Kage Gordain - Chapter 5: Crossbones Island

(Read the previous chapter here.)

Game System: Tunnels & Trolls

Tools: Johnn Four’s 5 Room Dungeons;  rpgsolo.com solo engine; other random generators

Setup

Now that the party has actually made it to the island, I can begin to use the published adventure on which this campaign is based. If you remember from chapters one and two, I chose an adventure from Johnn Four’s book “5 Room Dungeons”.  While the term is “5 room,” a better description would be “5 stage dungeon” as the various areas may not be physical rooms. Instead, it is a dungeon or adventure that has five parts with each part playing a particular role. Room one is the entrance or guardian. Room 2 offers some puzzle or roleplaying challenge. Room 3 is a trick or a setback. Room 4 contains the final big battle or climax. Finally, room 5 holds the reward, revelation or another plot twist.

The scenarios in Johnn Four’s book aren’t meticulously detailed and populated like a formal RPG module. Instead, they offer general descriptions of the story and contents of each of the five areas, leaving it up to the GM to fill in the exact details. To avoid spoiling the adventure for myself, I used a method based on this article.  First I zoomed out of the PDF till it was approximately 25% the normal size. Then I used the reader's magnification tool (such as Acrobat Reader’s Loupe Tool) to display only a small part of the text and read just enough to be able to move the story along.

[Scene 1]

The crew of the Skylark have lowered a tender and dropped a rope ladder over the side of the ship for boarding. Kelseen and Dalen are outfitted, as they have been for most of this journey, in their scale armor. only now they are fully armed. From Dalen’s belt hangs his broad axe and sax. Kelseen is equipped with her +1 broadsword and crossbow. Both have their target shields slung across their backs.

For the first time, Kristopher wears the simple suit of leather armor which he borrowed from Kage Gordain’s common stash. Also on loan are his scimitar and dirk.

Easily the most exquisitely dressed member of the group is the elf Sylralie. The wizard wears a custom-fitted suit of sapphire blue leather armor, highlighted with silver hemming that closely matches her short wave of hair. Draped across her back is a hooded cloak of the same blue and silver color, currently with the hood up. Finishing the ensemble is a leather belt and a pair of sleek boots that end just above the knee, both colored a darker royal blue. In addition to the Bich’wa Dagger that hangs from her belt, Syl is armed with a long ash staff, a snake’s head carved into the top.

“Your tender is ready,” Captain Pollard tells the party. “I will be sending two crew members to assist with the journey ashore and anything else you might need. This is Master Fernmaker and Midshipman Byrd.” The captain indicates two men standing by the ladder. To Kelseen’s disappointment, she recognizes Byrd as the red-headed sailor who challenged her at the mess hall door. She says nothing but gives the Midshipman a challenging glare that continues once they are seated aboard the tender.

          ST  DX  IN  LK CON  SP  WZ  CH  ADDS  

FERNMAKER 10  13   8  10  8   13  10  11  +2   

BYRD      10  16  12  11  9   8   12   9  +4   

Each is wearing a leather jerkin and greaves (Blocks 3 points) and is armed with a sabre (3d6+4)

Midshipman Byrd mans the oars and begins rowing for Crossbones Island. Kristopher and Dalen engage Master Ferntaker in idle chat, swapping stories. Every now and they Sylralei interjects a word here or there but is much more interested in the staring match between Byrd and Kelseen. When the boat is about halfway to shore Sylralei’s curiosity gets the best of her.

“What’s up with the two of you?” she asks leaning forward. “Kel, you’re looking at him like he stood you up for a date.”

Without breaking her gaze, Kelseen answers. “He thinks you’re afraid of mice.”

Sylralei’s eyebrows rise as she nods slightly in some personal understanding before leaning back. “I’d be careful if I were you, sailor. Make her mad and I can’t help you. You’re on your own.”

“Like I would need a woman’s help,” Byrd snarls.

“Okay, Arlo. Take it easy,” The Master calls out from the back of the tender.

“Why should I?” Byrd asks.

“‘Cause,” Dalen answers, “There’s four of us and only two of you.”

Byrd blows off the comment with a laugh. “And strand yourselves on the island? I don’t think so.”

“Trust me, Arlo” Kristopher cuts in, using the Midshipman’s first name, “We know how to row a boat just fine.”

The sailor offers no reply, but just keeps rowing in silence the rest of the way to shore.

[Scene 2 - Room 1: Entrance & Guardian]

After about thirty minutes the small craft makes it to shore. After the party climbs out the two crewmen pull the boat up onto the beach. 

