66. A Dungeon Foray

Sitting in my hotel room, I decided to play a Two Hour Wargames game of Warrior Heroes:  Legends solo dungeon attempt.  I had previously printed out some cardstock figures (free from the inter-web-tubes) and stuck them into some spare scrap foamcore so they stood up.  I threw a deck of cards and some dice into my suitcase, and with the rules on my tablet I was set to play.

I had previously played Warrior Heroes:  Armies and Adventures in a similar solo dungeon attempt, but was not totally happy with the results.  I felt the dungeon was a bit too random; and while I want a random dungeon, there is a limit.

I invested half an hour ahead of time and created my Star (as yet un-named) and his band of dangerous(?) grunts.  I rolled them straight off the lists; the only thing I ignored was their alignment.  A test roll caused 2 of the 5 to be the opposite alignment and that's not what I wanted.  "Just play the game," as Ed says, so I figured my Star wouldn't have even tried to recruit such malignant entities.  For test drive purposes, I took one of each type:  a Noble Star, and one each of Caster, Healer, Missile, Soldier and Warrior.

So, the stats:  All are of the Red Sun.
Star:  Noble, REP 5, PEP 5, SAV 4, 1HW, AC 4.  Attributes:  Swordsman, Charismatic (rolled randomly), Resilient (chosen).  8 items, 2 empty "slots."  Young.
Caster:  REP 2, PEP 1, SAV 2, 1HW, AC 2.  Attributes:  Arcane Knowledge.  Male, Old.  Food 1, Talos 1.
Healer:  REP 3, PEP 3, SAV 2, 1HW, AC 2.  Attributes:  Healing.  Female, Teen.  Food 2, Talos 1.
Missile:  REP 4, PEP 3, SAV 4, Crossbow, AC 4.  Attributes:  none.  Male, Teen.  Food 2, Talos 2.
Soldier:  REP 3, PEP 3, SAV 2, 1HW, AC 4.  Attributes:  Resolute.  Male, Youth.  Food 1, Talos 2.
Warrior:  REP 3, PEP 3, SAV 2, 2HW, AC 4.  Attributes:  Resilient.  Male, Teen.  Food 1, Talos 4.

"Dungeon on!"

I was starting in a Capalan province, so the Big Bad = an Ogre!  Oooo, scary!  I determined that the Dungeon Encounter Rating (DER) was 4.  I therefore drew 8 cards to represent the Dungeon.  I laid the first card down:  a black 5 of Spades.  This is higher than the DER so no Random Event.  However, a PEF has been encountered.  I roll 2d6 vs the DER, passing 1d6 (not doubles, so no Trap), increasing the DER by 1 to a total of 5, and I added 2 cards to the Dungeon deck.

I then mistakenly rolled on the Dungeon Denizens Table (technically I should not have, but oh well).  I rolled under Capalan and scored a 6 + 3 = 9 = Elves.  I checked their Alignment from page 7 and scored:  6 = Black Moon.  Next, to determine if they were Enemies or Not? I rolled on the Enemies or Not? Table on page 98 and scored:  5, Enemy.  Seemed a bit redundant so I figured either counted.  Next, How Many?  There were five of us (I chose not to take the Healer into the Dungeon; left her in the kitchen cooking...up Healing Potions, of course!).  I rolled 1d6 = 5, an odd number so subtract 3 = 2 Elves.

I then rolled them up from the Elves list.  Both were Male.  The first was an Archer (longbow), Missile QRS, REP 5, AC 4.  The second was a Soldier (1HW), Soldier QRS, REP 5, AC 4.

I set everyone up on a piece of highly elaborate Dungeon Terrain, ie a piece of notebook paper.

From top to bottom, left to right:  Elf Soldier, Elf Archer; Warrior, Star, Soldier, Caster, Missile.

I originally rolled the In Sight test for each character, which is the optional way and the way I normally play.  However, I admit to being a trifle confused with the order of In Sight actions that way since the rules are written assuming you will only roll once for the Leader.  It says that "all figures in the acting group that want to fire" do so, but if you roll each figure individually then it erases the "acting group" aspect.  In order to conform to the rules, I elected to use only the group's Leader's roll.  In this case, my Star rolled 5 successes(!) and the Elf leader rolled 3 successes.  My group would act first.
 

The Missile shot his crossbow at the Elf Archer.  1d6 + REP 4 = 5 = MISS.

The Caster wanted to cast a Damage spell, but since that spell's Spell Target Number (STN) = 9 and the highest a REP 2 Caster can roll unaided is 8, I decided not to cast this turn.  In retrospect, I should have cast a Defend spell instead....

Finally, the three fighters wanted to Charge.  I (perhaps mistakenly) added the Outnumber bonus to the chargers (I counted my whole group, not simply those charging; right?  wrong?).

My Star rolled 3d6 vs REP 5 (+1d6 Outnumber) = Pass 3d6.  The Soldier rolled 4d6 vs REP 3 (+1d6 Resolute, +1d6 Outnumber) = Pass 2d6.  The Warrior rolled 3d6 vs REP 3 (+1d6 Outnumber) = Pass 0d6.

Then the Elf Soldier rolled 2d6 vs REP 5 = Pass 2d6.  The Elf Archer rolled 2d6 vs REP 5 = Pass 1d6.
 

I admit that I forgot to nominate my Targets before charging.  I allocated the Hero against the Elf Soldier, and the Soldier + Warrior against the Elf Archer.  This gave the Elf Archer a "Pass more than opponent" result versus the Warrior; the Archer shot his bow, scoring a 10 = HIT!  For damage, the Archer rolled 2d6 (for the Marksman ability; keep the best result) = 1, 6.  The 1 = an OBVIOUSLY DEAD Warrior!  Then the Soldier moved into contact.

