[5e] [Big 16] Medieval warfare themed adventure

[dangelo]

Game full!

Spoiler

Show

System: 5e
Player Count: 4
Style of Play: Player-driven, open-ended with a clear objective
Allowed Content:

* Anything officially published.
* No UA or Homebrew
* If we get more applicants than spots, I'll prioritize PHB content a as personal preference

Character Creation:

* Everyone gets the Skill Expert feat for free
* At least one Ranger is necessary for the game to work
* A Fighter (Cavalier) is desired, though not mandatory
* Only one spellcaster allowed, maybe two (Paladin and Ranger don't count for this purpose)

Backstory: Just make sure you have solid Personality Traits, Flaws, Ideals and Bonds written on your sheet. That's all I need to motivate your characters and play around with their quirks.
Experience: 5th Level
Wealth: 2 Uncommon Magic Items and whatever mundane items you may want and can carry on you. King Harald provided for you.
Ability Scores: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 (+1 from Skill Expert, +ASI)
Hitpoints/Health: Roll, take Average if it rolls below Average. First one is maxed
Alignment: Any
Other Notes: Your character must remain loyal to King Harald all throughout the story, whether you're a lawful good paladin fighting for honor or a chaotic evil rogue serving the king for coin. One of your characters will be the official commander of these knights (normally a highborn cavalier, but not necessarily), though that's just a formality. In practice, the four of you hold council and debate the best course of action together.

The map is 40 hex wide and each hex represents 6 miles, which means your army can move a total of 4 hexes every day (unless you push into a Forced March). Rivers can be forded, but their hex counts as difficult terrain. Mountain hexes are blocked (There are spots where you can cross, but you gotta scout ahead and find them before you take the army). Forests are difficult terrain, but offer guaranteed concealment against enemy units.

Objetive: You must lead your unit of 300 mounted knights accross the map from West to East. You'll begin at the westernmost point of the map - Going back by ship (the way you came) can be especially dangerous, but quick. Marching north around the mountains would be fast enough, but the area around the King's Road is patrolled by enemy cavalry. Going through mountains and woods would be stealthy and safe, but slow, so it will consume your resources. If you run out of food for the troops, you'll have to raid villages for plunder, which is not dangerous but costs time and announces your position.

Scounting: Whether to find a way through the mountains or just look for enemy scouts, you'll often wanna detatch from the troops and travel as a lighter, stealthier unit. Instead of Random Encounters in a dungeon, there will be issues that must be solved so your army can travel safely: get rid of the minotaur guarding the gate, sabotage enemy troops, convince the druids of those woods to let you pass, etc. Skill checks, roleplay and sometimes battles will determine how fast and how well you solve these issues. Keep in mind you must reach King Harald as fast as possible.

Battles: If you're spotted and intercepted by enemy cavalry, the PCs will face proper enemy champions while the soldiers fight in the background. I'm toying with the idea of giving each player each a few knights to control in certain battles, or to allow you to do special attacks once per encounter, like ordering archers to shoot a volley at a 10-foot radius area and things like that. I'm still on the fence about all this, but I'll make sure not to go overboard with it. Not really trying to turn D&D into a different game.

---

Updated map with each biome more clearly defined. I realize villages, mountains and rivers weren't hex-exact and that's kinda important in a hexcrawl.

Mountains are blocked, but can be explored for passages. Woods grant concealment against enemy troops. Villages can be raided and plundered for food, in case you linger too much. King Harald commanded you to kick the villagers out of their houses and send them to the town by Riverlord's Keep, which is Wilhem's capital. You're still burning his crops and breaking his economy, but there's no slaughter. This is heavy cavalry composed of dutiful noble knights.

Crossing rivers:
1. You enter the river hex normally.
2. You decide to cross, and spend 1 hex to do it.
3. You enter the next hex normally.

