Continuing on with solo playthrough of Dragon Warrriors!, using Tricube Tales solo tables. Following on from the Starting Scene and Adventure Table.
Dragon warriors solo - intro | start | partway | finish
Disclosure - I'm a DriveThru RPG affiliate
Final Thoughts on Dragon Warriors
Building on previous Thoughts on Dragon Warriors.
I'm not sure Dragon Warriors has aged so well. Which is a shame as I have fond memories of it from gaming in the 90s. But it is a mishmash of different things. It wants to be feudal setting and strange British creatures, but assumes some kind of underworld adventuring, with a default adventure set in a forest.
The spellcasters all have new spells every level, but the warriors wait until 8th level before their other talents, which could feel like a long time.
Having said that, I'm sure I could enjoy it as a player and would certainly play solo another edition. I'll certainly be mining it for ideas for my own games.
It was fun to use treasure tables again, and I would have loved to have used the magic items more.
The healing rules, without using magic, are truly brutal! It takes 4 days to start healing and then it's one point a day.
Lastly the elementalist ability "Raw Power" seemed incredibly potent in the low-level games, although Modwen was the only pure spellcaster so it's harder to compare. But I really like the idea of the elementalist and using raw power for general elemental cantrip like abilities.
Final Thoughts on Solo with Tricube Tales
Building on previous Thoughts on Solo with Tricube Tales.
Starting with Tricube Tales, I found the tables enough to inspire and give me options when looking for inspiration. For NPCs, locations, events and other adventure parts.
But I'm not a fan of the plot structure. Having just Agile, Brawny and Crafty to work with, along with possible plot advances didn't work for me. To be fair this wasn't helped by not drawing any plot advances!
I like the ideas of types of challenge and would like to give Tricube Tales another go. Possibly with another tool to help along, or one of the custom made 1-page settings.
The other thing it wasn't helped by was my motivation for this particular story. I found it harder to get motivated than previous solo games. Not helped by disrupted personal life and continuous rain in Portugal and the UK. Dragon Warriors and Tricube Tales together weren't sparking for me, and this wasn't helped by playing using a laptop instead of my normal offline.
I vastly prefer solo offline!
But sometimes great solo doesn't happen, and yet something good does come from persevering. I'm glad to have tried out both Dragon Warriors and Tricube Tales, and wouldn't have completed them without making the commitment to publish solo articles on a gaming blog!
Adventures of Quentin, Modwen, Elgan and Mai
Continuing on from Previous Adventures.
Scene 6 - Cave Gnomes
The group think there is something else with them in the cave. There are caves beyond their current one, but they decided against exploring them.
As they are looking for other creatures, the cave mouth closes and two figures detach from the walls. They are short grey humanoids with skin like stone.
The cause the cave floor to become like a bog in a couple of places, trapping Antonio, with Rufus behind him, barking constantly. The two leaping forward to attack with claws, one laying in heavily to Mai.
Magic and group prove ineffective, until Modwen catches one in a blast of stones. As Mai crashes to the ground, Modwen finishes the injured one with her spear. They then surround the second one and bring it down.
The cave mouth reopens, much to their relief. But Mai is unconscious as they consider what to do.
Scene 7 - A Shield of Dreams
Modwen and Quentin investigated the cave beyond. Although the cave large, a wide chasm cuts off their side from one beyond. And strangely, a shield floats before the chasm, depicting a wraithlike figure surrounded by six daggers.
Modwen gave a short gasp, and took the shield telling her knight companion she had been led here. Nothing else of interest seemed to be in the cave.
Later that evening, once Mai is conscious, Modwen explains...
Years ago, her father and that of Sir Olvars (the knight they seek) had been the only two survivors of a quest to an island off of the Mercantian coast. They had spent days stuck in a boat before being rescued by fishers.
They had left a foe undefeated on Ovina's Isle, and sworn that their descendants would complete the task when the opportunity came again. All she can tell them of the foe on the island is that it's symbol is a wraithlike figure, surrounded by six daggers.
Modwen has been having dreams of this shield and knows it lead her here and to Sir Olvar. And fate brought her together with the others.
Modwen takes the shield to wield for now, which is obviously magical, as the others mull her words.
Scene 8 - A Bounty Hunter
(Next Challenge - Strong Brawn)
Morning sees them on the road again, Mai and Elgan healed a little by the warlock's magic. Mai's wounds will leave a nasty scar across her neck. (-1 Looks)
Around mid afternoon, a mysterious tower appears out of the mist, with eerie sounds coming from it. An ogre sits before it, roasting a horse over a fire, with a huge crossbow in its hands. Behind the ogre is a bruised man in plate armour, manacled and tied to an old iron fence.
They have found Sir Olvar.
The group retreats from the scene to huddle and discuss options. As they do the ogre approaches, and in a strangely silken voice addressing them. He has captured this knight, and intends to collect the bounty placed on him by the White Lady. He suggests the group come with him to meet her.