While Sylralie and Dalen discuss the best course of action, Kristopher steps away to scan the beach, looking for any signs that the previous scouting parties made it this far. He saw no boats, debris, or bodies. Turning back to the others, he takes a step and feels something under his boot. Kicking away the sand he sees a small leather pouch tied off with a strap.

“Hey,” he calls to the others. “I found something!”  

[Are there any signs of the other two expeditions on the beach? (50/50 | 7[d10]) Yes

Is it a boat? (50/50 | 5[d10]) No, but… it’s something else

Is it bones? (50/50 | 1[d10]) No, and…  It is something belonging to a previous crew member, but it’s small and requires an L3SR on Luck to spot.

Luck Rolls: Kris is the only one to succeed with a 38 (6,6,6,3+17LK=38)]

Kris opens the pouch and examines the contents. Inside he finds 20 gold coins, a tooth, and a needle and thread. [RG except for coins] He shows the coins to Master Ferntaker.

“That’s Sirisea currency, all right,” he confirms.

“It’s a good guess that at least one of the first crews made it to the island,” Dalen says. “This must be one of the men’s money pouch. He must have dropped it.” 

“Or he could have been killed by some animal and eaten,” suggests Kelseen, “And this is all that is left of him, the rest being dragged off, washed out to sea or blown away.”

[Each character makes an L2 perception roll against Luck. This is to see if they notice something. I’m only awarding AP for successful rolls since it is not an active attempt by the character to see something. Kris and Byrd succeed.]

While Dalen is speaking, Kristopher catches a glimpse of something further inland at the edge of the jungle. He turns to tell the others when he sees Byrd also scanning the jungle. 

“Did you see that?” Kristopher asks.

“Yeah, something’s watching us.”

“Hey,” Kris calls out, getting everyone’s attention. “We think there’s something in the jungle.”

Each person prepares their weapon. Kelseen loads a bolt in her crossbow and aims in the direction of an anticipated attack. Syl mulls through two different spells, waiting to see which one will be best for this situation. 

“So, do we wait for them to come to us,” Kris asks, “Or do we . . . “

Before he can finish his sentence [1d6] 2 jaguars and [1d6] 3 panthers rush out of the jungle toward the group.

[Each cat has a Monster Rating, or MR of 34. MR represents both the attack strength end health of a monster. To determine how many dice a monster, or group of monsters, will roll, you divide their combined MR by 10, then add 1. In addition, monsters get half their MR in combat adds. So in this case, the five cats have a combined MR of 170, so they attack with 170/10 = 17+1 = 18 dice and 170/2 = 85 combat adds. The combined MR is also their CON. As they take damage their MR is reduced. When MR hits 0 the monsters are dead. As MR drops, so does a monster’s attack strength. For the most part, I will assess damage to the monster’s total MR. However, should there be an instance where it is necessary to track an individual monster’s heath (such as a missile attack that damages a specific opponent), I will take note of that. ]

Kelseen aims her crossbow at one of the jaguars, waiting for it to close the distance. Syl stays steps behind the line of fighters and mutters the words that will cast Vorpal Blade on the party’s weapons. [All swords and daggers’ attacks scores are doubled for one round.] The rest steel themselves to meet the oncoming rush. 

When the jungle cats are within 25 feet of reaching them Kelseen lets her bolt fly. The projectile flies high and misses the jaguar, but Sylralie follows up with a magic attack of her own. Uttering the words Take That You Fiend, the elf sends a blast of energy from her outstretched hand toward one of the jaguars. It hits squarely, sending the animal tumbling. The other cats are momentarily startled by the blast, causing them to veer their path a bit. [TTYF inflicts damage to a single target equal to the spellcaster’s INT, in this case 15. Per the spell's description, the blast also has a shock effect on the rest of the enemy. This doesn’t cause damage, per se, but could result in them being distracted and hit by the rest of the party. Mechanically, this means the spellcaster’s INT is added to the total attack score.] The group takes advantage of this and press the attack while the animals are momentarily distracted.

Kristopher feels a rush of adrenaline as he swings his scimitar. This is the first time he has battled with a group since his squad was captured by the border patrol and he was separated from them. Of course, this is also the first time he has engaged in battle as a member of Kage Gordain . . . and he is enjoying the fight. The lone warrior hadn’t realized how much he missed being part of a team until this very moment.

Around him Kelseen and Dalen swing fiercely with their sword and axe, cutting through the animal’s hides. Syl has also joined the melee, jabbing jaguars with her quarterstaff and kicking panthers with the heel of her boot. Even the naval men are holding their own against the creatures. Every now and then a cat gets claw or bite in past the group’s defenses, but for the most part, their armor protects them.