An Obviously Dead Warrior.

I moved to Melee.  My Star Hero rolled 6d6 (1HW + REP 5) = 4 successes.  The Elf Soldier rolled 6d6 = 3 successes.  I scored one success more (so an Impact of 1).  For Damage, I rolled 1d6 (twice, for the Swordsman attribute) versus the Impact of 1 (the Elf is Slippery, but Impact can't be less than 1).  I rolled 1 twice.  The Elf Soldier was OBVIOUSLY DEAD too!

Hoody hoo!
 

Next melee:  my Soldier against the Elf Archer.  Soldier rolled 4d6 = 2 successes.  The Elf Archer rolled 5d6 = 3 successes, for 1 more success (Impact of 1).  For Damage, the Elf rolled 1d6 versus Impact of 1 = 5, so greater than Impact but not a 6.  The Soldier was Knocked Down.  He immediately took a Recover from Knock Down Test from his QRS:  2d6 vs REP 3 = Pass 1d6 = OUT OF THE FIGHT.

The Elf Soldier is OD, and my Warrior is OoF.

Wow, glass jaw.
 

I then rolled Activation Dice.  First roll:  Us 3, Them 3.  Doubles.  I don't think Activation doubles actually count when you're in a Dungeon, so I ignored them.  Second roll:  Us 4, Them 4.  Doubles again.  Ignore.  Third roll:  Us 5, Them 6.
  

We Activate.  No In Sights are taken.  Technically, we are in two groups:  my Star (REP 5) and the Caster and Missile (REP 4).  Technically, the Star should go first being the highest REP, but also technically the Caster and Missile wouldn't get to go (too low a REP).

However, I totally forgot that they were in two groups, and just went with the same order of events as for an In Sight resolution:  Shoot/Cast first, then charge.  I had the Caster cast a Defend spell on the Star, successfully.  He cast at 3 higher than the STN!
 

Next, Mr. Missile succesfully reloaded his crossbow, and shot at the Elf Archer.  1d6 + REP 4 = 10, HIT!  Damage equals 1d6 vs Impact 3 (crossbow) = 5, greater than Impact.  The Elf Archer is Knocked Down, and immediately takes a Recover from Knock Down Test from his QRS:  2d6 vs REP 5 = Pass 2d6 = STUNNED.

There seem to be more horizontal bodies than vertical bodies.

The Noble-Hero-Star-White-Knight-Red-Sun-Good-Guy then unceremoniously moved next to the Elf Archer and put him out of his misery.  Permanently.
 

Three of the items the Star carries are Healing Potions purchased previously.  He forced one down the throat of the Soldier.  He passed 1d6 for the Potion + passed 1d6 for his REP for a total of Pass 2d6 Healing.  The Soldier returns to "life" at -1 REP and Skills until after the Encounter.

The end of the Encounter.  The dead Warrior has mysteriously vanished....

This was only the first card of the Dungeon!  Granted, I should not have had a PEF on it, but still...that's some deadly stuff.  REP 5 opponents are tough.
 

I had my Star stick his nose into the next section.  I turned over the next card:  a King of Spades; a face card!  This is a set of stairs leading down to the next level.  Already?  Yikes!  Six cards remained in the Dungeon Deck, so I would add four more cards, equalling ten cards total (or twice the DER).
 

So, one man dead, the other a temporary REP 2 wuss.  And a REP 2 Caster.  I think discretion is the better part of valor, and we'll come back for that Ogre another day.
 

Before we leave, I loot the bodies.  2d6 vs the REP 5 of the Elf Soldier = 1, 3.  Nothing.  Next, the Elf Archer = 1, 2.  Nothing.  Losers.
 

I then roll for the recovering Soldier.  2d6 vs normal REP 3 = 2, 2 = Pass 2d6.  He heals up nicely and returns at normal REP.  Sadly, the Warrior is still dead.
 

Does anyone else improve?  That would be "no."  Since one of the requirements for increasing REP is for the Encounter to be a success, and since I scarpered after the first room, I would have to say that no one gets to improve.
 

And since this was an unsuccessful Encounter we have to see if everyone agrees to stay. 

My Star is REP 5 = 5d6 = 1, 1, 2, 3, 5 = 4 successes.  Caster is REP 2 + 1d6 (Grunt went OOF) = 3d6 = 1, 4, 4 = 1 success.  He loves me and won't take this test after the next Encounter.  Healer is REP 3 + 1d6 = 4d6 = 3, 3, 6, 6 = 2 success.  Same result.  Soldier is REP 3 + 1d6 = 4d6 = 1, 2, 2, 5 = 3 successes.  Hm, he remains in my group, but might have to test if the next Encounter is unsuccessful.  I guess that's fair; he did almost die.  (But I did spend a Healing Potion on him, too.)
 

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All in all, a lot of fun.  One thing about THW games, there's a lot of tables.  The hardest part, and the slowest part, is knowing which table to use next.  Many of the THW titles have a "recipe" that you can follow, but oddly not WH:L.
 

Hopefully, next time I'll have better success, as well as having it go quicker.  Naturally, it took far longer because I was taking detailed notes for this write-up, and the write-up took far longer than the game, but I enjoy both.  It was kind of neat being able to take pictures with my tablet, so that I could write it up.  Unfortunately, the Blogger app for Android didn't work all that well (very limited functionality), and logging in to Blogger from my tablet wasn't a whole lot better.  I had difficulty getting the pictures to upload, and formatting is a pain.  However, I was able to transfer the pictures to the home computer and finish this exciting and thrilling narrative from there!

Thanks for reading.  I promise that future reports will be more fluff and less number-y.