down his musket and surrendered.  

After tending to the wounded amazingly only one of the Royalist had been killed.  One of the other Parliamentarians had only been knocked unconscious so with their two prisoners they set off towards Banbury.  

When they arrived and told Captian Hewitt of the Parliamentarian forces at Cropredy Bridge the Captian was quite concerned.  "We'll have to deal with them soon of they will become a thorn in our supply lines" he said.  

Notes:  I've just received an order of Swashbucklers from Brigade Games which is good because I'm running out of ideas on how to keep using my small 17th century collection.  I have a much larger order in route from Warlord Games including their English Civil War starter army so I can do some much bigger skirmishes. Level progression in the campaign is going fairly slowly but that is fine by us.  D&D characters can get pretty powerful for historic games even when they don't have magic.  So far it's working fairly well though.    

Cavaliers and Roundheads Episode 4 How now King's Cow

November 5th, 1642.  Currently stationed at recently captured Banbury Castle Captain Hewitt has dispatched Sargent Charles Osbury and Mable banks with Plunket and Towne to travel to the market at Wardington to pick up a small herd of cattle from Edmund Bray which were to be used to provision the King's Lifeguard.  The cattle have been paid for but they must be driven back to the castle.  

Upon arrival in Wardington the Royalist party discovered that Edmund Bray had been killed by a troop of Parliamentarian militia and the King's cattle stolen.  Their trail was easy enough to pick up.  They were heading east into a stretch of wooded area.    

    

After tracking the cattle thieves for about an hour they came up on the rear of the Parliamentarian column.  The militia members were having a hard time controlling the herd as they traveled through the wood.  As the Royalist were planning their attack they heard someone shout out "Stop in the name of the Queen!"  It was the Sir Roberte and his party challenging the Roundhead men.  He was apparently still under the delusion that Queen Elizabeth had returned from the grave.     

Mable, Plunket, and Towne took up a position on a hill behind the Parliamentarians and took aim at two of the men trying to catch up to some wayward cows.  Charles waited just behind the hill on his charger ready to join the fight.  

 

Sir Roberte and his party began to argue with the enemy soldiers.  The Roundheads seem both confused and amused at his insistence that Queen Elizabeth was alive and trying to regain the throne.  At first they began laughing at his but when they realized he was serious they fell into formation and raised their muskets.  

  

As the shooting began the Royalists joined the fight picking off the stragglers of the Parliamentarian militia.  

Sir Roberte and his party defiantly charged the green coated soldiers leading the cattle, taking down several of their number.  

As Sargent Osbury charged past a thicket a Parliamentarian marksman hit him in the back, wounding him badly.  

Sir Roberte continued to create havoc among the enemy troops supported by his motley band.  The green coats continued to fall back under his charge trying to find cover.  Though old and addled Sir Roberte was still a fearsome combatant.    

  

Charles spun his horse around and charged the marksman that wounded him discharging his pistol at short range almost exactly as Plunket shot at the man.  Both shots struck the Roundhead and he fell among the scrub.  

The militia scattered in all directions confused as to who was attacking them and from what direction.  A young woman in Sir Roberte's party was shot, causing his squire and another woman to charge the shooter and cut him down in their rage.  

 

Mable Banks ran to help the wounded woman and although she was able to keep her from dying she was challenged by the Knight's followers so she withdrew.  

Sir Roberte charged Charles as he came around a hill giving him a buffet with the handle of his hammer despite that fact that Charles has just shot one of the green coats.  "Stay out of this King's man!" The knight shouted.   

After the last of the Roundheads had been dispatched the Royalists and Sir Roberte's party stood apart from each other once again.  The herd had begun to scatter in every direction during the skirmish and there was a real chance most the herd would be lost.  Charles asked for a temporary truce to prevent this from happening and Sir Roberte agreed.  

With both parties working the herd was once again gathered together.  Charles promised Sir Roberte that if they helped get the cattle back to Banbury castle he would try and find better lodging for the "Queen's" court.  Roberte agreed and the whole host set off together.  

