NoteQuest-Expanded World, a solitaire RPG on a hot summer's day

 NoteQuest-Expanded World from Green Little Things is a simple, inexpensive solitaire RPG by Brazilian designer Tiago Junges and available for download from DrivethruRPG for $2.00. There is also a NoteQuest group on Facebook.

Who knows ? a solitaire version of Bloody 20s/Public Enemy may be in the works.

Back to Iltor dungeon (3)

 Yes, Winks took 4 lightning bolts, nearly back to back, from the Troll Magi Chieftain and had one very badly singed beard 8-) And, not one, but 2 Troll Magi (thanks Michael Shorten for the idea)  

                                  

 

Return to Iltor dungeon during a Hurricane

 

OMG, a Troll Magi ...... Run away !!!

                                             to fight another day !!!!

Solo D&D ?

 What ? Solo D&D (tm) are words I never thought I would utter. But, then I never imagined using the word COVID, either.  So here's a look at my solo effort at a fantasy role playing game. For now, let's call it, "1 4 adventure".  

Disclaimer: Nothing compares to a great fantasy role playing game being played around a full table of players !!

Here is an outcome of a recent solo adventure:

Always beware of free loot, even after you have safely disarmed and opened the chest !

  

Take Two, ECW 1643

 Royalist initiative, Trained Horse advance across field 

 Royalist initiative, Artillery takes hit, while Raw Shot holds off Royalist advance

 Royalist initiative, though Parliaments Raw Shot offers strong resistance on the ridge

 Royalist initiative, as they overwhelm the ridge on turn 5

 Royalist initiative, Royalist Shot advances while Horse repositions itself to advance on the village.

Parliament initiative, and their Trained Shot bloodies the Royalist Horse Command before falling back through the village

A Royalist victory. With persistent Royalist initiative keeping pressure on raw troops in a precarious position, the Parliamentary force did well to delay the Royalist advance for as long as it did. And, there was no random event to shake things up.

                                                    Parliamentary Pike & Shot Units

Another perspective on "the 1643 Battle of Ripple" ECW

Setting up the Minifig 15mms for a look at Alan Saunder's Battle of Ripple Field 1643 scenario using his English Civil War rules.

 Looking North of the village of Ripple

 Parliament troops 

 Parliamentary Cavalry 

 Royalist shot approach from the North

                                                                              Royalist cavalry

Return to 4AD

The party returns to finish exploring the abandoned temple dungeon.

                                           
Using Todd C. Adams "Random events on the way to the dungeon", which can be found in the BoardgameGeek files, the party dispatched 10 vampire bats without damage to the party.

     The party avoided any wandering monsters and returned to the room where they had killed an Ogre. Filch picks a level 2 lock. In the first new room (A) they encounter another Ooze. After an extended battle during which the Ooze regenerated once, it was killed yielding 11 gold pieces. In the next corridor, they are surprised by a Manticore that damages Filch with darts from its tail and inflicts several hits on Borz (with a Z). The Manticore had only 8 gold pieces. In the next room (B), the party found a ring of teleportation by a religious statue. Continuing on, the next room (C) contained nothing even after a thorough search.
     The room (D) at the end of an empty corridor contained 7 kobolds with a Kaptain. The Kobolds were killed, but Filch, Croix and Winks took damage.  The party decided to do some healing as Filch was in bad shape. Croix provides heals and Winks uses his bandage found previously in the temple dungeon store room.
    The party enters an altar room to find a Death Cult Priest. A battle with the Boss monster ensues. Filch fails to save against Magic and takes damage. But, Winks and his 2 handed sword cleave the Priest in half. A search of the room revealed a chest with a 40 and a 15 gold piece gem. Winks the dwarf does levels up. Making its way back out of the temple dungeon, the party scared off several solitary kobolds along the way.

This completed my first dungeon crawl using the Four Against Darkness rules. I am still fine tuning how to organize the rules in order to make play easier.  The basic rules work extremely well and I enjoyed the Stronghold's expansions that definitely provided a D and D feel. This original school  Dungeon Master still has to get used to a game mechanic where the Monsters don't get dice rolls.

