Dungeon Crawl Rules Notes

Notes about the rules I'm using for my Keep on the Borderlands campaign.

Characters

I started building the characters using the rules from Swords and Six-Siders. Then I started making some tweaks.

• I don't record all their attributes. I only make note of any exceptional ones that give bonuses or penalties.
• I don't roll for hit points. Instead, I give fighter types 3 hp and the others 2 hp.
• I record the attack and damage bonuses direct from the rules
• I don't bother with buying equipment; I just assume that they can get most of what they want. I do roll for armor. For example, Aldric the fighter could start with medium armor on a roll of 4-6. (He failed).
• I record armor and weapons but I don't bother with all the doo dads. If something is needed, I'll assume they have it. If it is unusual, I might require a roll.
• One thing I do record are bandages. They can be used to heal wounds after a fight. The Party started with 3 bandages and can add D3 when visiting the Keep.
• Damage resistance comes direct from the rules.
• I've added LUCK as a party resource. The party can trade it to negate a wound. They start with 1 per character and can add 1 at the end of a successful mission.

Game Play

• I use the monster stats from S&SS, specifically AC, damage resistance, and damage bonus.
• I don't track individual hit points for swarms of minions. Instead, I have a total HP pool. When it is 0, the enemy is defeated. I usually give them 4-6 hp. For individual monsters, I use hp = monster level. I may add hp for particularly tough monsters.
• Characters attack as per S&SS - roll >= AC to hit.
• I do a damage roll - 2 or less = glancing blow (no hp loss), 3-5 = 1 hp damage, 6+ = 2 hp damage. Damage bonuses and damage resistance modify the roll.
• Monsters do not roll to hit. Instead, characters make a defense roll. They need to roll the enemy's AC or better, modified by any defense bonuses.
• Characters gain defense bonuses from shields or dexterity. As I think about it, I will need to give a bonus based on level as well.
• Against swarms, each character must make a defense roll. They only roll once, even if outnumbered.
• Big monsters can make 2 attacks per turn.

Bandit Attack

Keep on the Borderlands Campaign

After the encounter with the giant crab, the caravan sets out for the Keep. Later in the day, they find themselves traversing hilly ground. Lothariel notices a glint of metal on a distant hill.

"We're being watched," she tells Scar, the guard captain.

Shortly after, the caravan is winding through a ravine, As it nears the end, they see a roadblock.

One man calls from the barrier. "Stop! Throw down your weapons and abandon your wagons. Or else!"

"Bandits!" calls Scar. "We need to fight"

Then they hear battle cries from behind them. More bandits!

Scar commands our heroes to take the ones in the rear. He, Mutt, and Geoff will deal with the barrier.

⚔ 

The hiss of crossbow bolts pierces the air. Corvin tries but fails to cast a shield spell. Lothariel pulls out her bow and shoots down a bandit. Aldric and Rook charge forward. A bolt buries itself in Aldric's shield. Rook manages to knock one aside with his twin blades.

Corvin casts another spell, this time freezing a bandit in place. Then there is a clash as the two sides come together. With his dazzling swordplay, Rook slays an enemy. But he and Aldric take wounds. Then Rook strikes down the last bandit.

⚔

Then they hear a cry. Turning, they see that Mutt and Geoff are down. Scar is battling 3 bandits near the roadblock. Our heroes rush to his aid.

Corvin casts his last spell - a magical bolt that slays his foe. The party then joins the melee, They hack down the last bandit.

⚔

They tend to Mutt and Geoff (both thankfully still alive), tie up the frozen bandit, and proceed on their way. Night draws near but the caravan continues on, driven by fear of bandits. Near midnight, they arrive at the Keep. Safety!

Caravan to the Keep

Keep on the Borderlands Campaign

It had been a long, boring journey from the civilized lands to the Keep on the Borderland. Over that time, four plucky individuals, hired as guards to protect a small caravan, have grown close.

Aldric, a fighting man, Corvin, a mystic, Rook, a rogue, and Lothariel, an elven pathfinder. formed the core of the guard. They were led by a drunken veteran named Scar and two inept fighters, Mutt and Geoff.

⚔

It is morning. The caravan is camped by a small lake, about a day and a half from the Keep.

Our heroes hear a cry from a servant girl drawing water from the lake. A giant grab emerged from the waters and tried to nab her with its massive claws. She ran, screaming for help.

Lothariel unleashes an arrow, but it ricochets off the hard carapace. Aldric and Rook rush past, interposing themselves between the crab and the girl. The crab strikes them, wounding them with its claws.

