Splintered Band: Bloody Harvest in the Fields

 

    Badger mage Jemmy Tar & Yo-dee the Coyote barbarian catch sight ahead of an armored ratman

It has been too long since the Splintered Band took to the field in my solo Sellswords & Spellslingers campaign. If you'll remember, these were adventures following four of my Splintered Light Miniatures anthropomorphic animals. In the first mission, they escorted a wagon from the river town of Porthewn to the forest monastery of Brother Barnibus. The way through the Great Forest had been nearly cut off by the ravages of a large warband of rats, but Jemmy Tar's band fought their way through -- barely!

    My scenario featured 5 objective markers that the Splintered Band (starting at bottom) must reach

Meanwhile, preparing for a string of spring gaming conventions had kept me from following up their initial adventure with a second mission (even though it had been written and ready for months!). However, with Origins Game Fair done, it was time to return what was going on in the perilous Great Forest...

    True to his barbarian nature, Yo-dee howled and sprinted forward to attack the ratman

Fortunately, the healing powers of Brother Barnibus and the Monks of the Emerald Robe were able to nurse the nearly lifeless Yo-dee back to health. The gratitude of the mice monks and their students upon the band's arrival with a wagon full of food and supplies was boisterous and welcoming. 

    As Abraxis the armadillo scurries ahead, the pine marten ranger Woodbine is ambushed by a ratling

Brother Barnibus explained to Jemmy that they were the first wagon to arrive from Porthewn in weeks. What's more, the horde of rats plaguing the area had kept the monastery from harvesting any of their crops or orchards. Monks or workers sent out were captured by the rats and dragged off squealing into the woods, likely to a grim fate. Quite simply, the mice of the monastery were starving. The rats had also twice attempted to swarm their walls, but Brother Barnibus' hastily-armed monks, students, and workers had driven them off, though with grievous losses. The fate of the monastery hung in the balance. As the inhabitants got weaker, they would likely not be strong enough to repel the next attack. The Splintered Band had arrived just in time.

    An overview in the early turns showing where the advance of the Splintered Band 

Jemmy talked to Abraxis and Woodbine about what Brother Barnibus had said, while unwinding from the horrors of the forest over an ale in the monastery's brewery. They let Yo-dee sleep, and hopefully recover quickly from his deep wounds sustained fighting the powerful Bearman. Woodbine and Abraxis agreed that the band should do all in their power to help the monastery. Payment was irrelevant when the lives of the mice scholars and their young students were at stake! The next morning, the three approached the elderly abbot of the monastery and told him their skills were at his disposal. The monk bowed his head in prayer, and then quietly blessed each of the three. He asked if at least one of the three could help stand watch on the walls, rotating shifts, so they were there at all times? Jemmy nodded, but asked, "Surely, there is more we can do?"

    Ratling 'horde' arrives on board in response to the character's activation failures

Barnibus said they should wait for several days, and let his folk recover their strength by feasting on the supplies they had brought through safely. "Then, when your companion has recovered, perhaps we can better utilize your skills...?" The abbot explained his plan. Jemmy and his friends would burst out from the monastery's gate and scour the nearby treeline, driving off or killing any rat sentries spying upon the monastery. While Jemmy and his friends were fighting the rats, Barnibus' folk would rush out from the gates, as well. They would begin hurriedly harvesting all they could carry from the fields, protected by the adventurers. Once they had gathered enough food to last for a week or so, he would ring the monastery's bell, and Jemmy and his friends could withdraw back through the gate. 

    The arrival of those ratlings aroused a huge, angry bear -- bad news for the rats!

"A clever plan, Brother Barnibus!" Jemmy nodded. "We will see that your folk have their time to harvest, though we pay with our blood." The abbot said he would give each of the four a healing potion to use if they were wounded while out protecting the fields. "If you need it not, it is still yours to keep. The Emerald Robes will never be able to repay your generosity and stout hearts!" 

    Other event cards in the game would cause ratlings to leap out of ambush and attack the band

This solo game would be the second scenario of my campaign. The 3'x3' battlefield would have four fields nearest the edge of the battlefield where the characters would start. The other three board edges would be bordered by thick woods, forming an upside down "U-shape" facing the Splintered Band. Inside the woods would be five objective markers, each within 6"-10" of their respective table edges. A member of the party would have to contact each objective marker and roll on a table to see what enemies lurked nearby. This would simulate the band scouring the woods edges and springing any ambushes the rats may have laid for unwary monks. 