The jaguar that took the brunt of Syl’s spell falls first, followed closely by one of the panthers. Ferntaker finds himself overpowered by the feline he had engaged and receives a bite on the leg before Dalen drives his axe into the back of the jaguar’s skull. Byrd is doing a fair job of fending off the remaining panther when he trips and falls on his back. Immediately the beast pounces and the Midshipman is just able to get his hands up and grab it by the throat. They struggle and the cat’s jaws inch closer to the man’s face. Byrd cries out as drool drips from the panther’s fangs into his eyes. At the exact moment Byrd’s strength gives out, he is drenched with a spray of blood as the animal collapses on top of him. He opens his eyes to see Kelseen standing over him, her sword driven through the panther’s neck. She pulls the blade from the carcass, wipes it clean on the animal’s hide and turns away, leaving the naval man to wiggle his way out from under the panther himself.

[Combat:

Round 1:

Kelseen needs to make a L4SR on DEX to hit with her crossbow. The SR level is based on distance and size of opponent (with some personal adjustments to the Version 5 rules because I feel their difficulty is too high.). She rolled a 17 and failed.

Syl casts Vorpal Blade.

Round 2:

Kelseen switched to her +1 Broadsword for the remainder of the battle and Syl casts TTYF for 15 damage.

Cats (MR 170, 18 dice + 85) = 161 (5 Spite damage)    Party: (17 dice+48) = 198 (6 Spite)

Party wins by 37 points. Since the rest of the battle is all melee, I will not be tracking individual MR for each cat.

Spite damage occurs when a “6” is rolled on the attack dice. Each “6” equals one point of damage assessed against the opponent. This damage is not blocked by armor. I rolled to randomly determine who in the party received any spite damage dealt by the cats.

Round 3:

Syl battles with her quarterstaff for the remainder of the fight.

Cats (MR 113, 12 dice + 57) = 96    Party (19 dice+51) = 116 (1 Spite)

Party wins by 20

Round 4:

Cats (MR 93, 10 dice + 47) = 90 (1 Spite)    Party (19 dice+51) = 106 (1 Spite)

Party wins by 16.

Round 5

Cats (MR 73, 8 dice + 37) = 76 (1 Spite)    Party (19 dice+51) = 125 (4 Spite)

Party wins by 49.

Round 6

Cats (MR 21, 3 dice + 11) = 21    Party (19 dice+51) = Adds alone are enough to end battle.

The only damage taken by the party was spite damage. Remaining CON is as follows:

Kr 17   Syl 16    Kel 10    Dal 18    Fer 6    Byrd 7

Syl spent 7 WIZ points during the battle.

The main party members are each awarded 43 AP (Total MR divided equally).]

With the initial threat taken care of, the party discusses their next move and decide the best course of action would be to head toward the cliffs. If there is anything to find on Crossbones Island, there is as good a place as any to look. At the very least, it will give them an overhead view of the island. Ferntaker and Byrd, concerned that they would be outnumbered if there were any more creatures around, feel it’s best if they stick with the party.

“You are a terrible shot,” Byrd says to Kelseen as he walks past her. “But you handle that sword mighty well. Thanks.” 

A subtle smile crosses Kel’s face upon hearing the equally subtle compliment.

[Do the sailors travel with the party?

(Likely [due to chance of another cat attack] | 10[d10]) Yes, and… Byrd gives Kelseen a compliment]

Dalen agrees to take the lead and Kelseen hands him her compass. Master Ferntaker follows behind the dwarf with Kristopher, Sylralie, and Byrd behind him. Kelseen is last, guarding the rear flank. There are enough breaks in the foliage that Dalen has a reasonably easy time keeping the cliffs in sight and, whenever the trees grew exceptionally thick, the compass keeps the party on course. Skittering sounds and snapping branches can be heard all around, but no more beasts dare challenge the party. After a couple of hours the group senses they are nearing the base of the cliffs.

[The party had to make 3 INT Saving Rolls out of 10 attempts to navigate the jungle, adding an extra save for every 3 failures. The roll was based on the highest INT stat of the group (15) and the level of each SR was randomly determined to simulate environmental changes. Along with each attempt, an encounter check was made. The use of the compass, which added 10 to SRs, made this challenge rather easy. The party succeeded after only three rolls and there were no encounters. Enough time passed that Syl regained all her WIZ. SR points were split among the group for AP.]

[Scene 3 - Room 2: Puzzle Challenge]

As they near the base of the cliffs the ground grows spongier underfoot. Dalen dismisses the change as due to rainwater running off the slopes and saturating the ground in the immediate area. After a few more steps, however, the dwarf suddenly sinks to his waist and can no longer feel the ground under his feet. Ferntaker, acting out of instinct, moves forward to assist. The sinking dwarf tries to warn him but isn’t fast enough as the Master also finds himself sinking in quicksand. Kristopher immediately stops and keeps the rest of the troop from advancing.

