Solo Shadowdark Barrowmaze Post #0

I decided I wanted to play a solo campaign in Barrowmaze, using Shadowdark with its free SoloDark supplement. This would be a "tabletop Roguelike" of sorts, combining crawling using all the aforementioned rules with some storytelling and me "filling in the gaps". A primary source of inspiration would be the Darkest Dungeon video game, a game which is very much in the same vein as both Shadowdark and Barrowmaze.

I will post my progress on this blog.

The setup will initially be simple: adventurers gather in the boomtown of Helix, eager to plumb the depths of the nearby Barrowmaze megadungeon. But death lurks aplenty under the old barrow mounds, and even among them on the moor's surface. Characters will begin simple and develop with time. A major random and procedural element will also shape their adventures, sticking strict usage of all the random tables and procedures in both Barrowmaze, Shadowdark, and SoloDark.

Character Creation

I will begin by generating the first four characters using Shadowdark. I will avoid using Shadowdarklings to get a better "feel" for my characters, which automated generation sometimes provides less of.

I will be using the Shadowdark core rules, Cursed Scroll #1, and my own Reptilian Ancestries as character generation sources.

All characters are generated by 3d6 six times in order.

As the adventures progress and characters die or are wounded, I will generate more characters for my "stable". Maybe even regardless of PC losses... Providing a dynamic party.

Variant Random Ancestry Table

As I use non-Core material, I'd like to change the Random Ancestry Table, Shadowdark p.40.

Roll is changed from 1d12 to 1d20:

d20   Ancestry

1-6   Human

7-9   Elf

10-12 Dwarf

13-14 Half Orc

15-16 Goblin

17-18 Lizardman (Reptilian Ancestry)

19    Gecko-Kin (Reptilian Ancestry)

20    Serpent-Kin (Reptilian Ancestry)

Draconians are not included yet.

Variant Random Class Table

As I use non-Core material, I'd like to change the Random Class Table, Shadowdark p.40.

Roll is changed from 1d4 to 1d8:

1-2 Fighter

3   Priest

4   Thief

5   Wizard

6   Warlock

7   Witch 

8   Knight of St. Ydris

The First Four

Let's roll.

Character #1 - Axidor the Acolyte of St. Terragnis (Male Elf)

STR 10 DEX 7 CON 13 INT 10 WIS 12 CHA 11

(Final stats STR 10 DEX 7 CON 13 INT 10 WIS 14 CHA 11)

Quite average, isn't he? Tough and a bit wise, but nothing remarkable.

Ancestry: Elf; Racial Talent: Farsight (+1 to attack with ranged weapons; +1 to spellcasting checks).

Class: Priest.

Sex: Male.

Name: Axidor.

Alignment: Lawful.

Title: Acolyte.

Class Talent: +2 to STR or WIS! Obviously chose WIS!

Deity: St. Terragnis. A Lawful human deity! Why would an Elf worship her? An interesting story hook!

Background: Noble! And not a decadent one, as evidenced by his CON score. Probably Axidor left his home for a monastery - potentially due to a revelation? - to hone his spirit, and endured the usual hardship there.

To-Hit (Melee): +0 (Mace 1d6); To-Hit (Ranged): -1 (+1 Elf; -2 DEX 7); HP 5; AC 9 (Leather Armor and bad DEX).

Languages: Common, Elven, and Celestial.

Class Abilities: Turn Undead (see spells); Spellcasting (based on WIS; 2 Tier-1 spells).

Priest Spells: Turn Undead, Shield of Faith, Protection from Evil.

Gear: 9/10 slots: Crawling Kit, Mace (1d6), Leather Armor (AC 9 due to DEX), 5gp.

Motivation: Ascend Anger. Maybe ascend to St. Terargnis' heaven by proving his holy zeal?

So, we have a tough and wise, but clumsy, Elven (former?) Noble. He is no healer but an expert in protecting himself and others from the forces of Chaos! And fighting Chaos with holy wrath!

Character #2 - Broken-Claw the Thug (Female Lizard-Kin)

STR 12 DEX 14 CON 5 INT 11 WIS 12 CHA 5

Fast! But weak and uncouth. Probably sickly from birth. I've decided that her low Charisma comes from the loathsome god she follows, and her murderous streak, rather from ugliness.

Ancestry: Lizardman! Racial Talent: Swims as fast as a human walks; can hold his breath for 1 hour.

Class: Thief.

Sex:Female.

Name: Broken-Claw.

Alignment: Chaotic! Beware of conflict with Axidor!

Title:  Thug.

Class Talent:+1 Backstab damage!

Deity: Ramlaat.

Background: Banished! Suitable of a Thug! She probably murdered someone important!

To-Hit (Melee): +1 (Dagger, 1d4); To-Hit (Ranged): +2 (Shortbow; 1d6) HP 1; AC 13 (Leather Armor and high DEX).

Languages: Common, Reptilian.

Class Abilities: Backstab (+1 weapon die vs. unaware target, +2/+3 to hit); Advantage on Climbing, Stealth, Disguise, Traps, and Picking Pockets/Locks).

Gear: 10/12 slots: Crawling Kit, Thief Tools (no slot requires); Shortbow, Dagger, 4gp.

Motivation: Blood and souls for Ramlaat!

In short: a Chaos cultist of the worst kind! Probably hiding her true nature behind a "neutral" facade, but doing it badly, with venomous remarks about various matters (low Charisma!).

Character #3 - Mirena the Shaman (Female Human)

STR 7 (-2) DEX 15 (+2) CON 9 (-1) INT 5 (-3) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 14 (+2)

(Final stats: STR 7 (-2) DEX 15 (+2) CON 9 (-1) INT 5 (-3) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 18 (+4))

Weak, Stupid, but fast and charming!

Ancestry: Human (1 extra Class Talent)

Class: Witch.

Sex: Female.

Name: Mirena.

Alignment: Neutral.

Title:  Shaman.

Class Talents: +2 to Charisma twice!

Deity: Gede.

Background: Drawn. Whispered to by a yet unknown entity!

To-Hit (Melee): -2 (Staff, 1d4); To-Hit (Ranged): +2; HP 2 ; AC 13 (Leather Armor and high DEX).

Languages: Common; Diabolic; Primordial; Sylvan.