This is so you can march alongside a river without crossing it, as observed in the example below:

Spoiler

Show

While the real war is being fought by King Harald to the East, his majesty has sent the PCs ahead of a heavy cavalry unit by ship to create pressure on the opposite side of Wilhem's province. Those ships are still available, and can be sailed up and down the rivers. With good wind, ships will move 8 hexes per day rather than 4. Boarding the ships should cost a hex of movement.

Zoomed-out regional map for clarification:

[Feathersnow]

Definitely interested.

[Infernally Clay]

So you mean something like...?

You are the generals of King Harald's great army, proudly leading your fellow soldiers and crushing his enemies as he seeks to expand his territory in neighbouring lands, but one day you hear news that Castle Onyxgate, the seat of King Harald's power, has been attacked and occupied.

You must now march, with your army, eight hundred miles home and liberate the crown jewel of your kingdom. The journey will be harsh and many dangers will try to impede you, from monster dens to assassins sent to stop you from reaching your goal. The more of your army you safely lead home, the better your chances of liberating it, but you know the true battle will begin at the castle gates. It will take everything you have to free the king yourself, or die trying.

[dangelo]

Exactly that mood, though in a smaller scale. I'd do a better job narrating lieutenants instead of generals, so there are smaller numbers on our screens. Perhaps a band of ~40 mounted knights under your command, it has a degree of importance and we avoid having hundreds of meaningless npcs dying in the background.

A ranger would be mandatory as the PCs will often want to scout ahead of the troops. Maybe limit the party to only one spellcaster, to give a low-fantasy military focused mood? Explore the moral dilemmas of using magic as a weapon of war?

[dangelo]

Instead of going to bed early and getting more than 4 hours of sleep, I found myself hyperfocused on this idea. Here's what I'm cooking up:



Map legend:
[White houses] Peasant hamlets
[Black houses] Lumberjack camps
[Harbor] Fishermen villages
[City] Riverlord's Keep

You are deep within enemy territory: A small elite unit sent ahead to create pressure on the other side of the enemy province, the River Lands. Meanwhile, King Harald faces Lord Wilhem in open field just outside the map to the East.

Wilhem is Harald's uncle and Lord of the River Lands, and claims that in the past the Church of Pelor has proclaimed the younger brother of the king as his successor rather than the first-born, and that this law can be evoked again in the present. Some of Harald's vassals sided with Wilhem when both sides called their banners.

Under King Harald's orders, you have defeated local garrisons and put their crops to the torch. Innocents were spared and sent away to spread the news and draw even more attention from Lord Wilhem's forces to the West. But a raven from the king brought you urgent news that changed the entire operation: the enemy had besieged the capital of the realm. All units were to return and join forces to liberate the city.

[samduke]

Possible interest pending big 16

[Feathersnow]

I'd like to play as a Sorcerer, perhaps using a 3rd party Blue Mage (from final fantasy) bloodline, or maybe pyromancer if that is disallowed.

[JNAProductions]

Also curious about the mechanical recruitment details.
Might play a Druid, not sure.

[JbeJ275]

I'd be very interested, potntially as either a ranger (especially if Revised Ranger was permitted) or perhaps a paladin.

[dangelo]

Thanks for your interest everyone. Here's a proper Big 16:

Spoiler: B16

Show

System: 5e
Player Count: 4
Style of Play: Player-driven, open-ended with a clear objective
Allowed Content:

* Anything officially published.
* No UA or Homebrew
* If we get more applicants than spots, I'll prioritize PHB content a as personal preference

Character Creation:

* Everyone gets the Skill Expert feat for free
* At least one Ranger is necessary for the game to work
* A Fighter (Cavalier) is desired, though not mandatory
* Only one spellcaster allowed, maybe two (Paladin and Ranger don't count for this purpose)

