Dragon Warriors Solo with Tricube Tales: Starting Scenes
British RPGs British Fantasy Rolling Solo Actual Play

Dragon Warriors Solo with Tricube Tales: Starting Scenes

Duncan Thomson

Commencing with the first couple of scenes of Dragon Warriors using included adventure, powered by Tricube Tales. Following on from the RPG Intro and Char Gen

Dragon warriors solo - intro | start | partway | finish

Disclosure - I'm a DriveThru RPG affiliate

Using Tricube Tales to Start

Reading through something is different to actually using it, as was the case with Tricube Tales.

The basic yes/no oracle is a d6, with a yes ranging from very likely (2+) to very unlikely (6). There is a second optional die with 1-2 adding a ", but..." and 5-6 an "and....)

My first question "are we using the default scenario as written" was Maybe (4+), and my rolls of 2 and 1 meant it was "No, but...".

Which meant we weren't using the scenario as default, but we would use the first few scenes.

Also after I'd started, I found at the start it describes choosing a Main Plot and two Subplots. As I was already in Scene 2 by this time, I went with what we'd found out so far.

  • Main Plot - Find Sir Olvar and try to bring him back to his wife
  • Subplot 1 - Get Sir Olvar to assist Modwen (reason currently unknown)
  • Subplot 2 - An assassin striking down nobility

I used a few of the tables in Tricube Tales, including to find out why the characters were together and what they were currently doing here. I'll lean more into Tricube Tales in the third and final parts.

But the first couple of scenes were using the Darkness Before Dawn, the adventure included in the Dragon Warriors rulebook.

Adventures of Quentin, Modwen, Elgan and Mai

Scene 1 - Arriving at Maiden's Vale

The group started on the road, near to the village of Maiden's Vale. Quentin L'argent is a knight is taking a gift for the birth of his cousin's child. With him is his friend since childhood, the warlock Elgan. Also accompanying them are Modwen, an elementalist and her guard Mai, a barbarian. Modwen seeks the assistance of Sir Olvar, the husband of Quentin's cousin, Lady Angela.

They are also escorting Mother Clay, an ill-tempered nurse who will help with the raising of the child.

On the road they complain about the persistent rain, and discuss the rumours of a mysterious assassin, who has killed at least three local nobles in the last few months and legends are told about them by the common folk.

The group come to a deserted village, with an old man being held in some stocks, harassed by feral dogs, who turn to attack the characters. (Following first couple scenes from the adventure)

The dogs are no match for armour and are brutally hacked up by the adventurers (Three of group are in chain or better, which is is virtually immune to their attacks. Also had to roll 3d6 for Reflexes of the dogs to find out when they acted in initiative).

Mai approaches stocks and releases the old man who is called Solly, who seems like he'd prefer to stay in the stocks. They are disturbed by a strange squirrel who throws nuts at Solly, and flees when Elgan fires an arrow at it.

Solly tells them that Lady Angela gave birth to a son two days ago, and Sir Olvar rode out into the forest soon after, for reasons unknown. Soon after, Olvar's scheming cousin Maxim Le Cloche took over the manor with hired thugs, throwing out Lady Angela and her newborn into the street. Solly was put into the stocks after protesting to Le Cloche. The villagers are hiding away from the whole distrubance.

He also seems afraid of being out of the stocks and marked as a lawbreaker, so flees into the woods.

(Asking Tricube Tales if next scene is same as adventure, get no, and there is an Agile challenge, related to stealth or deception)

Scene 2 - Lady Angela's Request

The group are approached by a servant of Lady Angela and taken to a hut, where Quentin greets and offers comfort to his cousin. He also delivers the gift from his own lord and Mother Clay, the nurse.

Angela is distraught, and doesn't know why her husband Sir Olvar headed out into the forest, only knowing it was related to some curse. She asks the group to help her with Maxim Le Cloche, Olvar's sinister cousin, and his thugs.

They have taken over the Manor, but she knows a secret tunnel in, which her servant can lead them to. There are about ten thugs, but they are unarmoured and doubtless no match for seasoned warriors.

The overconfident Elgan immediately agrees, leaving Quentin little choice but to also agree. Modwen isn't keen, but is persuaded to join them with her guard, in exchange for the Elgan and Quentin helping to find Sir Olvar in the forest.

There's some quick planning, and they ask Lady Angela to arrange beer or cider to be delivered to the manor that evening. The group will sleep early and venture through the secret tunnel, into the cellar, in the early hours of the morning.

Next Scene - An Early Morning Manor Tunnel Experience

Characters and Adventure Notes

The characters!

Modwen

Elementalist level 1, human female from Mercania Coast, speaks intermediate Elleslandic, native Latter Mercanian and a few words of Cabbandari, callous, friendly

Health Points 6, 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 17, Magic Defence 7, Evasion 5, Stealth 13, Perception 5

Equipment - lantern, tinderbox, sword (d8 pen, 4 damage), staff of earth, shield, padded armour (2 armour), 14 florins

Elgan Blethen

Warlock level 1, human male from Albion, son of a jeweller, speaks native Elleslandic, literate (ancient languages - intermediate Bacchile, fluent Old Kurlish), aggressive, overconfident

Health Points 9, Magic Points 2, spellcasting, weapon groups, simultaneous casting

Strength 11, Reflexes 9, Intelligence 12, Psychic 14, Looks 9,

Attack 12, Defence 5, Magic Attack 12, Magic Defence 5, Evasion 3, Stealth 13, Perception 5

Equipment - lantern, flint-and-tinder, backpack, bow, quiver with six arrows, dagger, full mail armour (4 armour), 2-20 florins, sword (d8 pen, 4 damage) and shield.

Quentin l'Argent

Knight level 1, human male from Albion, gentry class, speaks native Elleslandic, restless, devious

Health Points 8, Track, Armour Expert, Ride Warhorse

Strength 18, Reflexes 12, Intelligence 7, Psychic 14, Looks 12,

Attack 15, Defence 8, Magic Defence 4, Evasion 4, Stealth 13, Perception 5

Equipment - plate armour (5 armour), shield, dagger, lantern, flint-and-tinder, backpack, 25 florins, morning star (d6+1 pen, 6 damage).

Mai Storgaard

Barbarian level 1, human female from Haragorn Mountains, hates dwarves, cheerful, loud

Health Points 13, Berserk, track, ride warhorse

Strength 11, Reflexes 10, Intelligence 11, Psychic 7, Looks 15,

Attack 14, Defence 6, Magic Defence 2, Evasion 5, Stealth 13, Perception 5

Equipment - mail armour (4 armour), dagger, lantern, flint-and-tinder, backpack, 17 florins, battleaxe (d8 pen, 6 damage)

Adventure Notes

So far there's

  • Main Plot - Find Sir Olvar and try to bring him back to his wife
  • Subplot 1 - Get Sir Olvar to assist Modwen (reason currently unknown)
  • Subplot 2 - An assassin striking down nobility
  • Find out why Sir Olvar has gone out into the woods
  • Deal with Maxim Le Cloche, scheming cousin of Sir Olvar

Finishing Up

Some thoughts on Dragon Warriors and Tricube Tales next time. For moment was enough getting to grips again with Dragon Warriors, using a pdf instead of a book and working out how to use Tricube Tales.