Class Abilities: Familiar; Witch Spells (3 known)

Witch Spells: Charm Person; Oak, Ash, Thorn; Willowman.

Familiar: A Raven called "Talon".

Gear: 9/10: Crawling Kit, Staff (1d4); Leather Armor.

Motivation: Revoke Order. Maybe smash the local civilized government and call forth the Natural side of things?

In short, a wild shaman, strong in the way of spirits and very charming, yet base - even at near-animal level - in her intellect.

Character #4 - Malchor the Squire (Male Human)

STR 13 (+1) DEX 10 (+0) CON 15 (+2) INT 9 (-1) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 12 (+1)

We got ourselves a Fighter!

Ancestry: Human (1 extra Class Talent).

Class:Fighter.

Sex: Male.

Name: Malchor.

Alignment: Lawful.

Title:  Squire.

Class Talents: +1 to all attacks twice!

Deity: St. Terragnis (again! Probably sees himself as Axidor's protector)

Background: Sailor! A bold mariner!

To-Hit (Melee): +4 (STR and Talents and Mastery; Longsword, 1d8); To-Hit (Ranged): +2 (Talents; Javelin 1d4); HP 10 ; AC 11 (Leather Armor).

Languages: Common.

Class Abilities: Hauler; +1 to attack and damage with Longswords; Grit (Advantage on throws to overcome an opposing force).

Gear: 10/15: Crawling Kit, Longsword (1d8); Javelin (1d4); Leather Armor.

Motivation: Reverse Dark. Fight back the Darkness emanating from Barrowmaze?

In short, a stout squire! Strongest character in the party, with best chances of surviving their first adventure.

Party Overview

So, we have a Priest and his loyal Squire, both sworn to fight against Darkness, and two hanger-ons (?): an "adventurer" (Thug) trying badly to conceal her true nature, and a wild Shaman. All ready to seek treasure in Barrowmaze! The two hanger-ons were probably recruited at the "Brazen Strumpet" tavern in Helix for added skills and sorcery - well-known to be a prerequisite for survival in Barrowmaze!

Of course, inner-party conflict is likely to rear its ugly head soon...

[ACKS] Lyonesse Setting Overview

(Map done in Wonderdraft)

This is a setting for the OSR game ACKS, in which I intend to run Barrowmaze, as well as other OSR and Old D&D modules, and a general sandbox.


High Concept
In the millennium since the Elysian Empire withdrew from the island of Lyonesse and, eventually, collapsed, Lyonesse grew into a prosperous kingdom (principality in ACKS terms). However, internecine warfare, followed by plague and famine, devastated its population. Where busy trading and fishing ports once stood, now ruins stand empty. Where fields yielded a wealth of wheat and barley, swamps now sprawl. King Rolf IV at Isenholm, at the southern coast of Lyonesse, holds nominal dominion over the entire island. In reality, he reigns over a half of his forefathers’ kingdom, and even that includes three largely autonomous vassal duchies. Beyond that - abandoned wilderness reigns supreme. And in this wilderness, bandits, Swine, and worse hold sway. Chaos seeps through the cracks of dying Lyonesse and engulfs it from the north. Will heroes arise to turn back this tide of Chaos, or will darkness consume the island?

Inspiration

• Dark European folklore, especially related to fey, undead, and lycanthropes
• Early Modern Europe - especially at its darker times (30-year war, for example)
• H.P. Lovecraft’s (and others’) Cthulhu Mythos
• Thief: Dark Project (video game)
• Darkest Dungeon (video game)
• Grim Dawn (video game)
• Zweihander (Tabletop RPG)
• I6: Ravenloft (D&D module)
• Curse of Strahd (D&D module)

Meta-Setting Concept

The year is EY (Elysian Year) 1666 - an accursed year. War rages in the Mainland. Years of warfare, plague, and famine have devastated the countryside on the Island of Lyonesse. King Rolf IV, who - on paper - rules the island from its traditional capital of Isenholm, reigns over its southern, mostly forested, part. Three dukes owe him fealty, but their coffers and barracks are as empty as his. The rule of Law is weak even in the king’s own domain and disappears completely in the northern half of the Island.

The largest city - the only “proper” city - in modern-day Lyonesse is Isenholm, on its southern coast. It is the King’s personal domain, and where Law holds sway - at least in theory. It grew bloated with refugees fleeing plague and famine in the north, and today extensive slums sprawl beyond the city’s old walls. Petty nobles vie for power with its walls, ever competing with the Wardens - heads of the three competing syndicates. The overworked City Watch is infested with graft and bribery; the Grey Church takes its place, in certain neighborhoods, in enforcing the Law - but is more concerned with hunting Chaotic heretics than with petty theft and gang rackets.

The two Churches of Law tend to the people’s spiritual needs. The Bright Church, led by Archbishop [the term replaces Patriarch for the Bright Church in this setting], offers solace and promises of salvation. However, rumors abound of corruption among its ranks and even infiltration by Chaotic clerics. Matriarch Vindicta heads the Grey Church, worshiping the same Divine with an austere zeal. Ever distrustful of temporal nobility and royalty, the Grey Church rallies the faithful against Chaos and its many agents - actual or imagined. The peasantry, however, while faithful to the Church’s Conquering Sun - which the Grey Church calls the “Divine” - also seek the aid of the old Pagan [Neutral] gods, who sometimes offer concrete guidance where the Churches only pontify about Divine Wrath or distant Salvation.

Beyond the Royal Domain lie three Duchies. There used to be six. Two have fallen to Chaos and to the Swine [this setting’s porcine Orcs], one - Tideborn - is now far from its past glory and in the firm grasp of Chaos under the Blood Duchess Isabel - who is rumored to bathe in the blood of virgins to remain eternally young. But Treheim, Ironguard, and the Forest Duchy still stand on the side of Law - even if tenuously so.

Civilized rule extends from the southern shore to the southern branch of the Spine Mountains, encompassing the entire Forest Duchy and the southern half of Treheim Duchy. Beyond this are the Borderlands - extended as far north as Castle Treheim itself on the western coast and Bogtown on the eastern coat. Further north is wilderness, infested with Chaos, bandits, Swine, and all sorts of vile monstrosities. There lie the ruins of the one-great cities of Myrholm and Northport - abandoned due to plague and Chaotic attacks and now the province of Swine and vile men.