[The party had to make four successful saves against their Luck to avoid the quicksand.

Step One: Dalen failed a L3 SR.  Ferntaker’s save was a L2 (time to react to Dalen’s predicament), but he also failed. Kris only needed a L1, being third in line. He succeeded. No one else would have been required to make a SR as they would have had sufficient time to stop.

To be rescued, a rescuer must first have some item for the victim to grab onto. Then each must simultaneously succeed a SR, the victim against DEX and the rescuer against STR. After 3 fails the victim starts taking 1d6 damage.]

Kelseen rushes from the back of the line to assist, grabbing the staff Syl holds out to her as she passes. She reaches the end with the snake’s head out to Dalen who grabs hold of it. While Kel pulls Dalen to safety, Kristopher and Byrd search frantically for a branch or vine. [Both fail L2 Luck checks.]

Kel quickly checks to make sure Dalen is on solid ground before going to assist Ferntaker. Byrd is able to find a sturdy branch and reaches it out to his crewmate who tries but cannot grab hold of the end. Beginning to sink faster, the Master panics. By now Kelseen has also extended the quarterstaff to the man desperately trying to stay afloat.

“Stop flailing!” Kel calls out. “It’ll only make you sink faster. Grab the staff.”

Ferntaken reaches for both the branch and staff as the quicksand meets his chin. He is able to take hold of Kelseen’s staff, but his grip slips off on the first tug. His head goes under as the warrior thrusts the staff into the quicksand hoping the man can make one final grab.

“Wesley,” Byrd calls out. “Grab the staff!”

Kelseen pokes around waiting for a tug to let her know that Ferntaken has a hold . . . a tug that never comes. Though she knows it is over, Kel waits several moments before finally pulling the end of the staff out of the bog and handing it back to Syl.

“What are you doing?” Byrd protests. “Don’t stop! You can still save him!”

“He’s gone,” Kelseen says.

“No. Does anyone have a rope? I’ll go in after him.”

“Don’t be foolish,” Kristopher admonishes. “You’ll get yourself killed.”

“But . . . but . . . “

“You got to let it go,” Dalen advises.

Byrd gives Kelseen a long accusing glare before turning and storming away.

“Watch out for more quicksand,” Syl casually warns with an air of indifference. 

[The entire incident took 5 rounds. Dalen and Kel both passed their saves on turn 1.  Ferntaker didn’t have anything to grab onto until round 2. He failed the next two attempts and started taking damage. He finally succeeded on round 5 and randomly grabbed Kel’s staff. Unfortunately, Kel failed her STR check. Ferntaker was down to 0 CON but I gave him one last chance, which he failed.]

[Scene 4]

After giving Byrd some time to himself away from the group, the party retrieves the mourning sailor and constructs a plan to move forward. Kristopher agrees to take the lead, as he is a bit more dexterous than the dwarf. [He has both higher LK and DEX.] He will tie one end of Dalen’s rope around his waist and Kelseen, one of the strongest party members, will follow, holding the other end. Dalen will take Kelseen’s position at the rear of the line and the others will be in the middle. 

[Kris needs to pass 3 more SRs, however, the difficulty is lowered to L2 since they are aware of the danger.]

They walk for several minutes without incident before Kris feels the ground slip out underneath him. Kelseen is quick to react and, once Kris is able to get a good grip on the rope, she pulls him out easily.

A few steps later they see a break in the trees and the base of the cliffs just beyond. Eager to get out of the bog, Kris picks up the pass only to realize he is not out of danger yet. He falls into yet another patch of quicksand and needs Kel to pull him out.

[Kris fails 2 of the 3 remaining checks, but is rescued within two turns both times.]

Safely out of the woods, the party decides to make camp and rest for the evening before going any further.

[Scene 5]

The group has built a small fire and have recently finished eating some of the rations they have brought with them. Midshipman Byrd settles down about 30 feet away from the rest to be alone while Kel tries to catch some sleep before her watch later that evening.  Dalen, Kris and Syl sit around the fire discussing the days events.

“It felt good to battle alongside a group again,” Kris admits to his new friends. “It was like when I was sent on missions with my Squad.”

“You mean raids?” Dalen corrects.

“We preferred the term missions. Until you rescued me from that pirate Frogbeard I didn’t know if I would ever experience that again. I owe you two for that.” Turning toward Sylralie, he continues, “Thank you for recommending me to Garlen. It’s good to have purpose. You can always count on me to have your back.”

