Deathodendron - Soulbound AoS roleplay campaign session 4

After all the action and violence, the group decided it was time for a long rest. At a crossroads of corridors they sat back and deliberated what to do next. Through this discussion, they forgot to inform the newly arrived Stormcast what was going on in the first place. Ah the stresses of adventure and all that…

I'll take any excuse to use pictures of this big guy :)

Greater Daemon you say? Just throw it some cash! - Soulbound AoS roleplay campaign session 3

At the end of the previous session, all players had been forced to flee. Boris the Kharadron ran through a different tunnel than his companions. Given the loud bleeping of the gas sensor in his helmet, the rest of the party lucked out on that point. On the downside, he was quite lost. Boris walked through the moldy and deserted corridors of Hollowreef's deepest (Nurgle infested) district in search of the group. As he failed at finding his bearings he decided to walk towards the sound of drums in the distance.

Yeah, there's a greater daemon coming up in this game session...

Into the deep - Soulbound AoS roleplay campaign session 2

The second gaming session Age of Sigmar's Soulbound RPG has been concluded. I know its not a really popular part of my blog, but hell it is MY blog so here goes ;). This happened after the group beat a warband of Khorne in the forest near Hollowreef. 

As I do not have proper illustrations for this blog, I'll just go for random images of Nurgle models in my collection :).

Welcome to Hollowreef - Soulbound AoS roleplay campaign session 1

Life quite firmly got in the way of blogging (and painting) lately. Luckily I did find time to host some roleplaying sessions. On the downside: I didn't get around to actually giving them a write-up. Lets go for it now. I started a new campaign using the Soulbound Age of Sigmar rolplaying game ruleset by Cubicle7. You can read my review/first impressions of the game system in this previous post. In this first session we formed a merry band of heroic misfits who got the job of helping colonists reclaim the lost city of Hollowreef. 

Age of Sigmar: Souldbound shows its Warhammer roots by being completely D6 based (although I think they should Easter Egg in a scatter die at some point).

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound review, high fantasy, high magic and high stakes in one epic RPG

 Recently I started an Age of Sigmar Soulbound campaign. Soulbound is the Cubicle7 roleplaying game set in the Age of Sigmar universe. Like the setting, it encourages epic ‘over the top’ fantasy gameplay in a high magic world (well realmscape really). As my Warhammer Fantasy Campaign was rather rudely interrupted by Covid, I decided to dive into this new system. This blog post is a review of the rpg and some general observations. Soon I’ll follow up with the blog on the first session (let’s call it the hands-on part of the review). 

So the name is: Warhammer Age of Sigmar Roleplay: Soulbound, Perilous Adventures in the Mortal Realms?
I suspect someone got paid by the word ;)

Ruin's End, a Warhammer Fantasy 4th Campaign, sessions 8 and 9 - A night at the theater

<This is the second two-parter to catch up with the campaign>

After consulting with Delsoton in the high elf embassy, the group went to their safe house in Suiddock. The house turned out to be on a typical Mariënburger street. Vendors cried out about their wares against a backdrop of liquor stores, bakers and 'spice sellers'. Almost instinctively the members of the group devolved into the most primary human being there is: the tourist.

A random illustration of Skaven Gutter Runners.

Ruin's End, a Warhammer Fantasy 4th Campaign, sessions 6 and 7 - One way trip to Marienburg

My Warhammer Fantasy campaign Ruin's End has gone unreported, but has continued over the past months*. After defeating a burrowed Skaven war party and robbing Ubersreik magistrate Von Bruner's mansion (for the second time) the party thought it appropriate to leave Ubersreik. With the city gates locked, it was a question of how.

A Skaven Assassin.

Ruin's End, a Warhammer Fantasy 4th Campaign, session 5 - Bum Rush

Having just infiltrated the Skaven hive, the group looked proudly at the corpses of its guards. With three doors to choose from, only one question remained: which one would they open?

I should most definitively include a plague priest riding a giant rat somewhere in the campaign.

Ruin's End, a Warhammer Fantasy 4th Campaign, session 4 - A pimply romance

After stealing Dietmar's diary from the Von Bruner mansion all members of the party returned to Rosalinde's apartments. After a quick discussion they decided to follow up on the threats urging them to meet an unknown party around midnight at the Teufeltal Gate. Wishing to survive the night, the group decided to scout the location first. Drett had to stay behind, suffering from a fresh bout of Estellian Stomach Flue.

Sir 'not appearing in this gaming session'

Ruin's End, a Warhammer Fantasy 4th Campaign, session 3 - Forbidden knowledge

At the end of the previous episode laywer Drett and magister Ronja gained acces to the library in the Temple of Sigmar. Tillman the witch had kept a wise distance from the same place and was taking care of the sick dwarf watchman Gorgor. Priest of Sigmar Barnard was asking his colleagues in the same temple about their dreams.

I worked hard on this mostly unused location map.