From the central Spine mountains, the Swine Prince - the fattest and vilest of Swine - leads his miniature but growing domain. The Swine hordes are, so far, content with harassing Ironguard and Treheim, but their numbers are growing with the years, and Men fear their desire for conquest and plunder. An independent Swine band is no match for a proper military force, but, led by their Prince, the Swine Horde strikes fear into the hearts of Men.

From Myrholm, the Lizard God - rumored to be a dragon or dragon-spawn - terrorizes the Marsh Cove. Two years ago, Bogtown endured the Scaled Legion’s onslaught, saved, at a great price, by Duke Ironguard’s army. The wildest lands, however, lie to the north of Myrholm, Tideborn, and the Central Spine - infested with the vilest of creatures who took up residence in the abodes of Men when the latter fled southward following the Plague and the Famine Year.

Darkness gathers. The one-proud Island of Lyonesse no lies in shambles. For the prospective adventurer or mercenary, opportunities abound. Opportunities to gain vast wealth by exploring ruins, by allying with any of the many factions - or, eventually, by rising with an iron will to fulfill dreams of conquest and lordship.

Back to Kanahu!

I have decided to run my next (PbP) ACKS game not my Elysian Empire setting but rather in my older, and published, Barbarian Conquerors of Kanahu setting. Why? because I find myself more inspired to use this setting, despite Elysia and Camalynn being fun to write as well; and because, well, I did more prep (70,000-word manuscript!) for this setting than for anything else I have written for a fantasy world. So I have so much stuff ready and at hand! Even a full adventure of my own writing, featuring Visitors! (which was published on the Autarch Patreon for backers of a certain level and above only).

I am using the default Harat region, with a twist: the game will take place 20 or so years before the default setting date. This will mean that the Sorcerer-King Nabu-Ram still rules Harat, challenged by rebelling slaves, led by the lizardman former gladiator Mazatel of Sitali. The rebels control certain eastern parts of Harat's former sphere of influence, and war rages. The game will not begin on the front lines, and the players may ignore much of the military action t, but, on the other hand, could dive right into it if they want. But the War will always be there in the background.

The catch - players start in rebel territory and most of the highest-level Divine spellcasters around work for the rebels and use the limited healing resource for the benefit of rebel leaders and heroes. So allying with the rebels (Lawful) might get you such Divine favor; but on the other hand, in the rebel territory, taxes are high to fund the War and the rebels are always short on cash. The Sorcerer-King (Chaotic) has deep pockets with which to reward mercenaries, even lower-level ones.

This will mean re-creating ruler NPCs, especially as some towns have new rebel rulers and some of loyalist rulers.

The centerpiece of the game, at least where the players start the game, will be Barrowmaze (by Greg Gillespie), which on my map is located in what was once in independent territory but is now under rebel rule. I'll have to adapt Barrowmaze's Helix to BCK's Gesher-Zur; NPC names and even races will have to change (no elves, dwarves, or halflings in BCK, but rather lizardmen, geckomen, and bugmen).

Should be great fun

Elysian Empire Redux

I have redone my Elysian Empire setting for ACKS, focusing on the "Early Dark Ages"-inspired version of the setting rather than the "Early Modern" variant. I have also changed the map so that (almost) all the Elysian Empire will fit into a single ACKS "Campaign Map" (i.e. 960x720 miles).

---

Lysandrus of Elysia conquered the many city-states of old and defeated the Sorcerer Kings in the name of the Conquering Sun. He founded the Elysian Empire and crowned himself, by the Grace of Sol, the first Emperor. 517 years later, his empire lies in ruins.

At its height, the Elysian Empire stretched from coast to coast, unifying the continent under the Emperor's might. It was a civilization of Law. Some say it was the greatest civilization since the dawn of Man. Its wealth, beyond any dream, streamed from the many provinces to the shining city of Elysia. Its magnificence is now a matter of fables. Fought over by pretenders, claimants, and would-be Emperors, it is now a dead, burnt-out shell of its former glory. In the place where one Emperor ruled, now several compete. In a land once shepherded by a single Bright Pontifex, five Pontiffs claim the title, each endorsing his own usurper to the throne.

The Empire is dying. It can barely rule the Imperial domain of Elysia, let alone the provinces. Many aspiring tyrants fight over its throne. In the outer provinces, the locals have not seen an Imperial Legion - or tax collector for that matter - for decades. Local Tribunes and other officials now became de-facto sovereign lords. Their armies are depleted by years of war. Beastmen and bandits besiege their impoverished domains. Some would say that the land calls for heroes - but politics calls for another thing.

Conquerors.

---

So here is the work-in-progress map and geographical overview.

Primary provinces:

Inner Kvenland - cold, forested land. Known for its fierce warriors and expertise in seamanship. (inspiration: Germania or Denmark). Now under Chaos control.

Camalynn - once a fertile province on the Empire's northern border. Now mostly borderlands with the forces of Chaos coming from the west. (inspiration: Arthurian Britain).

Rayanes and Leoneis - twin breadbaskets of the Empire; two rich lands where the vast forests of the past were cut down in favor of bountiful fields and light woods. (inspiration: late Roman Gaul/Iberia).

Nysa - mountainous land dominated by the Nysan Peninsula. Land of seaman and mountainside farmers. Known for mineral and fish exports. (inspiration: Roman Greece).

Elysia - seat of the Empire (inspiration: Rome and Roman Italy).

Tamaskyra - a fertile, if mountainous, land. Known for olive and wine exports and has a long warrior tradition. (inspiration: Greece and Asia Minor).

Qedem - an ancient, if somewhat dry, land. Has a flat, fertile shore and a hilly and mountainous "back country". Civilized for millennia; played a pivotal role in the Slave War. (inspiration: Judea and Syria).

Erida - Swampy, hot land of rivers and marshes. Alongside Kemet, this housed the first post-Mu civilization. (inspiration: Mesopotamia).

Kemet - a dry desert dominated by the Eternal River, which allows extensive agriculture on its banks. The oldest civilization on the mainland once Mu sank beneath the waves. (inspiration: Egypt).

Non-Imperial lands:

Outer Kvenland - savage mountainous and wooded, cold land. Known for brutal warriors worshiping gods of war and sea; now under Chaos control. (inspiration: Nordic countries).