“Don’t say that,” Sly responds.

“But . . . I just . . . “

“No!” She firmly cuts him off and stands. “The best advice I can give you is this: take care of yourself first. You remember that and you’ll do fine.” Before Kris can respond the elf spins and leaves him and Dalen sitting at the fire.

“What’s her story?” Kris asks.

“Oh, she certainly has one,” Dalen confirms, “But it’s hers to tell, not mine.” The dwarf lets that sink in for a moment before adding, “But something tells me she trusts you. Just give her some time.”

End of Chapter 5

Author’s note:

Thanks for reading Kage Gordain. I hope you are enjoying the story and the gameplay. I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that I will be on a family vacation for the next couple of weeks and I doubt I will be progressing this story during that time. As is, it usually takes me a couple of weeks to play and post a chapter. Unfortunately, for this story’s sake, I expect this break to push Chapter 6 out to three weeks or more. I mention this primarily to assure you I haven’t abandoned this campaign and it will pick up again in November. In the meantime, I am hoping to experiment with some short solo roleplay ideas while I am on vacation.  If anything comes out of that I will be sure to post it.

(Read the next chapter here.)

Kage Gordain - Chapter 4: The Port of Sirisea

(Read the previous chapter here.)

Game System: Tunnels & Trolls

Tools: rpgsolo.com solo engine; r/BehindTheTables; d30 Sandbox Companion, other random generators

[The above tools contain affiliate links.]

Setup

Everyone received 25 AP for the journey to Sirisea.

The party spends one day to recover in a local inn. At some time during that time, Dalen buys 40’ rope. Each character spends 1 gp for room and board.

I made an encounter check for the day of rest. d6=2 no event.

[Scene 1]

Isabel Mistspillter is sitting at her large desk, penning a letter to [RPGSolo: Relentless musician] a minstrel group calling themselves “Attitude of the Stage.” “Attitude” has contacted the Governor's office multiple times asking to be the main performers for the upcoming Festival of Youth celebration. Mistsppillter’s carefully worded rejection letter is nearly complete when her assistant ushers a visitor into the office. She holds up a halting hand while finishing the last sentence. She signs the letter, hastily sprinkles the parchment with sand, and hands it to the assistant for delivery after folding and sealing it.

With that out of the way, the Governor now focuses her attention on the woman standing before her. She is of average height with broad shoulders and muscular arms and legs. Her auburn hair is cut short. She is wearing a full set of scale mail and holds a helmet under her arm. Hanging from her belt is a broad sword and strapped to her back is a crossbow and quiver of bolts.

“Greetings, Your Governorship,” the visitor says, standing at attention. “My name is Kelseen Havensorrow and I am here on behalf of Kage Gordain. Kage, myself and a couple of other associates are prepared for our mission.”

[From PlayEveryRole.com: The PC gives: an awed response]

“Four of you!” the Governor exclaims, impressed. “Wow, I didn’t think our concerns would warrant that much attention. I honestly expected just Mr. Gordain and possibly one hireling to do little more than assess the situation and offer some possible courses of action.”

“Ma’am, I can assure you Mr. Gordain takes your concerns seriously and considers it his personal responsibility to remedy any situation as best as he is able, to your satisfaction.”

[Does the Gov. question Kage's absence?

(50/50 | 4[d10]) No +Event: Cruelty / Possessions (to be addressed later)

Does the Gov. have a ship secured to take the party to the island?

(Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and… (it’s the naval galley that was looking for the Horizon.)]

“I am glad to hear that,” Mistspillter says in response to Kelseen’s explanation. “The vessel that will be taking you to Crossbones Isle . . . yes, that is the official name of the island listed on the deed . . . the vessel is called the Skylark. It has actually just returned to port after searching for your own delayed vessel. The Skylark is on loan to us from Orthon, our allies to the south. It is a navy ship, so it does have some weaponry and trained men, should you encounter any trouble. Here is the information you will need. The Skylark’s Captain also has a copy. Good luck. I look forward to your return.”

She hands Kelseen a pack of documents. The warrior woman gives a slight bow of the head in salutation and leaves the office building. 

[Time for the event rolled above: Cruelty / Possessions]

Several blocks from the government building the finer business and establishments thin out until Kelseen finds herself walking past dilapidated homes and seedy inns. Such neighborhoods are typical near seaports and primarily support the dockworkers and sailors. Just about the time Kelseen is able to the masts of some of the taller ships poking up over the roofs,  (1d4) two rough-looking figures step out of an alleyway and block her progress. The taller of the two is a human male holding a club. His partner is a halfling armed with a short sword. Both are wearing leather jerkins.