Captain Hewitt was amused by Sir Roberte and his party.  As a reward for helping bring in the herd Hewitt granted the old knight a run down manor outside of Banbury for he and his "Queen" and promised him that he would set up an audience with King Charles to resolve the matter of the two rulers.  The Captain of course had no intention of actually approaching the King about the old man's Queen but Sir Roberte fell for the ruse and was quite pleased.  

Notes:  It's been almost two weeks since we played this game but I've been really busy and unable to Blog.  We've also had another session since that I will also need to get put up.  The details about this game are a bit fuzzy in my mind but this is a pretty fair representation of the events.  I hope to have Sir Roberte show up in the future to cause more mischief for the player characters.  Eventually he will likely go away if he doesn't get himself killed but we shall see what the future holds.    

Warlords of Knottinglund Episode 01 The Burning of Nottamun Town

Two hundred years ago the Taurian men of the Minotaur Empire left Knotinglund in the hands of the Knots a people who had served as their mercenary enforcers against the native Druidfolk. Since that time the Knots have enjoyed nearly unprecedented prosperity and good fortune with only the occasional Duridfolk or Goblinkin raid. They have traded with the other goodfolk of the island and have become the envy of many of their neighbors but they are not a united people. What true wars they have endured have been at the hands of the seven kings who rule the kingdoms of the Knots although even these have not amounted to much. None of the kingdoms are willing to risk large scale warfare their lives are so comfortable. The occasional earldom or border shire will change hands but capitals are never threatened. Of all the kingdoms of the Knots Goldfeld is the richest not only in terms of physical wealth but also in terms of the value of the land. Located in the middle of Knotinglund it has the best farmland on the island. It is truly a breadbasket.

Manton son of Randolf Earl of Highhill looked out onto the plain from his hilltop fortress. It was the first day of the Winter Solstice in the 858th Year of the Law. Nottamun Town, some ten miles from the fort, was burning. So late in the year it might have started accidentally but no one had shown up asking for aid. It might have been started by a goblin raid but with over fifty Fyrdmen and a dozen Thanes in the town that seemed unlikely. Raids of that kind had not been seen for over a century. Not in the kingdom of Goldfeld especially. The Druidfolk had not been seen for decades and then only rarely. Perhaps in some of the wilder kingdoms they might have been able to make such a raid but not in these civilized lands. Turning to a Huscarl to his right he said "Gather my Thanes in the hall". The Huscarl nodded his head and turned to carry out the Earl's command.

Looking at his gathered Thanes, Manton's heart sank. Fat, old, incompetent, and far too comfortable armed with little more than symbolic weapons that had never been drawn in anger. Now they were bickering about why Nottamun Town was on fire. "Maybe they haven't called for help because they have it under control. They have the river right there running through their town after all!" said Beornwald a particularly self important Thane. "Under Control! How can you say it's under control? Look outside, you can see the fires even from this distance!". It was Adelric, Manton's son. He had come in with Anwen and Beatrix, two other younger Thanes. Perhaps the only Thanes in Highhill capable of carrying out their martial duties. "Let us go find out what is going on father" Adelric continued. "Ha! None of you have the experience required." interjected Beornwald. "Then I should charge you to investigate the matter for me" Earl Manton replied. "B, but my lord, my family is here for the Yule feast. My home is bursting with guests. I can't just leave them at this..." Beornwald trailed off looking at his shoes. "Then it is settled. My son, the priestess, and the young bard will go. Find out for me what is behind this tragedy and see if you can't help any survivors," the Earl commanded. "Yes father" Adelric replied then he and his companions turned to leave.

The three Thanes set out together on the road to Nottamun Town. As they approached the town they encountered no one.