Muspeland - the dwarves' old homeland, now mostly controlled by beastmen and worse. Used to be the seat of the great Dwarven Empire; now dwarven vaults control only its southern tip.

Valakurask - cold, forested land. Its superstitious peasants live in fear of their fickle Fey overlords. Never conquered by the empire thanks to Fey sorcery. Most elves come from this land - changelings born to human parents but with Fey souls. (inspiration: Slavic lands).

Irem - land of sand and rock. Most of its population are nomadic herders. (inspiration: Arabia and other Near East deserts).

For a high-res map, look HERE. Again, the map is work-in-progress. (mapped in Hexographer).

Camalynn 1666 - County of Aerik (Barrowmaze)

As you may have noticed, I have integrated Greg Gillespie's Barrowmaze into my own Camalynn EY1666 setting.

Barrowmaze's Duchy of Aerik becomes Aerik County. It is one of the four counties ruled by the city-state of Surabka (to the north of this map). The map also shows the neighboring Mersic County (administered from Mersicton) and lands (to the south) controlled by Surabka's rival city-state, Igorburg (to the south of this map). There is also an autonomous Dwarven colony, the Krum Tok Vault, nominally a vassal of Igorburg.

Between EY (Elysian Year) 1647 and EY 1651, Surabka and Igorburg fought a bitter war. The main battlefields were in Aerik County and its environs. Krum Tok stayed mostly neutral, only paying taxes to Igorburg to finance the war effort; fighting destroyed the fortified Igorburgian town of Blackfort. Bogtown was the site of another battle, and two battles occurred inside Barrowmoor itself - the First and Second Battles of Barrowmoor. Remnants of battle and bodies - some say, also spirits - of the fallen are common in Barrowmoor, both near Bogtown (where the First Battle of Barrowmoor took place) and directly to the south of the Old Dwarf Bridge (where the Second Battle of Barrowmoor took place).

Worse still, the Yellow Plague swept through the County in the fateful year of EY1659, further depopulating the area and leaving many disfigured.

The result is a devastated, depopulated County, on the beginning of its very long road to recovery. It has three things going in its favor: fertile lands in the County's northern edge; the strong - and virtually untouched - mining economy of Krum Tok, and *drumroll* Barrowmaze itself. The horrid barrow-mounds began attracting adventurers and grave-robbers in the post-War years, as deserters from both armies came home with major treasures and rumors of horrid monsters. Helix, once a peaceful peat-digging and farming community, grew into a rich "boomtown" with adventurers, tomb-robbers, and assorted scum flooded it, as roads from Helix to Barrowmaze are better explored than those from Mersicton (which also saw growth in light of this adventuring craze).

Surabka rules an area of 123 6-mile hexes, a little less than 4,000 square miles. In ACKS terms, it is a mid-sized Duchy, though its ruler calls himself a Prince. Following the plague, average population is 50 people per square mile, or 300 families per 6-mile hex, for a total of approximately 37,000 families.

This is an advanced, urban realm, like the rest of Camalynn, technologically similar to the earlier part of Terra's early modern period. It is also highly centralized around the city-state of Surabka. This means an urban population of 7,000 families, with Surabka itself being home to 4,500 of them, being a Large City (Class II Market). The other 2,000 urban families are distributed between the various settlements, primarily the county seats.

The Duchy of Aerik suffered war and plague and is depopulated. On paper, it has an area of 35 6-mile hexes (approx. 1,000 square miles), making it huge for a county. However, it is mostly uninhabitable Moor. Thus, average population density is 30 people per square mile, 180 families per 6-mile hex, and a total population of approximately 6,300 families. Of them, 950 are urban families; 600 of them live in the fortified county seat of Ironguard, which is a Large Town (Class IV Market) 150 in the devastated Bogtown, a Village (Class VI Market), and 200 in Helix, another Village. However, Helix's "boomtown" economics "upgrade" it to a Class V Market.

Mersicton is the county seat of Mersic County, which has an area of 29 6-mile hexes and an average population of 40 people per square mile, or 250 families per 6-mile hex mostly working in forest-related agriculture. The total is approximately 7,250 families, of them 800 live in urban settlements, of which the largest is Mersicton, a small town of 500 families (Class V Market). Mersicton sees some economic growth from the Barrowmaze "industry", but not as much as the more accessible Helix.

Krum Tok Vault, a Dwarven colony and a nominal (though very autonomous) vassal of Igorburg, controls 19 hexes, mostly of mountain and forest country, an average population of 40 people per square mile, or 250 families per 6-mile hex, for a total of approximately 4,750 families. They are centralized mostly in the industrial town of Krum Tok, surrounding the Dwarven vault, with an urban population of 700 families, of them 475 in Krum Tok, making it a Small Town (Class V market).

Barrowmaze Play Report: Hidden Shrine of the Green Man

Revised Barrowmaze Map

Yet another excursion into Barrowmaze, this time exploring deeper into the tombs, including the central one... And discovering that un-nature, like nature, abhors a vacuum.

 

The Lucky Dwarves and their Companions

• Boulderson the Lucky - Level 2 Dwarven Craft Priest - Eliran
• + Nobus Handus B. the Magnificent - Level 1 Nobiran Wonderworker, Boulderson's henchman
• Rufus Chickenfoot - Level 2 Dwarven Delver - Itai
• + Angus the Cleaver - Level 2 Dwarven Fury - Rufus' henchman
• And dogs, Lots of dogs.

Yet again, the Dwarves delved deeper into Barrowmaze, returning to the old central mound after an uneventful trip from Helix. They expected their initial travel through the chambers they have "cleared" to be uneventful as well. However, un-nature, just like nature, is ever-moving and ever-developing.

They heard horrid laughter from a chamber they once cleared. Investigating it, they encountered no less than four Hecuvas, horrid undead remains of long-dead priests animated by Nergal's waning chthonic influence. The Dwarves, however, once again were uncanningly lucky - this time with their Ancestors' providence. Boulderson called upon his fathers of old, and three of the undead cowered and fled from their bright spirits deeper into the maze. The fourth stood no chance against the aggressive Dwarves.

And deeper they went into the haunted halls. They ended up in a dark room with four pillars, and found four gloves bearer demons' faces. After Rufus checked for traps, and found none, they spent a long time investigating the pillars, until they found secret compartments with levers on their tops; it took them some more time to figure out that they should pull the levers while wearing the gloves. This opened a secret door to a narrow corridor.

