Frostgrave campaign episode 2: The Genie in the Bottle

 After our session last month, we rolled for what we would play this time round so that we had a month to prepare, and it seems Alladin has been to Felstad as well in the past.

 

And for this scenario, I picked up the official genie and lamp figure from Northstar, and painted him up for today. 

 

 

In addition, the level 1 table of the Random Encouters came into play, most figures I had covered though some where sourced from the other players as well.  Once I complete the FULL table, I'll give a look at that.  But we sat down on the friday evening club night, set up the table, and managed to get two games done over the course of the evening, and here is it's tale...

 

Game 1: Zarbag the Illusionist versus Archibald the Sigilist

 

 

In this first game of the evening, Archibald had managed to reanimate his shroom-man apprentice Patje, though the little fungi does seem to carry some memories of the past, resulting in eratic behaviour during the game... and being taken out once more near a well.  Guess a trauma is really the little guy's fate.

 

While Zarbag, who is becoming a mogul powerhouse and the wealthiest wizard this quarter of Frostgrave, goes about securing treasure, he rises fogbanks to prevent Archibald and his dwarfen adventurers to see the goblins going about on their business.   And a profitable business it was indeed, because apart from the necessary gold and scrolls, they also found a grimoire and a magical crossbow that makes hitting targets easier.

  

On the other hand, the biggest thing the dwarfs dig up is a very bad tempered genie.  Luckily for them, ages of being locked away had an impact on it's fighting prowess, and eventually the dwarfs make off relatively unscathed, and with some nice loot.

 

Except for Patje, he has his leg smashed and now suffers from a movement penalty.  It seems he really had been sprouted under a bad moon...

 

Game 2: Zarbag the Illusionist versus The Witch of Balantine

 

 

And the the wealthy goblin crossed the path of the Witch and her band of Red Marsh mercenaries... quikcly raising a couple of fog banks to block all line of sight, the goblins unsuccesfully for the most time tried tossing magical grenades at the thugs and the halfling apprentice.

 

 

Behind this bank, the genie had been discovered, but the Witch had a dastardly plan: together with her henchmen, she pushed the genie through the fog bank, so he would now only see the goblins in return.  

 

 

 

The goblins however replied by doing this as well, (but now we know how pushes actually work, so we'll take that along for next session), and the random moving genie returned to the Witch's side.  While her henchmen tried to decimate the goblins and hold the lumbering giant off, the Witch and her Apprentice leaped to safety and secured the treasure, including a Grimoire of Elemental Ball to be learned after next game.

  

But the greedy goblins once more secured three treasure tokens, and stacked on the gold.  Zarbag the Illusionist, now going by the name of "Donald Zarbag of the Trump Mountains" is building himself quit some wealthy emporium build on the production of magical grenades...

  

And so ends the session for the second round.  We rolled on the scenario we will be playing next time, in which The Witch and Archibald will be facing off first, and that became The Silent Tower.  This means, as the next session is planned on the 25th of september, we have about 1.5 month to prepare the needed tower scenery (which will be a job for Thibaud).

 

Until the next adventure in Felstad! 

 

Frostgrave Genie and the Lamp

 The latest figure to be painted for our group's Frostgrave campaign, the second game night scenario (coming soon) is the Genie scenario.

 

So I scrolled through Vinted and found the actual Northstar Military Miniatures one for a bargain.

 

I set out to paint him and his lamp up as such, in order to have him ready.  Now the benefit is that he is pretty simple to paint up, having basically only his skin and pants, while the lamp is basically a golden lamp on a stone pedestal.

 

Of course, I just needed to paint him blue, because Disney hehehe, but I'm not alone in that as he also is painted blue on the official blister picture.  Though to be honest, he looks more like the evil genie from the turn of the century 1001 Nights mini-series.

 

But, he is ready now and willing to wreck our warbands! 

Frostgave campaign episode 1: The Well of Dreams and Sorrows

 It's a go, together with Wouter and Thibaud we started a campaign for Frostgrave second edition.

 

Now, for the moment as we are three, our plan is to play a scenario twice each evening, once against each opponent, determening at the end the scenario for the session the next month.

 

But for the first game, and get a hang of the system (we made mistakes, especially in combat resulting in barely any casualties, as we found out during game 3, so that will be corrected next time) we picked the basic scenario The Well of Dreams and Sorrows, without random monstets (they will enter the campaign from next time forward).

 

Game 1: Zarbag the Illusionist versus Archibald the Sigilist

 

In the first game of tonight, the goblin Illusionist Zarbag (left) faced of against the beer-brewing dwarf Sigilist Archibald (right) to try and discover the power of the Well.

 

Both warbands deployed at the edges of the town section, ready to taste the mystical waters and learn of it's secrets.

 

The dwarfs where the first to reach the premises of the well, a statue of the Holy Lady of Crooked Dice Rolls, and drink from her fresh springwaters.

