Frostgrave Campaign 2017 - Darkness Falls

It finally arrived, our kick-off game for the 2017 campaign based around Thaw of the Lich Lord.  We would be starting with scenario one - where else would we start?

For game 1, we only had six out of our normal eight members available due to last minute schedule conflicts.  The wizards present were one Soothsayer, two Sigilists, one Necromancer, and two Elementalists.

Getting ready to start

Another view of the table

The action begins.....

Bemis led his newly hired warband towards the ruins of Felstad for his first foray into the frozen ruins.  The day was rather overcast and several of the denizens who lived near the ruins had warned him not to go exploring today - they said something in the air wasn't right.  But having waited so long to get started, Bemis had no intention of delaying his expedition.  Besides, his warband could eat and drink with the best of them, and were draining his account at an alarming rate.  Time to get some return for his investment.

At the edge of the ruins, Bemis and Agarn attempted to divine the location of any nearby treasure items (Reveal Secret), but both failed their attempt.  Bemis made a mental note - More studying of that spell would be in order upon their return.

Bemis and friends enter the ruins

Bemis with Niko (thief), 9Toe (thief), Doyle (thief), and Hatch (thief) set up to the left.  Bemis could feel the unnatural aura of a necromancer in that direction and wanted to reduce Agarn's exposure to it.  Necromancy was not an area that he enjoyed dabbling with.  To the front, Bemis thought he detected faint traces of elemental magic but it also seemed to be coming for the far left front as well.

The Necromancer's warband

Bemis sent Captain Nigel to right with Agarn (apprentice), his right hand man Alleyne (treasure hunter), Piko (thief), and Shadow (warhound).  Bemis thought he detected a Soothsayer in that direction but it seemed far off.  It should be safer for Agarn in that direction, especially with Nigel to protect him.

An Flementalist's warband

As Bemis was surveying his position, off in the distant haze (it was 20 inches away but visibility started at 16 inches) he thought he saw an urn sitting atop a small ruined temple.  He decided to move closer and sure enough, it looked like a gem-encrusted urn.  He quickly spoke the words to pull the urn closer to his location (cast Telekinesis).  As it hovered in the air, he directed 9Toe to move in that direction, along with Niko.  Hatch immediately spotted a treasure chest laying in the snow atop a ruined archway and ran quickly to pick it up.  Doyle moved up with him to provide protection.

Nigel directed Piko to check out a nearby ruined building while he led the other around the side - with Shadow bounding ahead.  Agarn successfully cast Fog to screen their movement.  Piko quickly moved up and entered the building through a window.

After his eyes adjusted to the reduced visibility, Piko spotted a small chest hidden up in the rafters.  He quickly climbed up and tiptoed across the beams to claim the chest (A dwarf tiptoeing, that had to be quite the sight....).

Bemis attempted to keep the urn floating closer but misspoke the Telekinesis spell causing it the drop into the snow.  Agarn, boosted with confidence from casting his first spell, attempted a much more difficult spell.  Waving his hands correctly while properly speaking the incantations, he caused a magic rune to appear in the darkening sky which would negatively affect all castings of the spell Bone Dart (Draining Word). 

Seeing the rune, Bemis silently praised Agarn's casting and decided to cast his own Draining Word spell.  With little effort, he was successful.  The Elementalists in the ruins today would find casting Elemental Bolt a little bit harder.  Meanwhile, over confidence caught up to Agarn as he burned himself attempting to cast Fog (failed and took a point of damage).

9Toe managed to reach the urn and quickly stuffed it into his pack.  Just in time as he sees two figures heading his way through the ever diminishing light.  Luckily, Niko is by his side to provide protection.  Once more the sky appeared to be darkening.

Alleyne has spotted a chest lying in the middle of a small bridge and moves to pick it up.  Shadow bounds pass him and encounters a thief from Quail's warband on the other side of the bridge.  He pins him in play to allow Nigel to engage in hand to hand.  With an air of confidence that only a man of his experience could display, he lunges at his young foe.  The thief was quicker than he looked as he stepped away from Nigel's thrust, stabbing him in his side before stepping back.  Nigel stumbles backward, more out of surprise than from the minor wound he received.  As he stood there recovering, the thief turns on Shadow, thumping him on the head with the hilt of his dagger, and retreats from the fight.  Shadow collapses into the snow, knocked out cold.  Nigel thinks about pursuing but decides against it: "I must be rusty letting a young whelp like that get the best of me.  Luckily no one witnessed it."  Nigel picks up Shadow and moves back across the bridge, following Alleyne.  Agarn casts Fog to help cover his move.

Nigel and Shadow engage a thief

Agarn helping Nigel

Up on the old ruined bridge, Hatch is heading toward the exit point with a chest strapped to his back.  As he does so, an arrow goes whizzing by his head.  "Keep running.  I got this" yells Doyle.  Doyle advances across a wooden walkway towards the ranger who had appeared on a nearby tower.  As the ranger is reaching for another arrow, Doyle lunges low and strikes the ranger with a decent blow.  He follows through, giving the ranger a shoulder block.  The ranger teeters on one foot before falling from the tower; landing with a loud thud (Doyle won combat and pushed the ranger back 1"; the fall plus the previous damage was enough to take him out of the game). 