There, beyond another secret door their keen Dwarven senses found, they found the long-dead remains of a priest of the Green Man - an old Neutral pagan god - called Hildras; he was interred in the tomb upon his dead many years ago. He was buried alongside his cloak (permanent Resist Cold effect) and holy mace (+1), which the adventurers took. Now Boulderson was armed with a magical weapon! Undead beware!!!

Finally, behind the final secret door in this area. they found a shrine to the above-mentioned Green Man. Boulderson, while far from a cleric of the Green Man, still paid respect to that god and performed a ceremony in his honor; the Green Man bestowed a minor blessing upon the Dwarves.

Thus, once again, they returned victorious to the Village of Helix.

Barrowmaze Play Report: Who robs the robbers?

Revised Barrowmaze Map

The Dwarves continued their delve into Barrowmaze, searching for treasure in these haunted halls. This time, as you'll see below, they did have to use their axes - and in this case, not only against the living dead.

The Lucky Dwarves:

• Boulderson the Lucky - Level 2 Dwarven Craft Priest - Eliran
• Rufus Chikenfoot - Level 2 Dwarven Delver - Itai
• + Angus the Cleaver - Level 2 Dwarven Fury - Rufus' henchman
• And dogs, Lots of dogs.

So the Lucky Dwarves entered Mound 12 - the Central Mound - for the first time. The mound was empty and full of tracks - the result of significant foot traffic. A deep pit from the floor led into a deep, arched hall below. The Dwarves lowered themselves and their dogs by rope to the deathly quiet room below. There were bones on the floor, and, again, tracks of recent foot traffic. They followed the tracks into a side room, where a trap separated Angus from the rest of the party, locked behind a stone slab along with his dogs - and three skeletons attacked him. One dog lost his life, but the other characters managed to find the secret level which raises the stone slab, and defeated the skeleton.

Down the road, corpses - some of them fresh - were abundant. One still held a torch in his cold, dead hand, and had 15 Platinum Pieces in a small belt pouch, which the Dwarves looted. The corpses looked like novice adventurers or lowly tomb robbers, usually gnawed and partially eaten by creatures unknown - or by the "surprise" waiting next door: rats. Lots of rats. With razor-sharp teeth under their whiskers. However, the party was clever, and threw a burning oil flask into the rat-infested room, killing most of the rodents. Axes and hammers took care of the rest.

Keen Dwarven eyes located two secret doors in the nearby corridor. One room held a demonic idol, next to which two bags sat on the floor. After some deliberation and fear of a trap, the players opened them - to find silver and gold, which they took. Another room appeared to be a tomb-raiders' hidden cache, with backpacks and adventuring equipment hidden in it, again much to the joy of the Dwarven crew.

Such potential treasure, of course, attracts unwanted attention. The party was split, with Rufus in the cache room and the rest in the demon room, when Angus and Boulderson heard noises from the corridor. A whole gang of tomb robbers heard the noise made by the Dwarves and came to investigate - and rob them. They set up two battle formations on both sides of the corridor next to the demon room, trapping the characters. Then they made their demand: "your gold or your life!"

But Dwarves do not surrender so easily. Rufus and Boulderson prepared to defend themselves on both sides of the demon room's door, effectively setting up a choke point. One robber entered and was quickly felled. A stalemate ensued, as the robbers did not try to enter that death trap and held positions outside. However, Rufus, hearing the ruckus from the nearby room, sneaked back towards it, surprising one of the robber squads from behind. This led to disarray in their ranks. Then the Dwarves attacked. Enjoying momentum and partial surprise, they defeated the rank-and-file robbers and backed their leader to a corner.

They offered the robber boss a choice: "your gold and (good-looking) sword or your life!" - and he agreed. They allowed the leader and the one surviving robber to retreat deeper into the dungeon with their armor and light weapons, but received all the robbers' gold and the leaders sword - a magical Sword +1!

Thus, victorious, they returned top the Village of Helix.

Barrowmaze Play Report: Iconoclasm and... OH SH#@, RUN!

Gaming Supplies
(and a D&D 5E quitstart kit being used as a dice tray)

Our lucky dwarves delves, again, into Barrowmaze, escaping death once more by the skin of their teeth. This time, however, they messed with a god! The statue of one, more accurately. They also fulfilled the OSR motto, according to which, "OSR" stands for "OH, SH#@, RUN!".

We are using ACKS rules, with three house rules so far:

1. Thieves and thief-like characters (e.g. Dwarven Delver) add their Dexterity modifier to Move Silently, Hide in Shadows, Open Lock, Pick Pockets, and Disarm Traps rolls.
2. War dogs take Henchman "slots" and are limited by them.
3. War dogs get Mortally Wounded and may be stabilized by a character with Animal Husbandry. This, of course, entails a roll on the Mortal Wounds table for the poor hound.

The Lucky Dwarves:

• Boulderson the Lucky - Level 2 Dwarven Craft Priest - Eliran
• Rufus Chikenfoot - Level 2 Dwarven Delver - Itai
• + Angus the Cleaver - Level 1 Dwarven Fury - Rufus' henchman
• And dogs, Lots of dogs.

Revised Barrowmaze Map

And thus our heroes tried their luck again among the Mounds. They approached Mound 10, which was sealed, and made a whole ruckus trying to smash its door open. Three giant scorpions came to check what tasty snack makes that noise. The dwarves tried swinging at them but the creatures' armor was too tough and it was apparent that they bear venom. So... OH, SH#@, RUN! And the heroic band decided that discretion was the better part of valor. They ran as fast as they could, and eventually the scorpions lost interest in them.

From there, they walked again to their usual hunting ground - Mound 16, from which a secret staircase - well-known to them - leads to the Barrowmaze dungeon proper. There, they carefully explored the tombs. First came a ransacked burial hall - the dwarves recalled the tomb robbers encountered in a previous foray - and then a well-preserved one. Angus and Rufus wanted to search the many burial alcoves for treasure, but Boulderson the Craft Priest strongly objected. He has no problem looting the undead or Chaotic tombs, but sealed tombs of ordinary people, he believes, are not to be disturbed. However, while Boulderson built a small shrine from stones and performed a short ceremony in memory of the dead, Rufus managed to secretly search some of the burial alcoves and pilfer a few treasures - for himself. A third chamber had a cracked ceiling and two long-dead skeletons in it; luckily, the heroes avoided a collapse.