 

But the scurrying feet of the goblins could be heard nearby, as they quickly approached through the ruins.

 

The dwarfs rushed forward to secure the treasure tokens in the meantime.

 

 More of the little greenskins kept hoarding treasure tokens though, as the glittering gold coins shined in their beady little red eyes.

 

These efforts continued, as both sides wanted to grab as many riches to finance their journeys along the city though, avoiding any direct confrontations for the moment.

 

 But soon the goblin warsquigs caught sent of the dwarfs, and howling and bouncing charged forward to bite their faces off!

 

The dwarfs firmly held their line though, protecting the treasure from the vicious beasts. 

 

In the meantime, two archers had clambered up the walls to draw lines of sight to the well and try and stop anyone approaching.

 

But the dwarven apprentice Patje did manage a swig before slinking back into the city, and the game came to an end, both warbands counting their wins.  The Dwarfs, winners of the scenario, moved into a Brewery, while the greedy Goblins took refuge in a Treasury, where they took care of an injured warsquig, but the beast would not be able to join the next expedition though... 

 

Game 2: Zarbag the Illusionist versus The Witch of Balantine

 

 

And then it was time for me to step into the arena for the first of two games tonight, and I began with facing the "defeated" Zarbag of the first scenario. 

 

The section of the city was rearranged for some different gameplay...

 

 ... and both warbands set up on their edges to try and have a drink of the Well.

 

 

The greedy goblins immediatly began advancing to the open central square where the statue was located.

  

They cast an Explosive Rune nearby, but an Echanted Armoured thug bravely threw himself on it, both him and the Cursed enemy wizard taking damage from the blast.

 

The Witch of Balantine had set up and ambush though, and her warriors streamed in as Barnacle Bert made off with a single golden ring.   The brave barbarian however is SO dimwitted, he didn't even realise the enemy wizards tried to cast Fool's Gold on him, making off with the treasure unfazed.

 

Almost as dimwitted as this goblin trying to climb the walls... 

 

 As the enemy warhound was dispatched, the warriors took up positions to shield the Witch and her Apprentice, allowing them to drink from the well.

 

And after tasting the magical waters, the warbands retreated.  The Witch took residence in an old Library, while her quest had yielded 100 GC, Scrolls of both Leap and Summon Demon, and Potions of Poison and Invisibility as well as a Grimoire of Time Stop.  She advanced to level 2, increasing her Health and lowering the casting value of Curse.  Unfortunatly for Zarbag the Illusionist, his warhound did not survive the wounds it had suffered during the game.

 

Game 3: Archibald the Sigilist versus The Witch of Balantine

 

In the final game for this evening, my Witch faced the victor of the first game, the Sigilist Archibald and his merry crew looking for a mythical beerbarrel. 

 

The scenery as such was rearranged one final time for today's game...

 

... and both warbands deployed for a final run towards the Well.

 

The Witch started aggressive, rushing (and Leaping) her warriors forward. as Bob the Thug set off all alone to the far treasure.

 

The Dwarf wizard however, instead thought it a better idea to damage himself while failing to cast, and his apprentice, eager to copy his master's movements... did the same! 

 

 But soon he encountered quit some opposition, as the Sigilist's troops had their eyes on that book as well!

 

Run Bob, RUUUUUUUUUN!!!!

 

Bob managed to shake off most of his pursuers, helped mostly by being tandem Leap-frogged by both the Witch and her Apprentice. 

 

Around the well, a melee had erupted, Curses and Poison darts wreaking havoc amongst the Dwarfs efficiency.   The Dwarf apprentice drank from the well... but then a thug appeared from around a corner and pushed him into the well, draining his lifeforce as a result!

 

With three treasure tokens in her possession and not willing to risk her apprentice to also go drink from the well, the Witch of Balantine gave the order to withdraw from the field of battle, the battered dwarfs glad they where allowed to slink away with their treasure tokens.

 

Unfortunatly for them, Patje was recovered from the well, but he remained cold and stiff.  The Sigilist apprentice had died from the overdose of magical infusion of the waters.  The Witch had gained 90 GC from this encounter, a second Potion of Invisibility and a Philtre of Fairy Dust, as well as a Grimoire of Poison Dart.  She sold this book as she already knows this spell, and then spend a portion of her gold to install a Giant Cauldron in her Library.  Rising three levels, she learned Time Stop from an earlier found grimoire, increased her Will and lowered the casting value of her Leap spell.

 

So, that was the first session of our little "beer and pretzel campaign", with some hilarious moments to go with them.  The next game night for this will be in about 5 weeks, and having rolled for the scenario (so we know what to prepare in figs and scenery) that will be a night of Genie in the Bottle (ouch!).  With the Random Encounter Table (level 1 only) also coming to the table then, so it will be a lot more mayhem and chaos for sure!

 

Until then, and may you never get lost in the ruins of Felstad!