TheHornedRaidersReturn
Contents
The Horned Raiders Return
Concept
Concept: In days of yore, the Horned Invaders looted the towns of the Settled Lands. None could withstand the might of the longboat Raiders until the rise of Earl Goodspear, who stemmed the tide of their invasion in battle.
But now, after the Rain of Green Fire, the Settled Lands have fallen. Wizards in the civilized palaces grew too powerful and corrupt, unleashing an arcane war that ended in fiery destruction. Cities burned under the onslaught of necromantic Green Rain , and undead rose in the ruins to swarm the countryside.
The Rain's survivors have need of the horned fighters to rescue them. The Earl’s descendant, Duke Goodspear, has called on the invaders to enter the Settled Lands and aid the embattled folk. Roving from town to town, the Raiders will meet the walking dead, brutal greenskin invaders, and roving monsters (ogres, trolls, etc.) unchecked since the fall of civilized rule.
CLASSES: this is deliberately restrictive to evoke a particular setting. Emphasis is on fast, frantic melee between lightly or at most medium armored combatants. A party will consist of the following classes and races, mostly humans and fighter-types, including:
- One or more (Viking-like) 'Raiders'*: Raider Warrior: FIGHTER. Loses heavy armour prof but uses d12 for hps. Must wear (unhistorical) horned helm and carry Viking-ish arms and armour. Raider Berserker : use BARBARIAN. Raider Skald: BARD (with storytelling, chanting, etc as performance trappings).
NB: all Raiders gain a +2 (ancestral) melee weapon at start of play.
- One or more extra fighters: Kite-shield Knight-a rare Settled Lands survivor of the Green Rains. Use FIGHTER. Early medieval style gear with kite shield, chain (no plate armour in the setting). Gains diplomacy and Animal handling as free skills but must give up half money and peasant-useful magic items to aid locals. Greenskin 'Slayer' (use half-orc, but really a hobgoblin), a FIGHTER mercenary. -2 to diplomacy with locals, but +2 to intimidate. Peasant/ yeoman hero- a FIGHTER who gains only shield, simple weapon and light armour profs. Gains Animal handling, Bluff, and (Craft or Tracking) as free skills. May have an animal companion (cat, fox or dog).
- One arcanist: Minstrel (human, Settled Lands trickster; BARD, the only human arcane class ‘allowed’ in the setting Dragonborn or Tiefling SORCERER (arcane powers natural to these races)
- 'One 'Friar': Wandering Friar-human CLERIC but lose armour ability and forgo martial weapons for a WIS bonus on AC. Their ‘god’ is the Archangel Orchris, a demiurge of the Great High One (we won't go into theological detail). Domains include Law.
- One rogue or ranger: Catfolk ‘sneak’: ROGUE. Woodsman- RANGER- settled land native, Robin Hood-like (?) liberator. Delver-a class of risk-taking ruin scourers; human, halfling or catfolk ROGUE
NB: so no playable wizards or druids; clerics and sorcerers restricted as explained above
RACES: in order of frequency, Human, Halfling, Greenskin (hobgoblin; use half-orc), Tiefling (many born after the Green Rain), Catfolk , Dragonborn. NB: no elves or dwarves, thanks.
Player Characters
Kjarll Kellnson, the Berserker
PC Sheet, copy and make your own page
Marching Order and Watches
Marching Order (List two-wide and single)
- Two-Wide
- Single File
Watch Order
- 1st watch:
- 2nd watch:
- 3rd watch:
- 4th watch:
Treasure
Locations of Note
A Map of the Raider Coast:
scale: the road in red from Loomton to Talltowers is 70 miles with twists and turns.
The northern Coast has been protected by the low, craggy hillocks known as the Cairn Hills. Ghouls who rose in the Rain-struck town of Talltowers have not crossed this range for some reason. But the villages are terribly exposed to Greenskin assault as the brutes now move freely from the Pale into the unprotected country.
Non-Raiders are currently holed in at the fortified (earth dyke , wooden wall) village of Loomton, hemmed in by marauding greenskins.
A longboat will soon land near the settlement , letting off the Raiders who will go immediately to the same village.
House Rules
Pro-activ rollin' please. If your character does sonething that is intended to have an impact beyond discussion, please make a roll that accompanies it. Even if you choose the 'wrong' roll in terms of skill or proficiency bonus, I can still use it and add the bonuses I think match the situation. Or just go with your idea anyway. Looking at it negatively, if it ain't rolled nothing has happened. Looking at it oositively, you don't need need to ask the GM whether or what you should roll. Whether you think this is unfair or not, I tend to interpret the results of proactive rolls as those of slightly pluckier, more daring attempts.
Chargen: 4d6 best of 3, switching lowest score (only) to 16 if these are crappoid. Think of a motivation and weakness (will generate re-roll points).
Heavy armour is absent from the setting except for chainmail (heavy in 5E) , generally worn only by Settled Lands knights.
functionally an 'E6' setting: most characters in the world are somewhere on a lev 1-6 scale. Higrer level characters may exist but most big-wigs have perished in the Green Rain.
PbP rules:
Post daily (most of the time)
write fun posts
Links
- [ Recruitment Thread]
- IC Thread
- OOC Thread
Ephemera
Risings
If a sentient creature dies in proximity to necrotic fallout there is a strong risk that they will rise soon after as undead. To determine whether this occurs roll 1d6 and add the creature’s class level when living. Use best roll of 2d6 if they had an arcane background.
- 1-3; creature does not rise
- 4; Gurgler. creature grotesquely attempts to rise but fails to ambulate
- 5: zombie
- 6: ghoul
- 7: ghast
- 8: shadow
- 9: undead aberration
- 10+: greater undead, varies
Encounter Tables: Old High Road
Scouts will generally spot the threat ahead on the road :
DC<5: Ambush / blunder
DC 5-10: Close encounter: combat can start immediately
DC 11-19: medium range encounter (both parties alerted and able to flee)
DC 20+-: enemy spotted at distance, may not perceive party's presence
Road Encounter
ROLL 3d6:
3: monster: [+5 to DC scout] 1: ogre 2: dire boar 3: owlbear 4: wyvern, 5: hill giant, 6: green dragon
4: (1d3) ghouls : if 3 rolled one is a ghast!
5: (1d6) hobgoblin headhunters
6: (1d6) zombies “shamblers”
7: wild animal: 1. lone wolf 2. lynx 3.wild dogs 4. bull 5.bear 6.wolf pack
8-13: no encounter
14: game (hare, deer etc.)
15: stray horse, cow or dog
16: human vagrants (neutral)
17: knight errant with party
18:travelling friendly party
Camping Encounter
Sentry Perception roll:
DC<10: Ambush
DC 10-14: party not ambushed
DC 15-19: party has a round to prepare
DC 20+-: party alerted well in advance
ROLL 3d6:
3: monster: 1: ogre 2: dire boar 3: owlbear 4: wyvern, 5: hill giant, 6: green dragon
4: shadow
5: (1d3) ghouls : if 3 rolled one is a ghast!
6: (1d6) zombies “shamblers”
7: giant rats
8-18: no encounter