From there they marched down a long, dark corridor and checked a room to their right. It was a temple to Nergal - complete with an altar and a large stone statue of the dread god. Boulderson approach the altar, and narrowly avoided falling into a pit trap! Not only that, but curses and shouts in Dwarven came from the now-open pit! With a rope, they managed to rescue Ard Cobblestone, a 2מג level Dawrven Vaultguard, from the pit. He was hungry and dehydrated, but once fed, he thanked them and agreed to join them in their exploration of Barrowmaze.

Boulderson sensed great Chaotic evil in the altar. Despite the fact that it appears to allow some sort of augury, he raised his hammer and smashed it!

Nergal was not pleased.

The statue awakened! It attacked the dwarven (and canine) group with zeal. This large animated statue was very tough, and very dangerous with its fists. Our cunning heroes, however, thought of a way to topple this heavy monstrosity by throwing a net and ropes (all of which they had) on its head and drag it, with the muscle of four burly dwarves, into the pit. This didn't work well. However, luckily, they did manage to injure the statue, then push it into the pit with their combined efforts, making it an easy target to their rocks. Thus the dwarves smashed down this unholy idol and walked away - alive but injured.

While they survived the statue and defeated it with great valor, they also made a tremendous amount of noise. This brought about a whole pack of giant rats looking for fresh meat. The same heroes who smashed down a heathen idol, now faced a lesser, but not less lethal, threat. Injured, they remembered the OSR motto... OH, SH#@, RUN! And ran for their lives.

They didn't run fast enough, and a giant rat bit Boulderson in his legs. Rufus carried him and continued running; when tending to his wounds when they reached relative safety, he found out that both of Boulderson's legs were mangled.

Expensive magic corrected that, eventually, but brushing again and again with death now torments Boulderson (the Craft Priest) greatly; one in three nights, on average, he suffers from recurring nightmares which deny him sleep, rest, and spells...

Thus concluded the session.

Barrowmaze play report: Dogs of War and Chicken Feet

Woof! Woof!

Our extremely lucky dwarves discovered the joy of leading war hounds to battle, and even defeated a mummy! Almost dying in the process several times. Below is their incredible story.

Read our previous installment

We are using ACKS rules, with three house rules so far:

1. Thieves and thief-like characters (e.g. Dwarven Delver) add their Dexterity modifier to Move Silently, Hide in Shadows, Open Lock, Pick Pockets, and Disarm Traps rolls.
2. War dogs take Henchman "slots" and are limited by them.
3. War dogs get Mortally Wounded and may be stabilized by a character with Animal Husbandry. This, of course, entails a roll on the Mortal Wounds table for the poor hound.

The Lucky Dwarves:

• Boulderson the Lucky - Level 1 Dwarven Craft Priest - Eliran
• Rufus Chikenfoot - Level 1 Dwarven Delver - Itai
• + Angus the Cleaver - Level 1 Dwarven Fury - Rufus' henchman
• And dogs, Lots of dogs.

Revised Barrowmaze Map.

The Story so Far

After resting in Helix after last session's heavy fighting, Angus bought a war dog and equipped it with leather barding; Rufus already had a hunting dog. With the hound in tow, the three dwarves made their way back to Mound 16, the Skeleton Mound, where they previously found a magical sword, nearly got wiped out by skeletons, and discovered a secret stairwell down to the Barrowmaze itself. They knew of the Fossilized Skeletons hidden below, and decided to slay them.

Thus they entered the deep chamber (Area 81 on the Barrowmaze map). Rufus stole his way through the chamber, contemplated backstabbing the skeletons (is that possible at all?), then re-positioned himself and his henchman Angus for the fight. Boulderson tried to invoke his ancestral spirits to banish the undead, but alas - they did not answer his call. The skeletons, on the other hand, attacked. Thus three dwarves and two dogs found themselves facing no less than seven massive fossilized skeletons with bones as hard as stone!

Eliran and Itai with Mrs. Stellagama who came to visit.

The fight was intense and very long. A skeleton took Rufus' hunting dog and crushed the poor pooch on the wall, brutally killing it. Then, they heard a commotion from the nearby door. Rufus and Angus tried to block it from opening, but a massive Bloodthirsty Spider leaped out of it and tried to suck Angus out of his blood! Luckily, it was soon dispatched.

Boulderson, once again, fell to 0 HP from skeletal attacks, just like last session. Rufusused his Healing proficiency to stabilize the Craftpriest. The latter was, again, incredibly lucky on his Mortal Wounds table roll, and after a short ghastly hallucination of the entire party being brutally dead, he awoke with 1 HP.

Rufus and the warhound then proceeded to smash the skeletons, gaining victory!

All characters, however, emerged with serious war wounds (low HP).

This was followed by searching burial alcoves and briefly visiting the nearby room, easily crushing the two spiders who waited there as well. Laden with gold and a diamond ring, they continued down the hall. However, Rufus, who was leading the party, failed to notice a pit trap and fell to it, almost dying in the process and screaming in pain. After he climbed out, the dwarves continued carefully, but then heard whispering voices out ahead.

These were eight tomb robbers - unsavory characters, heavily armed by lightly armored. The party - not the most charismatic dwarves in the world to say the least - managed to roll a Neutral reaction, and the robbers parlayed. However, the intrepid heroes were very uncouth, even more than the ruffians, ending up with Rufus yelling SHUT UP! at the criminals - which led to them attacking the heavily wounded dwarves. Heroes that they are, they decided that discretion is the better part of valor and ran back around the pit. Rufus, however, stood there, on the other side of the pit, and taunted the tomb robbers. They shot him in his foot with a crossbow bolt, and he fell, mortally wounded. Angus and Boulderson grabbed his bleeding body and ran out through the secret stairs, then stabilized him.

The great diplomat ended up losing three toes!

Thus they went back to Ironguard Motte to get healed and sell loot - they had gold aplenty and Helix lacked a powerful enough cleric. There, Rufus rolled well on his 1d20 throw on the Mortal Wounds table... But rolled poorly on the 1d6. This ended up with his brand-new foot...