    One of the mouse monks scurries out of the monastery to 'help' the characters defeat the rats

Once the marker was touched, there was a 1 in 6 chance there would be no enemies near the marker. However, in all five cases I rolled up either a horde of ratlings or a wildcat legionary. The fact that the Wildcat Legion was now in the hire of the rats would be dire news for the mice of the Great Forest. The legion was the force that initially drove the rat army out of the forest, many years ago. To find that they had betrayed the trust of the mice would worry Brother Barnibus and his folk greatly.

    Yo-dee out in front nears the first objective marker on the left, approaching cautiously

I decided to split the four members of my band into two groups of two, each starting near opposite side edges of the battlefield. The stout armadillo fighter Abraxis would partner with the Pine Marten ranger Woodbine on the right. Jemmy Tar, the badger mage, and his bodyguard Yo-dee, the coyote barbarian, would take the left. I figured that I needed a fighter and a missile-armed character on each side. Woodbine's arrows and Jemmy Tar's magic darts would doubtless come in handy, keeping the rats and other enemies at a distance or killing as many as possible before they closed to contact.

    Meanwhile, Abraxis moves with uncharacteristic speed and closes in on the first marker on the right

There was a complication, though. Two cards in the event deck would lead to monks appearing in the fields ontable in their work harvesting. There was also a card representing a brave but foolhardy mouse monk rushing from the table edge to join the Splintered Band in their dangerous job. The adventurers would have to prevent them from being killed by enemies, in addition to investigating all five objective markers.

    The angry bear charges into a ratling slinger that unwisely did not flee in terror as it should have!

I decided my order of activation would begin with Abraxis and Woodbine, followed by Yo-dee and Jemmy. At the end of my turn, any monk harvesters or would-be warriors would move. Abraxis took off like a shot, not failing an activation roll for his first three turns! His haste belied his slower 3" move compared to the others. In Sellswords & Spellslingers, characters choose to roll 1, 2, or 3 twenty-sided dice to activate. Each failure leads to a draw of an event card, which can bring on new enemies or activate those already on table. To make up for Abraxis' unexpected speed and successes, Woodbine rolled his share of failures (less than an 8 on 1d20). 

    Touching the objective marker triggers a roll on a table, this one bringing on a horde of 5 ratlings

The game began with three rats deployed randomly on the tabletop. One, an armored ratman, began in the field nearest Yo-dee and Jemmy Tar. On turn one, Yo-dee saw him and let out a long howl. Rolling four successes on three dice ("20" on 1d20 = two actions), he charged towards the rat, leapt the fence, and eventually cut him down. An auspicious start for the Splintered Band!

    Battle on the right: Woodbine (bottom) shoots arrows, Abraxis strikes down enemy, & the bear rages

Abraxis continued to scurry ahead, with Woodbine shaking his head at his companion's recklessness. His sharp eyes spotted a group of three ratlings emerging from the trees near the two ratling slingers that he had noticed earlier in the distance. The ranger paused, seeing a darker form moving through the trees. The roar confirmed what his eyes thought he had spotted -- a huge, angry bear! He noticed the ratlings cringe, surprised by the bear's appearance nearby. Woodbine chuckled -- the foolish creatures must have disturbed it somehow. Once they moved to attack he and Abraxis, the bear charged. They would keep the bear busy for awhile! His own attention diverted, he was himself startled as a ratling leapt out from behind the gate to the field he was moving along. The creature leveled a spear and charged. Woodbine turned and fired quickly and the ratling dropped, an arrow in its chest.

    Yo-dee triggers the objective marker on the left and unveils a wildcat legionary...employed by rats??

On the left, Yo-dee charged off towards the first patch of woods and objective marker. Following behind him, Jemmy noticed the bulging pouch at the belt of the armored ratman, who lay covered in blood, felled by the coyote's two-handed sword. "This will buy a few ales," Jemmy laughed as he snatched it from the lifeless creature's belt, hearing the satisfying jingle. He knew his band wouldn't have time to loot the slain for the most part on this mission, but no harm in taking what was all but shoved into his hands! Thinking similarly, Woodbine snatched a pouch from the ratling his arrow had killed. 

    Jemmy Tar tells Yo-dee to clear out & unleashes a flurry of magic darts at the treacherous mercenary

Woodbine heard scurrying feet behind him, and saw one of the brother monks puffing along down the path from the monastery towards them. He was carrying a staff in both hands like a weapon. Woodbine sighed. He saw more movement to his right and noticed a harvester with a spade enter the field, digging up potatoes and putting them in his burlap sack. He imitated a birdsong that he knew would catch Jemmy's attention. When the badger looked over, he pointed to the two monks, so he could help keep an eye on them.