Lothariel drops her bow, draw her blade, and rushes into the fray. While Aldric keeps it busy, she ducks underneath it, striking upwards into its vitals. Again and again it plunges deep, until the crab shudder and collapses. Lotahriel barely escapes being crushed.

The Campaign Begins

As I mentioned previously, I'm beginning a new dungeon crawl campaign using the classic D&D module, Keep on the Borderlands.

Reading through it, I noticed that the player characters must first find the Caves of Chaos before delving into the dungeon. So I decided to create a "hex crawl" (although I'm using squares). Along the way, they might encounter wandering monsters and other denizens of the region.

Here is my hex crawl map.

The party begins in square A4. I rolled randomly for terrain and it came up as fens. I also rolled for a wandering monster. I used the table in the module and got a giant shrew. That seemed silly so I changed it to something more water-related - a crab. I also changed the terrain to a lake to fit the story of someone going for water.

The Characters

The characters may seem similar - I initially created them for my experiment with Order of Eventide. I just converted them to Swords & Six-Siders stats.

I decided to create the caravan backstory to give a reason why they end up in this isolated outpost. I thought that a guard of 4 seemed a bit light, so I added some NPCs. I made them somewhat useless so that the party needs to do the heavy lifting.

And with that, they're off!

A New Campaign

Get ready - I will be journeying to

I decided to start a new dungeon crawl campaign, and I'll be using this classic D&D module. I chose it based on commentary from Professor Dungeon Master. Here he recounts a campaign he ran.

I am heavily revising my Micro Dungeon rules. I am using Swords & Six-Siders as the basis for my design. This way, I can just use the S&SS monster stats (and it is easy to convert from D&D to S&SS)

Stay tuned!

More Random Thoughts

On Skirmishes and Dungeon Crawls

Some of my recent thoughts:

• I've reversed course and now lean towards "small skirmishes" with individually based figures.
• I'm reading Five Leagues from the Borderlands again. Some good ideas but I don't think it will work for me.
• It calls for 8 figure bands. I prefer 2-4 heroes vs. the enemy hordes.
• There are a lot of pre-battle steps. I just want to get stuck in; I don't want to game a shopping trip.
• I am looking at a simplified wound system. My dungeon crawl rules ran into the same issue as D&D - at higher levels, combat drags because of higher hp. Five Leagues has a system that could work, however.
• Why not go back to Four Against Darkness?
• I don't like having to switch dice at higher levels
• I'd like all possible enemies in one place, not scattered over multiple volumes
• Dungeons are too random. And crafting specific dungeons takes too long.

On Arena Fights

Thinking about skirmishes led me back to my arena fights with Nocan.

• Thinking about ditching the junior/senior circuit. Graduating to the senior circuit seems too much like starting over.
• But then, how do I do levels? My tables that generate opponents are all predicated on 3 levels per circuit. I would need to redo all my tables.
• I also thought about adding possible death rolls during bouts, just to make the games more risky. No decision on this yet.

Soccer and Star League

With the World Cup approaching, I've been thinking about some prior gaming. Back in 2014, I played some soccer dice games, then modified the rules for Star League - grav ball style sporting contests. I wonder if I can dig up these games?

Stuck and Some Random Thoughts

I find myself in the wargame doldrums again, and I don't care. It has me pondering my gaming.

The LARP Effect

I've mentioned before that my favorite hobby is actually LARP. Things have been going well, with lots of new players. I've also been busy with some crafting projects (mostly weapons).

Alas, the season is drawing to a close (we shut down for the miserable Florida summers). That has me thinking about using games as a substitute. But how?

Dungeon Crawls

This seems like the perfect substitute for LARP, but I've been having issues.

• I'm not satisfied with my rules and I haven't found commercial rules that work for me.
• Setting up a game can require some work - I have to come up with the dungeon encounters. I could use a random generator, like Four Against Darkness, but it can feel too random. Playing a battle, like the Dominion of series, is actually simpler to set up.

I'm still thinking about how to do quick and easy dungeon crawls, but I'm not really getting anywhere.

Skirmishes

In lieu of a dungeon crawl, perhaps I could do some fantasy skirmishing.

As part of my stalled American Revolution skirmish project, I made some counters with small numbers of figures per stand.

I designed these for "big skirmishes" where each unit is approximately a "squad."

But I haven't printed them because of printer problems. First, I ran out of toner. When I refilled, my tablet that was linked to the printer died. I have a new tablet but I have to figure out how to link it to the printer.

Regardless, I am still wondering if I should do small or large skirmish (1 figure vs. multiple figures per counter).