[T&T Combat: In most tabletop RPG’s combat is handled as individual attacks against a specific opponent. In Tunnels & Trolls, projectile combat, magic, and stunts (officially referred to as “Unusual Combat” in the version 5 rules) are the only actions that are one-on-one. All other combat is handled as group-on-group.

Every combat round, each character or monster rolls a certain number of d6 dice and adds to the result their “combat adds” (points added to the dice roll). The number of dice and adds are determined by such factors as a weapon, character stats, and monster rating. After all of a party’s characters have rolled, their individual attack scores are added together to form a single score for the entire party. The opposing party does the same and both numbers are compared. The party with the highest number wins the round and the losing party takes damage equal to the difference between the two numbers. The damage is distributed among the various members of the losing party. While there are of course exceptions to the above, this describes about 80% of T&T combat.

This method of combat poses some particular narrative challenges for the solo-roleplayer. First, there is no description of unique actions taken by individual character to inspire the narrative. Second, if each roll is considered a real round of combat, that would mean that only one party lands any blows while all the other party totally misses. This is not representative of normal combat rounds where there is usually a give and take.

Therefore, this is how I plan on handling combat narration. I will typically conduct the entire combat first. Then, depending on the results of each round, I will construct a story that loosely follows the order of combat but arrives at the final results.

For this first encounter, I will present the final narrative first, then explain the mechanics at the end. As I have done in the past, I will go into great detail for this first encounter to help give the reader a feel for the mechanics, but only list significant or interesting rolls for future encounters.]

“That’s a fine looking sword you’ve got there,” says the human, eyeing the weapon hanging from Kelseen’s belt.

“That it is,” Kelseen agrees.

“And that money purse looks kinda nice, as well,” says the halfling, eyeing the pouch also hanging from her belt.

“Yes, I am kinda attached to it.” Kelseen replies.

The two rogues step closer to Kelseen in unison. “I think it’s about time you became unattached to it,” says the human, tapping his club against his palm.

Once they are in striking the red-haired warrior kicks out with her right leg, landing the flat of her foot square in the halfling’s chest. With an audible expulsion of breath, the thief is lifted off the ground as he flies back several feet, tumbling to the ground, and losing his grip on his sword. In the moment it takes the human to watch his friend fly, Kelseen draws her own broadsword from its sheath and rakes the point across his belly, slicing through the leather jerkin.

The wounded man puts one hand to the cut but doesn’t hesitate in his counterattack. Unfortunately for him, it isn’t fast enough and is struck down dead with a second swing of Kelseen’s sword.

Turning her attention to the second thief who is still trying to catch his breath, Kelseen waits patiently as he slowly gets to his feet and retrieves his weapon.

“Your partner’s dead. Run along now,” she suggests, giving the halfling every attempt to save his own skin.

“You think you are so tough,” he snarls and charges, weapon held high.

Kelseen lets out a mild sigh as she steps aside and stabs with her broadsword.  The halfling is unable to avoid the strike due to his own momentum. The blade slides in between his ribs, killing him instantly.

As the dead man slumps to the ground, Kelseen looks around at the people who have stopped to watch but are cautiously keeping their distance. 

“They tripped,” she explains, resheathing her broadsword and walking away toward the docks.

They tripped.

[I randomly rolled two thieves: a human and a halfling and randomly chose a weapon and armor (either shirt or leather jerkin) for each. Next, I rolled stats.
Weapon on 6d 1-3: Dirk  4-5: club  6: short sword    EVEN: Shirt ODD: Leather jerkin

     ST  DX  IN  LK  CON SP  WZ  CH  ADDS  WPN
HUM  11  10  10  13  16  12  8  12  +1   Club, Lthr Jerkin
HFL  8  11   7  14  12  12  13  9   +2  Sht Swd, Lthr Jerkin

The human, armed with a club, would roll 3d6 and +1 add. The halfling, armed with a short sword, would roll 3d6 and +2 adds. Together, their attack would be 6d6 + 3 adds.

Kelseen, armed with a +1 broad sword would attack with 3d6 +12 adds. 

I didn’t like these odds, so I wanted to even things up a bit by having Kelseen attempt a stunt, namely kicking the Halfling down. While stunts, or Unusual Combat, is discussed in the T&T rules, very little details are given and it is pretty much up to the GM’s discretion to assign an appropriate Saving Roll Level and Stat. 

I decided the SR would be against DEX. As for level, I compared both STR and DEX. . Kelseen has higher STR and they are even on DEX, which I felt put the roll teetering on L1 to L2. The kicker, however, (no pun intended) is Kelseen’s Brawling talent. While technically it only gives advantage to STR rolls, I felt it was applicable in determining SR Level, and therefore required only a L1 SR for success (Target: 20).