Overhead view of the area to Bemis' front

Around this time, the sky was extremely dark and visibility was waning.  Bemis could feel a great surge of magical energy in the air.  He had nothing else to channel it into so he cast Fog to cover Doyle's movement.  Agarn did the same to cover the movement on his side.  Piko heads out the area carrying a treasure chest on his shoulder.

9Toe and Niko are making their way to the exit area when they are attacked by a thief from the Elementalist's warband.  Niko fights and is forced back.  The thief then moves toward 9Toe and his treasure.  Niko jumps in again, and is once more forced back.  9Toe holds his own and forces the thief back.  As 9Toie turns to run away, his mind goes blank momentarily and he starts to head away from the exit.....but he quickly shakes it off and resumes moving back towards Bemis' rendezvous point (The Necromancer's apprentice cast Mind Control but 9Toe made his will save).

Bemis and Agarn continued to back out of the ruins, each casting Fog one more time to ensure no stray arrows or spells would hinder their movement.


Post game photo op with recovered treasure

Four treasures and only one casualty - Shadow - who fully recovered from his encounter with Quail's animal abusing thief.

The treasure haul included: Sword of Undead Slaying, Cloak of Protection, one Grimoire (Grenade), three scrolls (Elemental Bolt, Raise Zombie, and Write Scroll), and 70 gold coins.  Bemis was immensely happy about finding all the scrolls and the grimoire, not so much about the small amount of gold.  He perused all the documents, noting the different writing styles of the scrolls, and admiring the leather detail and binding on the grimoire.  As he was doing so, he felt a tremendous surge of insight (successfully cast Absorb Knowledge).  He couldn't wait to have time to explore the writings in more detail.

Bemis decided he needed to search for a suitable base of operations, an old library or abandoned wizard's tower might work.  He would send some of the lads out in the next few days to scout about for possible locations.

For now, he had some reading to attend to......

******
A great game only marred by the absence of two of our players.  Bemis, being an academic, lacks damage spells so the addition of Grenade will be closely considered.  It will be a 12 to cast but may come in handy.

Bemis managed to earn 390 experience points:  4 treasures x 50, 50 for being on the table during the eclipse, 9 spells successfully cast x 10, and 50 from Absorb Knowledge.

Nigel's poor performance earned him 20 experience plus his cut of the gold, 7 gold coins.  Maybe some new clothes are in his future.

My apologies for the lack of photos, I got caught up in the excitement of the game.

Frostgrave Campaign - 2017

Bemis is collector of books, tomes, scrolls - he is an avid reader and spends much of time with his nose buried between the pages.  Except when he is engaged in his other life's passion - magic.  He reads to gain knowledge which in turn expands his abilities as a magic user.  He also likes to write; copying spells, recording his day-to-day activities, and documenting his discoveries.  Though if truth be told, his discoveries have been few in number.  But nonetheless, that has never dampened his desire to learn and experiment.  Which bring us to his current status.....

Bemis had lived Deltenberg for many years but that came to an abrupt end.  After a failed magic experiment caused half the town to burn down (including his own private library much to his dismay), Bemis decides to flee before the authorities find out he caused the fire.  He quickly sells what he can and heads out looking for new adventures - and more books; taking his young apprentice with him.

Agarn was a young orphaned boy grubbing for food in the streets.  A few years ago, Bemis caught him trying to pick his pocket.  Instead of turning him into a toad, or reporting him to the town constable, he decided to give the kid a future and took him on as an apprentice.  With a new sense of self-worth, plus room and board, Agarn was trying his best to be a good student.  He had learned much from Bemis but was still prone to spellcasting errors.  He has never told Bemis that it was his fault the experiment went awry.  Agarn had given his master the wrong ingredient.....

Bemis giving lessons to his young apprentice Agarn

Perched atop an overloaded wagon, drawn by two scrawny donkeys, his travels finally bring him to the outskirts of Felstad.  Here Bemis is told he can find fame and fortune if he has the moxy to brave the dangers of the ancient city.

Bemis first heard of Felstad from a tome that detailed the exploits of a famous Druid who made a name for himself exploring and recovering forgotten treasures.  Much of what he read was later confirmed as even today many of the locals still talk about his legendary exploits.

Bemis has befriended a crusty old campaigner who calls himself Captain Nigel.  Like himself, Nigel has also recently arrived in the area and is looking for employment.  He is leading a band of men he calls the Hawken Free Company.  They do look like a motley assortment of down-on-their-luck ruffians. 

With the easing of the extreme cold weather, the adventuring season will soon to be upon him.  Bemis decides to hire the entire band with what little gold he has remaining.  He hopes he is not making a mistake, only time will tell......

Looking forward to the first game this weekend (14 January 2017).