Posting Less

I'm writing this as a way to sort out my thoughts. But I'm feeling that I'm wasting time with blogging. I may reduce posts to just battle accounts, in which case there may be long periods of silence when I fall into the doldrums.

Bellicosus vs. Philip

The Twelve Foes of Rome Campaign

The next chapter of the campaign.

Carthage is defeated but now Macedon is making trouble. Rome sends Bellicosus the Younger to resolve the issue (in other words, conquer Macedon).

Battle of Kleisoura

Bellicosus (red) advances into Macedon through a hilly pass. King Philip V of Macedon waits for him.

• Romans - Cavalry, legionaries (armored elite), allied spears. Reserve: spears and legionaries
• Macedonians - Peltasts, 2 phalanx. Reserve: 2 Allied spears, cavalry

Note: Peltasts should be treated as spears. I used a light infantry marker to distinguish them. Unfortunately, I forgot they were spears and treated them as lights.

The Roman legion in the center drives off the phalanx.

But the Roman allied spears rout.

Roman cavalry takes out the peltasts.

Once again, the center legion is victorious.

The legion then routs the reserve spears (not pictured).

And then flanks the remaining spears.

Philip retreats into Macedon.

Battle of Kallisarissa

Bellicosus pursues the retreating Macedonians, catching up to them near the town of Kallisarissa.

Note: I used the same lists as above but dropped one unit of spears from each army.

Bellicosus sends his legions forward. They rout the peltasts.

There is a stalemate on the left.

But the Macedonian cavalry routs a legion.

Then routs the other.

Bellicosus loses. The Romans retire.

Battle of Phiasko

Bellicosus and Philip meet in a final showdown.

Same armies as last battle.

The Romans are victorious on the right but lose on the left. Bellicosus tried to rally the cavalry but gets killed in a melee.

The Romans are disheartened. Then disaster! The Macedonians overrun both flanks!

The Romans lose! They must retreat from Macedon.

Aftermath

The Romans blame the loss on Bellicosus's untimely death.

He failed to rally the cavalry. I made up the death result to give a more fitting end to his career.

They send another army to avenge Bellicosus's death. The Romans ultimately succeed in conquering Macedon.

Game Notes

• Ouch! That was a tough end after a promising beginning.
• I wonder if removing a unit tilted the favor towards the Macedonians. I could replay the last two battles to find out, but I'd rather not.
• Instead, I will move on to the next foe - Mithridates of Pontus.
• Previously, the Bellicosus family was undefeated in its campaigns. Now they are 3-1.

Dominion of the Spear Revised

There's been no progress on my naval counters. Instead, I've been perusing the revised version of Dominion of the Spear. It is available on Wargame Vault.

It incorporates rules changes that have been proposed and included in later Dominion titles. I already use many of them but I wanted the official revision.

In addition, I picked up 36 More Ancient Battles for Dominion of the Spear. As the name implies, it includes 36 more battle scenarios. I noticed it had Heraclea (a Pyrrhic battle) and Zama, among others. I'll have to give some of these scenarios a go, although I don't plan on playing all of them.

Rethinking My Naval Counters

Back in December, I explained that I was not happy with my square naval squadron counters. Instead, I worked up some new, rectangular counters. I planned to make two sets - line abreast (for galley warfare) and line ahead (for age of sail and modern).

I never got around to printing them. My ink cartridge ran out and I kept forgetting to order a new one. I finally resolved the cartridge issue, but now I am rethinking the counters.

The Problem

I created these simple, generic ships so they could represent any era - from galleys to dreadnoughts. This should reduce the number of counters I need.

But having different counters for different formations kind of counteracts that. I end up making more counters anyway.

The Solution

Now I'm thinking of mounting ships individually. This gives me more flexibility - I can arrange them in line abreast or line ahead, or even separately for small ship actions.

I will probably use 2 ships per squadron for Dominion of style battles.

More Dabbling

I already moved on from the terrifying teddies. Now I'm thinking naval actions.

This latest fad is courtesy of Ganesha Games latest - Torpedoes and Tides. They are rules for coastal actions during World War 2.

I'm still reading them, but naturally I don't expect to get them on the tabletop as is. Instead, I'd like to use them to develop some Dominion of style rules.

On the Portable Wargame Facebook page, Mark Cordone posted Dominion of Fighting Sail, a variant that extends into the ironclad era. Perhaps I'll veer towards ironclad torpedo boat actions.

Right now, I just have a few ideas percolating. For example, inspired by TaT's blinds, I thought about deploying the non-player enemy unseen. There could be a surprise when you attack a sector!