A small section of Nottamun Town lays on the south side of the Nottamun River where a few houses still stood.  Across the river the larger part of the town was ablaze.  The gatehouses were on fire and as they approached they could see signs of conflict.  Weapons, helmets, and shields lay on the ground.  Pools of coagulating blood filled the furrows and boot prints where two shield walls had clashed.  The one thing missing was the bodies.

The watch tower was empty.  Many of the weapons stored there had been removed from their racks.  More signs of conflict were found at the top of the tower but no bodies there as well.  From the top of the tower Anwen thought she saw movement in the water.
 

As they moved towards the river armed figures started to emerge from the water.  They were not men but they were once men, now just skeletal remains marching toward the three Thanes.

 Adelric charged a group crossing the bridge.  Three Skeletons charged towards Anwen and another three towards Beatrix the bard.

 Adelric and his horse cut down two of the skeletons on the bridge but as he turned on the third a gigantic skeletal Minotaur came charging through the smoke.

The priestess Anwen fell before the spears of the three skeletons who charged her.  Things were looking dire for the Thanes.

Adelric moved to cut off the skeletons that cut down Anwen and the Minotaur gave chase.  Beatrix destroyed two of the skeletons attacking her then ran to help the priestess.  

Adelric and his Warhorse attacked the Minotaur destroying the beast.  The skeletons attacked him with their spears but could not get through his defenses.  

 Beatrix rushed over to heal Anwen while being chased by another skeleton but even though the skeleton wounded her she was able to get Anwen back on her feet.

Anwen called forth a spiritual weapon and destroyed the skeleton chasing Beatrix with magic and sword.  

Together the Thanes destroyed the remaining skeletons.  After the battle Anwen began examining the destroyed skeletons.  She noticed that the weapons wielded by the human skeletons were ancient and of Druidfolk design and that every one of the skeletons wore and iron torc of Druidfolk design.  The torcs were freezing cold to the touch but the Thanes took a few of them to return to Highhill.  

Upon returning to Highhill Adelric and Beatrix took the Minotaur skull to Earl Manthon while Anwen went to track down Gosbeorth the Sage to see if he knew anything about the torcs.  Anwen did not find Gosbeorth at home but after she re-joined her companions they found the old sage at the alehouse.  Gosbeorth confirmed their suspicions that the torcs were crafted by the Druidfolk.  Strangely the torcs, which had appeared freshly forged, had already become badly rusted as if they were about to crumble to dust.  Gosbeorth suggested that the magic used to craft them must have been very powerful.

Later that night Manthon called his Thanes before him again.  Beornwald accused the three thanes of making the story up but the Earl dismissed him.  He then charged the three with locating the Druidfolk who were responsible for the attack.  

Note:  This is part of a Prequel campaign for another Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition campaign I hope to start in the Summer of 2019 which is inspired by Game of Thrones and the Wars of the Roses.  I'm currently conducting a few mini campaigns to establish a history of events in my players minds.  The setting is an island I've designed called Knotinglund which is very heavily inspired by English myths and history.  The Knots, featured in the early campaign are a kind of cultural analog to Saxons, Vikings, and Normans.    

My new favorite bases!

Recently I've started basing most of my miniatures on wooden bases instead of metal or plastic ones.  Wooden bases take glue and paint very well so my bases don't get chipped.  I've had a lot of problems in the past with the edges of my bases chipping even when I sand the sides to get the metal and plastic bases more grit.  I've also had sand and even flocking and static grass chip off the tops of minis from time to time when the glue chips off the plastic bases. 

For standard 28mm minis I've been buying these 1 inch wooden bases from Woodpile at Hobby Lobby.  They come 12 to a package for $2.00 a package.  I really like the finished rounded edges.  They are about as thick as a Games Workshop round base although not quite so these Reaper Miniatures figures don't gain too much height on them compared to the other miniatures in my collection.  The wood grain edges even look kind of nice.  I like having some texture to the sides of my bases but I usually don't like to have a lot of texture overlapping onto the sides so these give me a nice amount of texture which as I said earlier also helps hold the paint.  I've found them to be far superior in every way to plastic bases.