    Wounded, Abraxis continues to hammer his way through hordes of ratlings with his mace

Up ahead, the ranger noticed Abraxis nearing the edge of the woods. He also saw the three ratlings running towards the armadillo -- or were they running away from the bear? Left behind, the ratling slinger squeaked and whirled his leather sling over his head and loosed a stone at the charging bear. It missed and the bear leapt upon the slinger. The bear's jaws closed and the slinger gave one final, urgent squeak and went limp and lifeless. Woodbine jogged forward as Abraxis entered the edge of the woods. He was waddling forward faster than he'd ever seen the armadillo move before! The ranger saw movement deeper in the woods. Dark forms were creeping towards Abraxis. The ranger counted five shapes, and shouted at Abraxis to back out of the woods to where his bow could cover him. The armadillo hefted his mace and looked about to protest, but finally saw the ratlings edging towards him. He began backing into the meadow. Satisfied, Woodbine sighted his bow and sent a shaft hurtling towards the ratlings running from the bear, seeing one stumble and go down.

    Hearing the shouts of his master, the barbarian coyote returns to strike down the wounded wildcat

On the left, Yo-dee slowed down and crept cautiously beneath the trees. He saw a glint of steel through the trunks. Out of the gloom, a wildcat walked towards him, pulling its sword from its sheath. He wore a steel breastplate, bronze helmet, and long red cloak. Far behind him, he hurried Jemmy Tar gasp. "It can't be...the Wildcat Legion -- fighting for the rats? What treachery!" Yo-dee looked from the armored wildcat to Jemmy. He was unafraid, but something about this creature bothered his master. He growled low and deep in his throat. Jemmy shouted to him, "I will deal with this traitor, Yo-dee! Search the next woods!" Red blasts of magic crackled past Yo-dee's head, rebounding from the red shield of the wildcat. Yo-dee looked back at Jemmy again and heard him shout, "Hurry, we haven't much time!" 

    The bear, wounded by Woodbine's arrows, turns to face a new threat -- a very upset giant boar!

Yo-dee darted out of the woods and to the next treeline, advancing stealthily. He heard before he saw the chittering of a group of ratmen. As his eyes picked out their forms, he saw them whirring slings over their heads, their black eyes intent upon him. Behind him, the coyote heard the Wildcat hiss in pain as one of Jemmy's magic bolts struck home. Yo-dee heard it snarl a challenge, and wavered. He was bloodguard -- sworn to protect the life of Jemmy Tar! He bolted back into the woods he'd just left and charged the Wildcat, who saw him coming. Swords clanged. The wildcat was fast, his sword cut the coyote's side. Yo-dee howled in anger and battered his two hand sword down upon the bronze helmet. The creature reeled, then Yo-dee's followed up with a two handed slice which struck home. It fell, nearly cut in two. Good armor, Yo-dee thought, but not enough to protect against "Rat-Cleaver" -- the name Abraxis had given Yo-dee's huge, curving sword. The coyote howled in triumph as the wildcat lay still.

    Midway through the game and only two objective markers remain for the Splintered Band to search

Back on the right, Woodbine fired three arrows and watched ratlings fall beneath the trees. Meanwhile, the four running from the bear crashed into Abraxis, who swung his spiked mace to the left and right, crushing a ratling lifeless with each stroke. Woodbine called, "To me, Abraxis! There is a more dangerous enemy than rats on the prowl!" The ranger paused, breathed slowly, and aimed at the bear and let an arrow fly. A roar told him his shot had struck home. But why was it not charging? It had dispatched the two hapless ratling slingers. Instead, it was snuffling and glancing back at the trees the ratlings had emerged from. Woodbine squinted his eyes and saw movement in the greenery. "What now?" he thought. He gasped when the creature emerged from the woods, its red eyes intent on the wounded bear. It was the largest boar he'd ever seen, with huge curving tusks and hooves that pawed the ground. 

    The cruelly curved tusks of the boar and its fury are enough to overcome the powerful bear

The boar charged the bear and the two swirled in combat, curved tusks against claws and teeth. Woodbine tore his eyes away from the swirling melee. He had enemies of his own to worry about. He sent shaft after shaft into the ratlings, as Abraxis swung his mace at all that came into contact. After a moment, all the ratlings lay fallen, feathered or smashed to the ground. "Abraxis -- hurry! Over the fence of that field. I will join you! We have only a moment before one or the other of those forest creatures charge us." Sure enough, just as Abraxis clambered over the wooden fence and propped his shield against it, he heard the enraged squeal of the giant boar. It stood over the motionless bear, its head swaying back and forth, tusks dripping blood. Then it caught sight of the armadillo. It let out another terrifying squeal and charged. Abraxis wisely shifted position behind the stoutest fence post he could find, bracing his shield and weight against it. The boar took the bait and crashed into the fence. Braced by Abraxis, the post held. The fighter swung his mace overhead, cracking it down on the boar's head. Woodbine raced to his companion's side and swung his axe, aiming for its neck. The two battered at the creature until it finally let out an explosive snort and sagged to the ground.