The Snootypants Massacre

The crew of the S.S. Huntingdon kept a close eye on the woods that formed a line across the island. A hunting party led by Sir Reginald Snootypants had entered the woods hours ago. They expected him to return soon.

Suddenly, a bedraggled figure burst from the woods. He was limping but still ran as fast as he could towards the shore. Then the crew heard them, the growls of the teddy bears.

"Covering fire!" yelled the bosun. The crew began firing their rifles at the hug (group) of teddies. This deterred them. The figure was able to reach the boats and escape the island.

What Happened to Sir Reginald?

The figure was Archibald Stout, one of Sir Reginald's companions. He was able to tell the story of the Snootypants massacre.

The expedition (green token) entered the woods. Unbeknownst to them, a hug of teddy bears snuck up on them.

Surprise attack! The teddies maimed some of their party, but Sir Reginald and the other hunters drove them off. They also managed to secure a nice load of teddy bear fur.

The expedition advanced into the interior. They ran into some more teddy bears.

Despite getting the drop on the teddies, the expedition failed to inflict much damage. Instead, the teddies mauled the hunters. Sir Reginald's party retreated.

But Sir Reginald would not be called a coward. He insisted that the party renew the fight.

As more (right) approach the fray, the teddies finish the job.

Archibald just managed to escape the horror.

GAME NOTES

On Wednesday, I mentioned my silly idea about a teddy bear hunting game, with the player taking the role of the teddies. I decided to do a little experiment.

Here are some highlights of the game.

• I divided the board into a 3 by 4 grid. I randomly rolled for terrain.
• I used my modern counters - brown infantry for the teddies and a green heavy infantry for the hunters.
• I kept it simple by only using 1 group of hunters. I randomly rolled 3 groups of teddies.
• Every turn, I rolled randomly (D6+1) to determine what the hunters did.
• 1 = retreat 1 space
• 2 = move left 1 space
• 3 = move right 1 space
• 4 = move forward 1 space
• 5-6 = search (look for hidden teddies)
• Hunters subtracted 1 from the activation die roll for each wound.
• Teddies did not move unless they became alerted to the hunters' presence.
• Teddies only checked if (a) hunters were within 2 spaces or (b) teddies became active within 2 spaces.
• Teddies had to roll 4+ to become alert to the hunters. Otherwise, they stayed put.
• Teddies could move, sneak (move into the hunters square while remaining hidden), or attack.
• Combat was decided like Dominion of. Hunters were missile troops while teddies were melee.
• Hunters could take 3 wounds; teddies only 1.

All in all, an interesting game. I will play it again, perhaps with more groups of hunters and more hugs of teddies.

Terrifying Teddies

This is another odd "project" I'm contemplating.

It started with a completely unrelated post on the Wargames Website about thatched roofs for miniatures. Someone recommended using " teddy bear fake fur." Well, that got me wondering if there was teddy bear real fur. Then I started thinking about hunters shooting and skinning teddy bears for their fur. And then I thought that it could be a game!

Immediately, I thought of Palaeo Diet with the Pulp expansion. I envision a magical island where teddy bears roam free. But Pulp-era hunters descend on the island in search of prized teddy bear fur.

My problem with hunting games in general is that I find myself rooting for the animals. I asked Chat GPT to help me find some rules where you play the animals vs. automated hunters. There were none, but Chat GPT made some for me. Perhaps I should test them.

Anyway, as I mentioned, this is an odd project. Like many of my crazy ideas, I don't expect to do much with it. So don't hold your breath.

Hannibal Halted

The Twelve Foes of Rome Campaign

The next chapter of the campaign.

This time, we go to the Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC). Hannibal invades Italy.

Now, Bellicosus the Younger, ancestor of the great Bellicosus (our fictional hero) gets the call to defend the Republic.

Battle of Lake Betria

Bellicosus confronts Hannibal in northern Italy.

Hannibal's Gauls burst from some woods. A Roman legion drives them off. Meanwhile, the center legion advances. It is bloodied but manages to defeat the Carthaginian spears.

Bellicosus brings up the Italian allies in the center. The legion on the left continues its victorious ways. On the right, the Roman cavalry defeats its Carthaginian counterpart. Hannibal fails to rally them.

Bellicosus wins in his first encounter with Hannibal.

Battle of Taurus Plain

Bellicosus chases Hannibal into Iberia.

The Romans attack. Their legion defeats the Carthaginian cavalry while the Italian allies drive off the elephants.

The Carthaginian spears are victorious in the center but the Italian allies have continued success.