Kelseen rolled double 6’s, giving her an additional roll: 6,6,1,3=16 + 10 DEX = 26 total.

Turns out she would have succeeded on at L2 anyway! Had she failed she would have a penalty assessed to her next combat round, but I will discuss that if/when it happens in the future.

Halfling down for (1d4) 4 turns.

Does Kelseen have her shield? d6 1-4: yes 5-6: no  1=yes, which means she can absorb an additional 8 points of damage.

Finally, it’s time for combat.

Turn 1: Human (3d6+1): 12 vs.   Kelseen (3d6+12): 27  
             Kelseen wins by 15 points. The Human’s leather absorbs 1. Total Dmg: 14  Hum: 2 CON

Turn 2: Human: 10   Kelseen: 25  Kelseen wins. Dmg: 15-1  Hum: -12 CON  Dead.

Halfling is technically down for 2 more turns, but Kelseen is gracious enough not to attack when he is down. He does need to make a morale check, however. I use my own personal reaction table and modifiers that are based on OSRICs rules. Halfling would need to make a 50% or less roll. He rolls 16 and stupidly stays to fight.

Turn 3: Halfling (3d6+2): 13     Kelseen (3d6+12): 27 
           Kelseen wins. Dmg.: 14-1 (for leather)=13   Halfling: -1 CON

Not the best example to demonstrate the group combat dynamic, but I think you have an idea of how T&T combat works.]

[Scene 2]

The next morning, Dalen sits on the edge of a crate down at the docks. Grouped around in front of him are about ten boys and girls. They listen intently as the dwarf, dressed in full scale mail and broad axe hanging at his side, tells them a story about a seaside village much like their own. This village was protected by a large, green dragon named El’Ott who had befriended a young boy who lived there. 

“One night,” Dalen tells the rapt children, “A violent storm blew in, covering the coast with rain and wind. It was so bad, the flame in the lighthouse was blown out. Now, El’Ott was flying just off-shore when he spotted a ship struggling to get to the port. It was having a hard time due to all the waves, but worse, because the lighthouse was out, the ship was in danger of running ashore. The dragon knew he had to help.”

The children’s eyes widen with excitement. 

“Flying swiftly, El’Ott reached the lighthouse in mere seconds. The lighthouse owner flew the widows open wide around the doused beacon so the beast could blast it with his fiery breath. El’Ott made several attempts but to no avail. The wick was soaked. Looking back at sea, the dragon saw the ship getting closer and knew he had one last chance. Taking a deep breath, El’Ott let out one last, long stream of flames. The constant heat dried the wick as it finally caught fire, lighting up the sky. The ship, just feet away from the jagged rocks, saw the warning and was able to change course. 

“And that, kids, is how El’Ott the dragon saved all the sailors on the ship that night!”

The kids cheer and ask for another story, however, Dalen notices that Kristopher had approached moments before to let the dwarf know they were ready to sail. “I’m sorry, kids, but I have to go on more adventures. Maybe when I’m back ashore I will tell you another.”

The children scatter while Dalen joins Kristopher and the two walk down the dock to the Skylark.

“You really get a kick out of telling your stories to those children, don’t you,” the former outlaw asks.

“Of course!” Dalen answers emphatically. “That’s the main reason I go on these missions. To have real-life experiences that I can turn into children’s tales. The gold is nice, but the expression on their little faces is the real treasure!”

“So that’s why you write everything down in that leather book of yours.”

“A story-teller can never have enough tales.”

Kristopher thinks about the story Dalen just finished moments ago. “So, are all the stories you tell based on real adventures?”

“They sure are,” Dalen confirms.

“So, a dragon really saved a ship by lighting a beacon?”

“Giants, no!” the dwarf exclaims. “The dragon was actually frying the lighthouse’s owner because he stole some of the beast’s treasure. The fact that the ship saw the flame and was able to avoid the rocks was just a coincidence. But that version is a bit too horrific for the boys and girls. Mine is a bit more palatable.”

[Crossbones Island is (2d10) 140 miles off-shore, or about 3 days travel per Basic Fantasy RPG rules for a sailing ship similar to the Skylark.

I will be following the same sailing rules as the previous trip on the Horizon. The Skylark’s navigator has an INT of 17.

After Kelseen returned the previous afternoon, the party easily located the Skylark and met with the naval ship’s captain. He was told to expect them and explained that they will be sailing in the morning and the four should rest up for the journey. 