Backstory: Just make sure you have solid Personality Traits, Flaws, Ideals and Bonds written on your sheet. That's all I need to motivate your characters and play around with their quirks.
Experience: 5th Level
Wealth: 2 Uncommon Magic Items and whatever mundane items you may want and can carry on you. King Harald provided for you.
Ability Scores: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 (+1 from Skill Expert, +ASI)
Hitpoints/Health: Roll, take Average if it rolls below Average. First one is maxed
Alignment: Any
Other Notes: Your character must remain loyal to King Harald all throughout the story, whether you're a lawful good paladin fighting for honor or a chaotic evil rogue serving the king for coin. One of your characters will be the official commander of these knights (normally a highborn cavalier, but not necessarily), though that's just a formality. In practice, the four of you hold council and debate the best course of action together.

The map is 40 hex wide and each hex represents 6 miles, which means your army can move a total of 4 hexes every day (unless you push into a Forced March). Rivers can be forded, but their hex counts as difficult terrain. Mountain hexes are blocked (There are spots where you can cross, but you gotta scout ahead and find them before you take the army). Forests are difficult terrain, but offer guaranteed concealment against enemy units.

Objetive: You must lead your unit of 300 mounted knights accross the map from West to East. You'll begin at the westernmost point of the map - Going back by ship (the way you came) can be especially dangerous, but quick. Marching north around the mountains would be fast enough, but the area around the King's Road is patrolled by enemy cavalry. Going through mountains and woods would be stealthy and safe, but slow, so it will consume your resources. If you run out of food for the troops, you'll have to raid villages for plunder, which is not dangerous but costs time and announces your position.

Scounting: Whether to find a way through the mountains or just look for enemy scouts, you'll often wanna detatch from the troops and travel as a lighter, stealthier unit. Instead of Random Encounters in a dungeon, there will be issues that must be solved so your army can travel safely: get rid of the minotaur guarding the gate, sabotage enemy troops, convince the druids of those woods to let you pass, etc. Skill checks, roleplay and sometimes battles will determine how fast and how well you solve these issues. Keep in mind you must reach King Harald as fast as possible.

Battles: If you're spotted and intercepted by enemy cavalry, the PCs will face proper enemy champions while the soldiers fight in the background. I'm toying with the idea of giving each player each a few knights to control in certain battles, or to allow you to do special attacks once per encounter, like ordering archers to shoot a volley at a 10-foot radius area and things like that. I'm still on the fence about all this, but I'll make sure not to go overboard with it. Not really trying to turn D&D into a different game.

-----

I'd like to play as a Sorcerer, perhaps using a 3rd party Blue Mage (from final fantasy) bloodline, or maybe pyromancer if that is disallowed.

Sorry, I have trouble designing encounters and challenges when there's Homebrew involved. Nothing against the creativity in itself.

Also curious about the mechanical recruitment details.
Might play a Druid, not sure.

Druids are encouraged.

I'd be very interested, potntially as either a ranger (especially if Revised Ranger was permitted) or perhaps a paladin.

Revised Ranger is allowed, yes. Paladin is also encouraged.

[samduke]

@GM
Are players building the 300 men and their character, or are the 300 men generic and then the party lead those?

It appears there is a sorcerer a druid a ranger

So I could go build yhe fighter knight type not sure about cavalier

[JNAProductions]

HP roll:

(4d8)[3][4][6][1](14)

Luna Starbright is ready for action!
And, while I know you said all that's NEEDED is the traits section filled out, I like writing a lil' more.

Spoiler: Backstory Details

Show

The Story
Luna was born to negligent parents. One was an elf-a particularly fey inclined one, one foot here on the Material, one in the Feywild. Her partner, of the time, was a hedonistic man. He didn't care much for children. And her mother, well... She was not all there. So Luna's story would've ended, left in a mushroom circle on the night of a full moon, had she not been found by Velguardr. The druid happened upon her, and seeing no one to care for the baby, took her in themself. Velguardr was new to being a parent, but they did their best, and raised Luna with a strong moral compass, a strong set of skills for the wilderness, a heaping helping of magical knowledge.