There is a stand-off in the center. But this makes Hannibal's position untenable. He retires.

With this success, Bellicosus drives Hannibal from Iberia.

Battle of the Carthage Canal

Bellicosus invades Africa.

The Roman advance wipes out the Carthaginian cavalry in the center and on the right. The Roman cavalry is blown.

Intense, bloody battle on the left and center. The legions are spent but the Carthaginian infantry break.

It's down to the elephants vs. Italian allies. The allies nearly break, but Bellicosus rallies them. Then they manage to take down the beasts.

With its army destroyed, the Carthaginians have no choice but to sue for peace.

Bellicosus the Younger has earned laurels on par with his illustrious ancestor!

Massacre in Miami

An Invasion Florida scenario

As part of a grand invasion of the US, Cuban Communists (CuComms) landed in South Florida. They seized Homestead Air Force Base. Now a column advances through Miami. But Cuban exiles wait for a chance to strike back.

Opposing Forces

• CuComms - 3 regulars, 1 elite infantry (counts as bayonets), 1 light armor, and 1 helicopter (fire support)
• Cuban exiles - 2 irregulars, 1 unreliable irregulars, 1 zealous exiles (counts as bayonets). The front line exiles are in buildings (defensive advantage).

In addition, there is an American Air Force plane in the area that can provide fire support for the Americans.

The Battle

As the CuComm column advances through the streets of Miami, the exiles strike.

The zealous exiles rush out an destroy the armor. But the CuComm elite infantry wipe out the irregulars.

 

The elites then run off the exiles' reinforcements. However, an American Air Force plane that was circling the area has spotted the battle. It strikes the CuComms.

CuComm regulars drive off the zealous exiles.

Then more regulars get into the fray (left), driving off the last of the irregulars.

The Air Force jet breaks off. The CuComms can continue their advance.

GAME NOTES

• I need to create some streets.
• I played this with Dominion of Rice and Napalm
• I used the American rules for fire support for both sides in this battle. I did not think that a Communist opening bombardment made sense in this scenario.

More LARP Distractions

I'm still focusing on LARP lately.

Right now I am putting together a guide for new player's on garbing up for the game. Here is a preview of that guide.

In the guide, I explain how you can build a kit starting with mundane clothing items. or example, you can use a t-shirt and sweatpants to create this kit.

The Pace Slows

No battle report for today. Other things going on lately

LARP Distractions

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been busy with some "smithing" for LARP,

It started when one of our members made some pirate ships to use as targets.

In exchange, I offered to make a spear. I went to purchase a fiberglass core but the rods only came in 5' or 10' lengths. I wanted a 6' core so I went with the 10' and cut it down.

Once I finished the spear, I had a 4' core. I turned that into a two-hand sword.

Someone asked for a buckler. I made one; didn't like it, so I made another.

Finally, we did a build day. I participated for a bit. I ended up with a partially-finished, one-handed sword. I completed it last weekend.

Here is some of my handiwork - two bucklers and the one-hand sword.

Twelve Foes of Rome

I actually played out the next installment of the Twelve Foes of Rome. It's the Hannibal edition. I plan to post it in March.

Bellicosus vs. Pyrrhus

Twelve Foes of Rome Campaign

Continuing with my Twelve Foes of Rome campaign.

Last time, Bellicosus (our fictional hero) conquered the Etruscans and Samnites.

Now, long after his retirement, the Senate calls him back into service to face Pyrrhus.

The First Battle

Bellicosus takes the initiative on the left. His light cavalry routs Pyrrhus's archers. But the Italian allies flee from the elephants.

The light horse (left) take out Pyrrhus's cavalry.

But then get overrun by reserve cavalry.

The Italian cavalry (left) hold! Meanwhile, a legion sacrifices itself to drive off the elephants.

This leaves Pyrrhus's pikes alone. They withdraw.

The Second Battle

Bellicosus pursues Pyrrhus and brings him to battle outside Tarentum.

Once again, Bellicosus's light horse drives off Pyrrhus's cavalry! 

And the elephants lose to a legion!

The legions press forward, routing the left and center.

Utterly defeated, Pyrrhus must retire from Italy.

Bellicosus receives a triumph in Rome!

GAME NOTES

Oops, I forget to use generals for rallying. Oh well.

My new box saw action.

Here is my "Big Battle" box. It's designed to hold 4x6 inch photographs.

Unpacking the box. I laid out my felt battlefield. The small square boxes in the Big Battle box hold armies and markers. Rules, on index cards, sit in the open lid.