4AD After Action Report

After several walks on a beautiful day I decided to play the solo dungeon game Four Against Darkness with some modifications from the Stronghold website here and here.

The adventure didn't start well as my party of Borz (with a Z) the warrior, Croix the Cleric, Filch the Rogue and Winks the Dwarf were immediately met by 3 Trolls, that were dispatched at the expense of Borz (with a Z) losing 1 life point.  Next 7 goblins were encountered and defeated yielding a scroll of lightning.  In the next room, Borz (with a Z) discovered a "clue". Heading North and to the East, the party next fought 7 zombies with Filch losing a life point. An Ogre fled the party after a fight and Borz leveled up. Another "clue" was found in a corridor. Next the party found a piece of jewelry (90 GP). Venturing onward, the party defeated 4 Orcs before meeting a nasty Minotaur, that fled the battle. Croix successfully level up. The party backtracked and manage to avoid any wandering monsters. 5 snakes were defeated.
   Then the party encountered an Ooze. Filch proved his value by lockpicking a level 5 door lock. Six orcs were defeated. Backtracking, the party next encountered 2 Orcs that were quickly dispatched. Another Ooze was found as a Wandering Monster and vanquished. Borz found his third clue (Someone will pay Big money for that) and leveled. The next room contained a Meditation Chamber and Filch healed up. Back to the entry room went without incident.
    The party headed north and discovered a Storage room that yielded 2 bandages. The party continued North and fought  3 Kobolds that were easily defeated.  "Discretion being the better part of valor", the party decided to return to the Inn. The South east corner of the dungeon will be explored later.  

    What a fun couple of hours revisiting a time 45 years ago when Role Playing games were a big part of my professional life and I was working on solo approaches to RPGs. Take a look at the DM's Guide appendices that include solo AD&D.  
    Andrea Sfiligoi has done an excellent job with his design and the gaming community at Board Game Geek and  the Stronghold website have also added some exciting and free game aids. There is also a 4AD group on Facebook where you can get your questions answered by Andrea, himself.
 

No Paint Armies: Fabi versus Magnus

A weekend experimenting with Bob Cordery's "Portable Wargame" rules for use in a Solo Imagi-Nations campaign with additional input from Kaptain Kobold's work with the "Portable Wargame" rules. Using No Paint Armies (2003 Risk armies: tricorn hats). To enlarge any photo, please click on it.

Troops from the Fabi Republic (white) engage troops from the Principality of Magnus (black) in a                                                              meeting engagement.

Flag of the Fabi Republic

  Flag of the Principality of Magnus

                                                                                                                             

Both sides are equally matched. 2 units of light infantry with muskets, 2 regular infantry units with muskets, 1 field artillery unit, 1 light cavalry (muskets), 1 dragoon (muskets) and a mounted Commander. 

                               The prize: winning side gains access to heavy infantry in the future.

                      Turn 1: White issues 5 commands, while Black only issues 3 orders.

 Both artilleries hit each other causing both to retreat 

 White advances light infantry into the woods, and Black advances his light troops toward the woods.

 White's Commander and Dragoons advance on their right flank. Black advances regular muskets in                                                                                       center

 Blacks artillery takes damage from counter battery fire. 

 Black moves light cavalry into the woods supported by light infantry. Fighting erupts in woods, while White's cavalry and commander advance on their right flank.

                                           Black's artillery is destroyed by White's artillery.

                    Infantry clash in the Center and Dragoons fight to little affect on the flank.

 Battles continue across the battlefield.

                                    Black's dragoons are defeated but its Commander escapes.

     Black suffers numerous casualties in the woods and with a detached Commander withdraws from the battlefield.

                                       The Republic of Fabi defeats the Principality of Magnus.

Errata: bases were standard 40mm X 20 mm for infantry, 40mm X 30 mm for cavalry and 40mm squares for artillery.

Still need some work on adapting rules for Solo play. Looking at using a 18 inch square board with 2 inch squares (9 X 9) allowing for solo play with left flank, center, right flank options.

But, a fun way to spend a rest day for the World Chess Championship in London  8-)