Replaced with a chicken's foot! The Ancestors must be jesting.

After two days of rest and travelling on the main road at a leisurely pace, rested and healed, they walked back to the Barrowmoor. This time around, they bought as many war dogs as their Charisma allowed them to lead. Once again, they lucked on the random encounter rolls and the trip was uneventful. However, when they approached the mound, hoping to catch the robbers unaware, their dogs barked. Soon after, the heard an insufferable croaking sound from inside. They entered the mound to find three Giant Toads feasting on five of the - now dead - tomb robbers!

The fight, luckily, was very easy - except from a dog briefly digested inside a toad's belly and surviving the ordeal, none was injured. Emboldened, they returned to the Barrowmaze itself. They found some burial urns and a little stash of electrum pieces where the tomb robbers once hid. Then they entered one defiled tomb. There, a large, pristine, sealed sarcophagus stood. While Angus disliked the idea of disturbing the dead, Rufus managed to open the sarcofagus without his consent, and from it sprung...

A MUMMY.

The Dwarves did not run. They unleashed their dogs at the undead horror. Only a few were paralyzed by fear. They fought hard. Luckily, the mummy rolled very, very low on its damage rolls (1d12), so none fell. While Boulderson and one hound contracted Mummy Rot, they won the fight.

Year, you read it right - they have SLAIN A MUMMY. At level 1. By blind luck. With a little less luck, they would have been cut down like weeds.

The lucky band, with its pack of wardogs, returned to Helix and then Ironguard Motte, victorious and with the mummy's treasures - a magnificent bejeweled scepter and a golden circlet, sold together for 2,400gp. They also paid to get Remove Curse cast at Boulderson and the dog to cure the mummy rot.

With sacks of gold, both Angus and Boulderson are now Level 2!

Barrowmaze play report - of Swords and Near Death Experiences

Barrowmaze I map, updated to Barrowmaze Complete

Today we started our Barrowmaze campaign, using the Adventurer, Conqueror, King System (ACKS). It was a blast! The system was very easy to get used to for my players, and as usual it was a breeze to run as a Judge (AKA Dungeon Master).

We spent an hour and a half generating characters. This was a pleasant experience. Many interesting options, yet little bureaucracy involved (unlike D&;D 3.xE). I had them roll 3d6 six times and arrange to taste, and this yielded varied results - both have one ability score above 16, but two below 8. Boulderson is clumsy and not very charismatic; Rufus is a bit foolhardy. I gavew them full level 1 HP. They used their starting gold to equip themselves well and hired a henchman - a Dwarf named Angus who is an apprentice Dwarven Fury, but still fights as a level 0 NPC for most purposes (Rufus' henchman).

Our Intrepid Heroes:

Boulderson - Level 1 Dwarven Craft Priest - played by Eliran

Rufus - Level 1 Dwarven Delver - played by Itai

+ Angus - Level 0 Dwarf - Rufus' henchman

Appropriate drinks!

We Venture Forth!

The two dwarves and their henchman came to Helix - a "boomtown" next to the famous Barrowmaze dungeon - to seek their fame and fortune. Boulderson is here to cleanse defiled tombs; Rufus is in for the gold. As dwarves, they came to the obvious place - The Axe and the Anvil, serving both as Helix's smithy and a Dwarven mead hall. The place was packed with dwarves, drunken and boasting about their deeds - past or future - in Barrowmaze.

Helix, as mentioned above, is a boomtown. Thus it has an unbalanced economy centered on Barrowmaze delving. All sorts of ne'er-do-well types come to plunder Barrowmaze and use Helix as a base camp. Those who survive sometimes bring back great treasures. On its own, Helix is a Village of 172 families and a Class-VI Market - a backwater agricultural community. However, the influx of dungeon loot has skewed its economy. Persons from far-away, wealthier places to the East take interest in such loot. They use HHR Huffnpuff as an agent, acquiring valuable pieces of art and gems for them for a commission. Even Mazzahs the Magnificent serves as an agent of sorts for remote patrons; he purchases magical items from adventurers which he sells to middlemen for a commission - which helps fund his expensive magical research. Thus, adventurers can sell quite expensive loot in Helix itself, but purchasing expensive supplies usually requires a trip to Ironguard Motte, as most gold does not remain in Helix, except for the trading commissions. On the other hand, local businesses cater to adventurers - creating far more "drinking holes" in Helix than in the typical village.

Yours Truly - the Judge

Soon our heroes, bolstered by all sorts of drunken tales, marched off to Barrowmaze. Luckily, they encountered no opposition on the way there. After this uneventful journey they contemplated entering the central mound (12), but changed their minds and set out to explore smaller mounds.

They began with a looted tomb (3) from which it seemed that previous grave robbers fled in a hurry, leaving behind a small golden ring.

A sealed tomb (4) yielded a closed, undisturbed sarcophagus. Boulderson was not very keen on the idea of disturbing the dead, but the greedy Rufus managed to convince him to look away. The dwarves found a wooden casket inside, shaped like a beautiful woman; it held the remains of said woman, along with four flasks of perfume.

Emboldened by the previous easy pickings, they broke into a larger sealed mound (16). The tomb held a central sarcophagus and a magnificent jeweled broadsword upon it. It also had the skeletons of six long-dead warriors standing in alcoves around its walls. Rufus and Angus rushed to the sarcophagus, coveting the sword. They grabbed it. The skeletons animated and attacked. Boulderson tried to turn them and failed. A long melee ensued, with both sides missing many of their blows. However, the Craft Priest, Boulderson, was not so lucky. Two lucky strikes by a skeleton felled him. At 0 HP, he was mortally wounded. Rufus, who is proficient in Healing, bandaged him the next round. He was lucky to stay alive, albeit with a lame leg (penalty to AC and halved movement rate). Rufus and Angus then proceeded to defeat the skeletons, sustaining very serious injuries but surviving.

Itai (right) and Eliran (left) ready for adventure!

Rufus - with his keen Dwarven eye and Delver skill - then found the hidden door leading down into the dungeon (room 81). He tried to sneak but failed; the noise animated several Fossilized Skeletons in the room below, and he ran back to the mound, sealed the secret door helped Angus carry the wounded Boulderson, and ran as fast as he could away from the mound.