In time, though, Velguardr moved on. Like the passing of the seasons, a druid of their power is not beholden to one location, but to the world at large. They felt that Luna had learned enough to survive and thrive on her own.
And they were right-for a time.

Wilhelm's betrayal of norms was not without its buildup. King Harald and his father before him were on good terms with the local circles. Luna herself, from her home near Wilhelm's domain, worked with the local villages and townsfolk to provide for good crops and safe, sustainable lumber. But, as Wilhelm looked to consolidate power in his urge for the throne, he needed someone to make the enemy. The king was, for the moment, too well-regarded to realistically besmirch.
So, with a few "Druidic" agitators setting fire to fields, Wilhelm painted Luna and her associates as the enemy. As the most powerful caster and fighter amongst her folk, Luna knew that fighting back on their own would be suicide. She directed the others to hold fast, stay safe, and be smart; while she went directly to Harald. By the time she arrived, Wilhelm had already begun his full assault, making her message moot, but her powers all the more needed.

---

The Circles
Luna is a 5th level Druid. The rest of the druidic folk maybe hit level one. A good number of them can cast cantrips a couple of times before tiring out. Some can cast basic healing spells, helping with minor injuries. But the only one with real combat power is Luna. Many of her friends know rituals, but those are hours or days long affairs requiring much setup.

---

Luna As A Person
Despite Wilhelm's trickery, Luna is friendly and trusting. She always tries to see the good in others, is always ready to lend a helping hand, and can easily be considered naïve because of that. She is quick to defend her friends and comrades, and quick to consider someone a friend to boot. But betray her trust, and you will see her fury.

[dangelo]

Luna Starbright is ready for action!
And, while I know you said all that's NEEDED is the traits section filled out, I like writing a lil' more.

Oh, that was quick! Thanks, I'll give it a read.

@GM
Are players building the 300 men and their character, or are the 300 men generic and then the party lead those?

Just your own characters. The 300 knights will have generic soldier sheets if their stats become relevant.

Thinking about it, I'd say they should have very few hitpoints (maybe 15) and a single longsword/lance attack, AC 18 and speed 60 ft. This way we'd have a heavy cavalry unit that's fast enough to avoid bad skirmishes but also can endure several exchanges without taking wounds.

[samduke]

@dangelo
can we trade tools & or musical instruments for languages ?

Percilla


need to roll hp still but basically done

Uncommon magic items
Headband of Intellect - Intelligence score is 19
Sword of Vengeance (Longsword)

[JbeJ275]

Sheet of my own just awaiting finalised backstory.

Santhor

[Lioslaith]

Sheet of my own just awaiting finalised backstory.

Santhor

If you would rather do the paladin I would happily submit a ranger. No worries if you'd rather not though.

[dangelo]

Luna Starbright is ready for action!
And, while I know you said all that's NEEDED is the traits section filled out, I like writing a lil' more.

Nice work with that background. I seems that Luna's circle lived in this very region, so to justify her lack of knowledge about the mountains and how to cross them, let's say they are especially dangerous: wyverns, bandits, raiders, enraged elementals, orc tribes, plus it's said that all the druid circle of these mountains have gone mad centuries ago.

Should you venture through the woods in the central area of the map, you may revisit special places of power where druids used to gather before the Fire Nation attacked Wilhem exhiled them. More horrors of war!

@dangelo
can we trade tools & or musical instruments for languages ?

Sure

Percilla


need to roll hp still but basically done

Uncommon magic items
Headband of Intellect - Intelligence score is 19
Sword of Vengeance (Longsword)

Cool, your sheet checks out. Battle Master is just as adequate as Cavalier for this role, and Squire of Solamina is gonna be very useful as you'll often fight oh horseback in this game.

Quick question about her race: Is Percilla a bugbear who was raised by nobles and therefore is part of human nobility, or is her entire noble house composed of bugbears, or is her a bugbear reflavored as human? Or something else that I'm missing?