The night passed uneventfully and no one came searching for Kelseen to ask why she left two corpses in the middle of the road. She figured that either the bystanders saw she was being attacked or the two bandits had a reputation and the villagers were glad to see them dead. Of course, Governor Mistspillter could have heard about it and used her influence to protect the Kelseen from questioning. Regardless, it appeared there would be no consequences.

In the morning they loaded their stuff on the ship and Dalen, seeing they had some time before departure, went off to pass the time entertain the locals until Kristopher came to fetch him.

Sylralei and Kelseen are waiting at the end of the Skylark’s gangplank when the human and dwarf arrive. Sly and Kristopher are dressed in comfortable clothes, while Dalen and Kelseen are both wearing their full armor: Dalen because he thinks it adds to the storytelling he just finished with the children; Kelseen because . . . well, just because. The four board the ship together. 

At the top of the plank, they pass a group of sailors. Kelseen clearly hears one, a young man with dark-red sideburns that meet his moustache, complaining to his fellow crew.

“Can you believe this? Women have no business on a naval ship. And look at that one, wearing armor. What a joke. I bet she’s scared of mice.”

A couple of his friends chuckle, but most keep silent. One or two even walk away.

The naval craft sets sail under an overcast sky. An hour into the voyage rain begins to fall. While it is nothing as strong as what they encountered during their journey to Sirisea, is does continue for several hours.

[Day 1: Weather per d30 Sandbox companion: 7 Non-Severe Cells, lasting several hours with a few inches of rain and mild to moderate winds. Enough to require a L2 navigation SR (Target 25). The roll of 26 is a success.

Encounter: d6=1, encounter. From r/BehindTheTables: “A sleepy [sailor] pushes the party to one side and says "outta ma way cur. Yer blocking the way to the mess hall."]

Later that afternoon, Kelseen and Dalen are standing on deck, deep in conversation when a group of three sailors approaches. Kelseen recognizes the lead sailor as the young man who seemed to take issue with women boarding the ship. The group stops in front of Kelseen and Dalen.

“Outta the way, wench,” the red-haired sailor demands, indicating the door behind Kelseen. “You’re blockin’ our way to the mess hall.”

Instead of moving, Kelseen straightens up and challenges the sailor’s progress. Both their eyes narrow as they face off.

After several moments, Kelseen is the first to speak. “I’m not the one who’s afraid of mice!” she hisses.

The sailor says nothing, confused at Kelseen’s meaning.

Eventually, Kelseen steps aside just enough for the sailors to pass, but not enough for them to pass unhindered. As each man brushes against the her, she’s sure to give them a healthy nudge with a stiff shoulder.

[Scene 3]

[Day 2:  Encounter: 4 None
Weather: 2 Clear skies
Navigation: L1SR (Target 20) = 3,2,17=22 Success!

Day 3: Encounter: 2 None
Weather: 3 Non-severe cells with a couple of inches of rain and moderate winds
Navigation: L2SR (Target 25) 4,4,2,3,17=30 Success!]

The next couple of days are uneventful as the skies are clear and sunny, for the most part. The Skylark does encounter a little rain and wind near the end of the third day of the journey, but the navigator and crew are well skilled and the ship easily stays it’s course. The captain tells the party that he expects to reach Crossbones Island by morning.

Sylralie awakens early the next morning and can feel that the ship has come to a standstill. Throwing on some clothes, she leaves her cabin heads above deck where she finds Kris, Dalen, and Kel already there, staring across the water. Following their gaze, Syl spots Crossbones Island sitting about half a mile off the port bow. The island is a lush green, covered with jungle and rolling hills. Several cliffs rise up out of the jungle on the far side of the island.

“Well, boys,” Sylralie says, ignoring a side-glance from Kelseen, “It looks like this is as far as this ship can take us. I guess we’ll need to hitch a ride to shore.”

Crossbones Island

End of Chapter 4

Wrap up:

I am intentionally overlooking important surveillance for the benefit of the solo experience. If this were a traditional tabletop game, or perhaps a real-life mission, it would be reasonable to expect that the Skylark would make a quick journey around the island to “scout it out” before going ashore. Since this adventure is based on a published five-room-dungeon and, in an effort to keep myself surprised, I have not read ahead, I have no idea what I might find on this island. If I were to have the ship circle the island I either have to read the entire adventure to find out if there is anything I might see and, as a result, spoil the fun of the surprise, or claim to not see anything and then risk having a continuity problem when there is actually a Pirate Ship off-shore or a large temple that could easily be spotted from a distance. My solution is to 1) not perform basic reconnaissance, and 2) include a large cliff in the geography of the island to block the far side from view, thus hiding any objects that might be seen.

(Read the next chapter here.)