Ruin's End, a Warhammer Fantasy 4th Campaign, session 2 - Help Wanted

After the rather confused handover of the artefact at the Triple Cross Inn (it ended up with the wrong High Elf) the group rescued a mage called Rosalinde. Narrowly avoiding an encounter with the city watch they gathered in an alleyway wondering what to do next. Rosalinde invited the group to her apartments with an offer to work for her. The group had accepted in spite of some serious worries about her intentions.

A pretty picture that has little to do with the gaming session.

Ruin's End, a Warhammer Fantasy 4th Campaign, session 1 - Quintuple cross at the Triple Square Inn

After ending the Troubles in Teufeltal peace did not quite return to the province. In the following months a famine was followed by rebellion which in turn led to repression of the populace. The freshly anointed baron had trouble maintaining order. His inability to get proper sleep and his habit of keeping his pale face confined to darkened quarters while wearing his black armor did not help.

The Triple Square Inn

Trouble in Teufeltal sessions 8, 9 and 10 - White Wolves, Waaghs and Vampires

As I never got around to translating and posting the last sessions, I've decided to post the entire wrap-up of my first Warhammer Fantasy 4th campaign in one go.

Session 8 - The White Wolf Lodge
After the party was saved by ladies they thought where in distress, they moved on to the White Wolf Lodge. Fortunately one of the escape tunnels from Lady DeBlanc's School for Ladies led almost straight to the border between Bretonnia and the Empire and the White Wolf lodge building sitting atop it. Just as fortunate was the meeting with their comrade Drett. After shaking off his Estelian stomach flue he had decided to randomly search the party at this location.

Trouble in Teufeltal session six, Steam Tank Rally

After fighting an Orc Shaman and freeing Otilla the group decided to take it up a notch. They planned to rescue the girls studying at DeBlanc's School for Ladies, recruit the wizard Dieter von Heinz and convince the knights at the White Wolf lodge to join the defense of Schluesselschloss.

Only now do I realize I missed a perfect chance to add some chariots to the spectacle.

Trouble in Teufeltal session five, Otilla and the orc

The latest session of my Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th campaign started with a quick rectification from the player's side. They were not in the war room, but had already left Schluesselschloss, once again stealing the (dead) baron's horses. This time the guards told them to stop and dismount, but the group decided to ignore the fat layabouts and just kept on riding. With the early day's sun coming out they set off towards the baron's winery.

Not appearing in this scenario: goblins, although at some point the orcs did drop a stone thrower from great height.

Trouble in Teufeltal session four, Closed River

At the end of our previous gaming session the group was sailing barge De Vreugde downstream on the Teufel carrying wine, coffee and refugees. Unfortunately another barge tied with chains and ropes was blockading the river. Trolls where seen in the reeds on the left and right bank and the tied up barge was in the process of being looted by goblins. What could the party do?

This part of the adventure was going to feature a lot of river trolls. Luckily for the players most of them are going to be standing in the background, looking intimidating.

Trouble in Teufeltal session three, Battlefield

We ended the last session with a group meeting on the battlements of Schluesselschloss. Smoke and fire filled the horizon, coming from the direction of Tallerhof. Wasn't that the direction the baron and his army took? Micky, Barnard, Gorgor and Kylael stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the flames. A fifth person joined them, but it took a while before he was noticed.

I am not saying orcs in chariots are on their way, but orcs in chariots are on their way...

Trouble in Teufeltal session two, Spiders everywhere!

We ended the previous Warhammer Fourth session with Tallerhof's priest Siegfried looking in shock at the extra-curricular activities of his initiate Barnard. To offer a distraction, Barnard quickly leapt up and started praying for the critically wounded halfling Micky. Sighing in disgust, the senior priest pushed aside his apprentice to show how a true man of faith asks Shallya for help. The halfling gasped as his ribs mended and his health returned instantly. Siegfried fell over, too tired to continue berating his apprentice.

I think the village of Tallerhof will have looked similar to this after the goblin raid.

Trouble in Teufeltal, a Warhammer Fantasy Campaign, session one

In my previous post I talked a bit about the new Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay ruleset based on a preview PDF. Using these rules I’ve set-up a campaign to play through and gathered a group to play it with. Last Friday we had a chance to get started. It was a night short on story, as building the characters with the group took up most of the evening, but big on fun. In this post I’ll run through a very brief overview of the story I've planned, give a summary of the game and end up with some of the things I learned gamemastering. 

Every adventure begins with a proper map (in this case inspired by a map in WFRP 3rd).

Quick sidenote: If any of my players are reading this, please stop as I’ll stuff these posts so full of spoilers it’ll ruin the game for you :).

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th edition, first look

This weekend I had a chance to play around with Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay fourth edition. So let’s take a quick step away from wargaming and add some roleplaying to the mix.  Around the end of last year/start of this year I gamemastered a first edition Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Campaign (with the Character Pack and fully random characters). I started with Night of Blood and followed up with Fire in the Mountains. Aside from first edition I’ve also played (and gamemastered several 2^nd and 3^rd edition campaigns.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is back, this time with a starter set and a collector's edition.