As they are talking, Rufus breaks free, running toward Sir Olvar, barking all the way. Quentin chases after and the ogre takes this as hostile, who barely misses with his crossbow. Two bowshots from Mai and Elgan miss the ogre, but then Modwen blasts it with a bolt of ice.
Striking it square in the chest, the ogre is surprised at the impact, then frozen over as he expires, the fight quickly over.
The group gives Modwen a bit more respect, and goes to rescue Sir Olwen. Among the ogre's belongings is gold and silver, plus a padded box of nine crystal goblets, of faerie make.
As the horse is already cooking, they go on to eat it, Sir Olwen just happy to be alive.
Scene 9 - Wrangle with a Knight
Next morning they wake, Olvar, intending to return to the village with him. He tells them the White Lady is a sorcerer, a frost giant who rules over these hills, and killed his father. Sir Olvar had sworn an oath to seek out the sorcerer when his own first child was born.
He is intend on continuing to fight the White Lady, but the group slowly wear him down. Antonio tells of his newly born child, they tell of the betrayal of his cousin, Modwen tells of the oath taken by his and Sir Olvar's fathers at Ovina's Isle. Elgan tells of how Modwen's magic smote the ogre who had bested him. Mai talks about how Angela's baby was looking healthy.
Eventually Sir Olvar agreed to return to the village and heal, to return to challenge the White Lady alongside others. Modwen states that she would help him against the White Lady.
They return to the village to great celebration, reuniting a grateful Lady Angela and her husband!
End.
Epilogue
In the days that followed, they talked of the future as they healed their wounds. They five made a pact, for glory, honour and oaths that needed seeing through.
Modwen, Elgan, Quentin, Mai and Sir Olvar would face the White Lady, the frost giant sorcerer in the hills. And then they would travel to Ovina's Isle, to face whatever terror had the symbol of a wraith surrounded by six daggers.
Characters and Adventure Notes
The characters, now level 2! With them is Antonio the (unhappy) servant, who is looking after Rufus, Quentins' Dog, and representing Lady Angela.
Modwen
Elementalist level 2, human female from Mercania Coast, speaks intermediate Elleslandic, native Latter Mercanian and a few words of Cabbandari, callous, friendly
Health Points 7, Spellcasting, Magic Points (Earth 3, Fire 1, Water 1), Spells - Abundance, Rain, Candle), Raw Power, Elemental Resistance
Strength 13, Reflexes 11, Intelligence 17, Psychic 15, Looks 14,
Attack 13, Defence 6, Magic Attack 18, Magic Defence 8, Evasion 5, Stealth 13, Perception 5
Equipment - lantern, tinderbox, sword (d8 pen, 4 damage), staff of earth, shield, padded armour (2 armour), spear (2d4 pen, 4 damage, 2h), bedroll, rope (1o m), weeks rations, 62 florins, 30 gold, +2 shield depicting a wraith surrounded by six daggers
Elgan Blethen
Warlock level 2, human male from Albion, son of a jeweller, speaks native Elleslandic, literate (ancient languages - intermediate Bacchile, fluent Old Kurlish), aggressive, overconfident
Health Points 10, Magic Points 2, spellcasting, weapon groups, simultaneous casting
Strength 11, Reflexes 9, Intelligence 12, Psychic 14, Looks 9,
Attack 13, Defence 6, Magic Attack 13, Magic Defence 6, Evasion 3, Stealth 13, Perception 5
Equipment - lantern, flint-and-tinder, backpack, bow, quiver with six arrows, dagger, full mail armour (4 armour), 80 florins, 30 gold, battleaxe (d8 pen, 6 damage, 2h), weeks rations, bedroll
Quentin l'Argent
Knight level 1, human male from Albion, gentry class, speaks native Elleslandic, restless, devious
Health Points 9, Track, Armour Expert, Ride Warhorse
Strength 18, Reflexes 12, Intelligence 7, Psychic 14, Looks 12,
Attack 16, Defence 9, Magic Defence 5, Evasion 4, Stealth 13, Perception 5
Equipment - plate armour (5 armour), shield, dagger, lantern, flint-and-tinder, backpack, 75 florins, 30 gold, morning star (d6+1 pen, 6 damage). , padded box of nine crystal goblets, of faerie make (group item), Rufus the dog,
Mai Storgaard
Barbarian level 2, human female from Haragorn Mountains, hates dwarves, cheerful, loud
Health Points 14, Berserk, track, ride warhorse
Strength 11, Reflexes 10, Intelligence 11, Psychic 7, Looks 14,
Attack 16, Defence 7, Magic Defence 3, Evasion 5, Stealth 13, Perception 5
Equipment - mail armour (4 armour), dagger, lantern, flint-and-tinder, backpack, 54 florins, 30 gold, battleaxe (d8 pen, 6 damage), bow, quiver with 6 arrows, weeks rations, bedroll
Adventure Notes
So there's
- Subplot 2 - An assassin striking down nobility
And then there's the future ones of confronting the White Lady along Sir Olvar and facing the dangers of Ovina's Isle.
Finishing Up
I may pick up the story of this group again, with another system. Time will tell!