Sheet of my own just awaiting finalised backstory.

Santhor

Sweet. Horde Breaker should be fun :P

If you would rather do the paladin I would happily submit a ranger. No worries if you'd rather not though.

I guess I -could- accept two Rangers, provided they're built completely different? I might prioritize not overlapping classes if we end up having more applicants tho.

[Lioslaith]

I’m good with a paladin too. My idea for a ranger was going to be a gloomstalker tabaxi. I could go with a path of ancients paladin too. Or another path if you think that fits better

[samduke]

Cool, your sheet checks out. Battle Master is just as adequate as Cavalier for this role, and Squire of Solamina is gonna be very useful as you'll often fight oh horseback in this game.

I thought so. also put a warhorse with gear on sheet

Quick question about her race: Is Percilla a bugbear who was raised by nobles and therefore is part of human nobility, or is her entire noble house composed of bugbears, or is her a bugbear reflavored as human? Or something else that I'm missing?

I used the Noble background for the ideals ect. as it made the most sense for the knight of solamnia background

Noble Obligation: -> a bugbear who was raised by nobles and therefore is part of human nobility and has an obligation to the human noble house

[samduke]

sorry for the double post
fighter hit points
(4d10)[10][5][1][5](21)

(4d10)[10][5][1][5](21) well average is 6 so 10+6+6+6 =28+ lvl 1= 10 + con mod

[Flashkannon]

I'm quite interested in this campaign and I have an idea for a blindsight-focused drow ranger I could put together, but unless I'm missing something (which, I do not often seek out games on the OOTS forum, so it's quite possible), in what medium would this be played, and if not Play by Post, at what time?

[dangelo]

I’m good with a paladin too. My idea for a ranger was going to be a gloomstalker tabaxi. I could go with a path of ancients paladin too. Or another path if you think that fits better

No, Oath of the Ancients work nicely. Your paladin would probably have a good relationship with local druids, so you have even more reaons to oppose the usurper Lord Wilhem.

I thought so. also put a warhorse with gear on sheet



I used the Noble background for the ideals ect. as it made the most sense for the knight of solamnia background

Noble Obligation: -> a bugbear who was raised by nobles and therefore is part of human nobility and has an obligation to the human noble house

Awesome. There are indeed high ranking knights who are both human outsider and nonhuman, and they usually have quite a reputation. I can see Percilla getting a nickname like "the Goblin Knight" or something like that, especially if she's the kind that would fight tournaments in addition to wars.

I'm quite interested in this campaign and I have an idea for a blindsight-focused drow ranger I could put together, but unless I'm missing something (which, I do not often seek out games on the OOTS forum, so it's quite possible), in what medium would this be played, and if not Play by Post, at what time?

It will be play-by-post yes. I can deliver posts every other day, and usually every day during combat, unless something comes up that will keep me from posting. Might also have a discord server for ooc chatter if everyone's on board with it.

[Flashkannon]

It will be play-by-post yes. I can deliver posts every other day, and usually every day during combat, unless something comes up that will keep me from posting. Might also have a discord server for ooc chatter if everyone's on board with it.

Then, I'll humbly submit the Revised Ranger I just cooked up. Only liberty I really took was using the custom background rules, but that's PHB either way.

Ginarie Yl'tizte

HP rolls were 4, 9, 8, 7
You said HP would default to average if one were to roll below average, so that evens out to 50 total.

I built her on the principle of an unfair fight - from an in-universe standpoint, at least. She's not the best archer, and tends to fight close to mid-range, but her preferred tactics obviate a good deal of her weaknesses. I'm grateful there's a druid, really, that should provide some great synergy when using heavy obscurement.

[GeoffWatson]

As an observation, you'll need a strong reason for sea travel to not be an option - it would be much faster than land travel.