Back in Helix, the dwarves negotiated with HHR Huffnpuff, the sly halfling banker. The decided to postpone the sale of the ring and perfumes until after they get Boulderson healed, though they did reach a sort of agreement for its sale. Then they sold the magical jeweled broadsword to Mazzahs the Magnificent for the unimaginable sum of 500pp, which they though was a huge sum of money - not knowing that its value is 1,000pp.

Loaded with platinum, they made their way to Ironguard Motte, where Father Fergus - a level 9 Cleric in my version of Barrowmaze - cast Restore Life and Limb on Boulderson. Again, the lucky Craft Priest paid only a small price for his near-death experience - only recurring nightmares (a sleepless night on a roll of 1 on 1d6).

XP was wonderful and Angus reached level 1 - as a Dwarven Fury! The two other dwarves are about one-third of their way to level 2.

All in all - wonderful fun! Eliran remarked: "This game brought me 20 years back!"

OSR FTW!

Oh, and the local Dragon was out and about as well!

Our local (wild) Painted Dragon - Stellagama stellio stellio

Barrowmaze ACKSified!

I will start running Barrowmaze Complete the coming Friday to three of my friends - all of them playing Dwarves! I am using the ACKS ruleset, which emphasizes realm building and demographics, especially as high-level PCs can become actual rulers. So here I will flesh out the Aerik County (using ACKS demographics, it's too small to be a proper Duchy) and modify it to suit the ACKS rules. I will also add several new minor adventuring locations in case my players will want to take a break from Barrowmaze itself. I also changed the map from 5-mile hexes to 6-mile hexes as is customary in ACKS.

The Aerik County is 18 six-mile hexes in size, which is a small County. In the past, it was 27 hexes, a much larger County. However, the moribund Empire receded, and so did the County. What was once a prosperous frontier County shipping timber and ore to Imperial lands is now a shadow of itself. The Yellow Plague ravaged it a decade ago. Lizardmen and froglings - and worse - now threaten its residents. Viscount Ironguard, an aging knight, functions as the de-facto sovereign ruler despite owing de jure fealty to the Empire. Greatly shrunk in size and wracked by internecine warfare, the Empire can neither project military force to this County nor collect taxes from it.

This region is very sparsely populated. Between economic decline, frogling raids, and the devastating Yellow Plague, the County of Aerik declined from an average of 40 families per square mile to 30 families (200 families per 6-mile hex). The total population is 3,720 families. The plague and raids hit the rural population harder than the larger villages. Furthermore, given the frogling, lizardman, and bandit threat, many peasants prefer to huddle closer to the larger villages, where the Viscount's men offer some protection. Thus, the urban population is unusually large - 520 families out of 3,720. Most of these families practice agriculture, logging, and mining near the main three villages.

The County seat, and largest village, is Ironguard Motte. It is a Large Village of 261 families (1,304 people), a Class-V market. The ruler is, of course, Viscount Kell Ironguard, a level 7 retired fighter.

Bogtown is a Small Village of 87 families (431 people), a Class-VI market. It is ruled, de jure, by Elderman Herik Anguson, a level 5 thief. The true ruler, however, is the County's criminal kingpin, Alzo Danuth, a level 6 thief. This, ironically, makes the tiny Bogtown a better-defended village than the much larger Helix. Any would-be invader will have to content with the local gangsters - a motley crew of tough thugs.

Helix is a Village of 172 families (860 people), a Class-IV market. Its ruler is Krothos Ironguard, a level 3 fighter. He is particularly weak and unskilled for the ruler of such village. Father Othar, the Cleric of the Unconquered Sun (level 5 cleric), holds much of the actual power and oversees the lion's share of village administration. Such weak leadership, as well as the small contingent of men-at-arms, makes Helix a prime target to bandits, lizardmen, and froglings. It also makes it a perfect target for ambitious would-be conquering adventurers who want to be kings.

The County is considered Wilderness and thus should have had a garrison budget of 4gp/family per month, but in practice the forces are much thinner, equivalent to approximately 2gp value per family per month, for an actual  total of 7,570gp per month. Out of these, the Viscount has at his disposal a unit of Light Cavalry (60 horsemen, 2,850gp, battle rating 3.5), a unit of bowmen (120 bowmen, 1,450gp, battle rating 1.5), and 3 units of light infantry (120 men each, 720gp each, total 360 men, 3,270gp, battle rating 1 each). (using Domains at War: Campaigns troop tables, these include specialist salaries). A total of 540 men, battle rating 8. Knowing the risk of attack, Viscount Ironguard keeps his forces concentrated at the castrum of Ironguard Motte. Only one unit of men-at-arms - light infantry - patrol the rural areas and serve as town guards in Helix and Bogtown. In case of an attack on one of these villages, the Viscount will dispatch a larger contingent of troops to counter it, but will keep his cavalry and one infantry unit at the Motte to guard against further attacks.

This force is weak, as even a force of 240 lizardmen have a battle rating of 9. If the lizardmen will ever launch a concerted attack on Ironguard Motte, they will pose a dire threat to the realm. Thankfully, so far tribalism and disorganization prevented such an attack, but if a strong leader will arise in the swamp, great peril will come to the Aerik County.

St. Marcus used to be part of the Aerik County. However, economic decline, raids, and the Plague brought about Viscount Ironguard's retreat from this Small Village (Class-VI market). The local population is 76 families (380 people). A decade ago, before the Plague came, the population was triple that figure, and now most of the village stands boarded up and abandoned. Abbot Kasimir, head of the nearby Monastery of St. Marcus (level 3 Cleric) administers the village. I can set my The Rot Beneath adventure here, if the PCs will want to take a break from Barrowmaze and pursue another adventure for some time.

I have added an abandoned town called Mountainside in southern Wyrdwood, and well as a small abandoned Dwarven Vault called Krum Tok in the southern Moon Peaks. I have three Dwarven characters so an abandoned vault will fit in very well as a side quest. In my larger setting, the Empire receded, which led to the decline of the Aerik County as well. Thus, Mountainside was abandoned, especially after the nearby Vault fell. After all, Mountainside was an important stop on the trade route from the Vault to Ironguard Motte.

Mountainside probably became a Frogling nest (or maybe contested between Froglings and Lizardmen?), while the vault is inhabited by something worse. Maybe an Aboleth? A Dwarven Mechinist Automaton possessed by a vile Elemental spirit?