[dangelo]

Then, I'll humbly submit the Revised Ranger I just cooked up. Only liberty I really took was using the custom background rules, but that's PHB either way.

Ginarie Yl'tizte

HP rolls were 4, 9, 8, 7
You said HP would default to average if one were to roll below average, so that evens out to 50 total.

I built her on the principle of an unfair fight - from an in-universe standpoint, at least. She's not the best archer, and tends to fight close to mid-range, but her preferred tactics obviate a good deal of her weaknesses. I'm grateful there's a druid, really, that should provide some great synergy when using heavy obscurement.

It's nice that you went for a melee/mid range fighter, since we also have a sharpshooter-type ranger in the ring. Plus there should be both daytime and nighttime encounters so I can see your character having plenty of opportunities to explore that build.

I should say though, if we end up having more applicants than spots, I'll probably choose not have two rangers in the same group. But we currently don't, so who knows?

----

As an observation, you'll need a strong reason for sea travel to not be an option - it would be much faster than land travel.

Please check the Big 16 again:

Going back by ship (the way you came) can be especially dangerous, but quick. Marching north around the mountains would be fast enough, but the area around the King's Road is patrolled by enemy cavalry. Going through mountains and woods would be stealthy and safe, but slow, so it will consume your resources.

Wilhelm's fleet will be patrolling the coast, so this will be tricky to pull off. Going back by ship is a high risk/high reward option, since several knights would drown if a single ship goes down, and I believe it would require five or six fast moving war galleys to transport all 300 of them. It is also possible to sail up and down the main rivers of this region.

----
So, our list of submitted sheets would be a druid, a fighter, two rangers and possibly a paladin? I'd like to keep momentum and start the game sooner rather than later, so I won't keep this thread going for much longer.

[samduke]

just a generic comment if all the spots are not yet filled and it appears 5 applications, it could be safe to presume that each "leader/player" would or could be in charge of X # of the 300 which at the moment could be 60 each. looking at the map provided I can see spots where "scouting could render a way across, and other than by sea or around to the north the only other spot that I can see is a small pass way to the south.

@gm relatable question is do the 300 soldiers need to stay together or can the players split them up and go different directions ?

[Lioslaith]

Hit point rolls.

(4d10)[6][9][2][4](21)

[Flashkannon]

It's nice that you went for a melee/mid range fighter, since we also have a sharpshooter-type ranger in the ring. Plus there should be both daytime and nighttime encounters so I can see your character having plenty of opportunities to explore that build.

Ah, see - something I never quite consciously acknowledged until I sat down and thought about it is that bows are as effective from a range of 10 feet as they are from 120. Not specializing also gives me incentive to enter melee distance and use the rapier at times. Really, I have to thank you for allowing two uncommon items - normally, this character would necessarily be leashed to concentrating on Fog Cloud, but the Eversmoking Bottle (and to a lesser extent the Nature's Mantle) frees her up for all kinds of tactics, enabled by keen hearing and the Heavily Obscured condition. She may be weak when the sun shines above her head, but by her power, she'll never let that happen.

Speaking of, a discord server sounds like a good idea for organization.

I should say though, if we end up having more applicants than spots, I'll probably choose not have two rangers in the same group. But we currently don't, so who knows?

What will be will be! Either way, this sounds like a fun idea, and I hope you get to run it all the way to the end.

[Infernally Clay]

Well if the current list is indeed "a druid, a fighter, two rangers and possibly a paladin", I was thinking a Rogue but I think I'll have more fun with a Trickery Cleric or perhaps a bit of both.

Maybe a Rogue 2 / Cleric 3? Such a character would be a little behind on spellcasting of course but it shouldn't be too much of a problem and if we're levelling up I'd go Cleric from here on out...

I'll put them together and see how it looks.

[Lioslaith]

WIP sheet, I am sure there are errors https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2903719

Not 100% settled on the feat. Might look at inspiring leader if chosen.