    Tragedy! One of the monk harvesters is pounced upon by a prowling mountain lion

The roaring of the bear and boar had drawn the attention of other predators of the woods, though. Creeping silently through the trees was a large mountain lion. It saw one of the monk harvesters digging plants from the ground and then placing them in its sack, oblivious to the feline's presence. When it had crept close enough, it sprang from cover and raced noiselessly towards the unsuspecting mouse. It leapt the fence and only when almost upon its prey did it roar, paralyzing the monk with fright. The lion crashed upon him and drove him to the ground. Claws and teeth rent the mouse's form, who never had a chance to cry out. Jemmy Tar, at the opposite end of the field, heard the lion's roar. "Oh, laddie no!" he cried, as the mouse went down. Hands waving with arcane gestures, the badger summoned up his red bolts again and hurled them, one after another, at the lion. It roared in pain, and then again when it was struck a second time. Finally, it sprang towards the badger, closing the distance rapidly. However, Jemmy did not panic and waited till it was close and he could not miss. The final bolt of red pierced the lion, and it tumbled through a patch of pumpkins and then lay still.

    Abraxis & Woodbine use the fence to help hold off the explosive charge of the giant boar

Jemmy looked from the fallen monk to where Yo-dee waged battle with two different groups of ratling slingers. He hesistated, unsure which way to go, when he heard his friend Abraxis shout, "I've got the wee poor mousie! You help Yo-dee!!" The badger smiled as Abraxis stumbled through the pumpkin patch,  pumping his short legs as fast as they would go. Jemmy turned and began hurling magic darts at the slingers, who had obviously struck the coyote once or twice. He called over his shoulder, "Get these mice back to the monastery, Abraxis! The rest of us will finish this!" Jemmy jogged forward towards Yo-dee, as did Woodbine. The three companions whittled away at the ratlings. Suddenly, the monastery bell began to clang. 

    Woodbine advances beneath the trees & triggers the final objective marker, revealing another wildcat

"That's the sign," Jemmy shouted. "Let's go -- make sure all the monks are out of the fields. We don't leave any behind." As they retreated, Jemmy saw the monk that the lion had pounced on supported between Abraxis and another monk carrying a staff. He thought he saw the bloody mouse open its mouth and squeak in pain. "Alive...how?" Abraxis saw him looking and held up the empty healing potion. He nodded his head and smiled at his friend. Soon, the entire Splintered Band, along with four mouse monks, were hurrying through the paths between the fields. Up ahead, Jemmy saw the monks waving from the open gate, urging them to hurry. He didn't have turn to be able to tell the rats were following them. He could hear their angry chittering at his backs. Errant sling stones fell around them, but they were too far away to be accurate. They'd made it! Jemmy smiled and knew exactly which of the monastery's ales he would celebrate with!

    Another bear prowled onto the board (the first's mate?), but it was dispatched by Yo-dee's sword

This was an epic length game of Sellswords & Spellslingers. It lasted 17 turns. I'd started out rolling fairly well, but hit a stretch where I failed well move half of my activations. Several times, I had characters fail all three activations they rolled for! The larger predators showed up on the "Wandering Monster" event card. I didn't mention it in my story, but there were actually two more that showed up. One was another bear slain by Yo-dee and the other was another boar that arrived directly behind a horde of six very surprised and disappointed ratlings...ha, ha! Do I want that many "wandering monsters" in this scenario? I'm not sure. Maybe I'll change the scenario rules I've written to have the player roll each time after one appears. First time, remove the card on a "6" on 1d6. Second time, on a 5-6. Third time, 4-6, and so on. That seems like it will make more sense (though this is a fantasy campaign...ha, ha!). 

    Abraxis and the brave monk helper tend to the monk harvester, administering a healing potion

I had fun playing the game, though. The rules do an amazing job of creating an unfolding story, and the cards play off of each other well. The frequent shuffling of the event deck means it remains unpredictable with occurrences like the giant boar showing up to gore the angry bear. I will now begin brainstorming Scenario 3. I'm thinking that Jemmy and Brother Barnibus will be interested in investigating the mystery of the Wildcat Legion fighting on behalf of the rats. Stay tuned, and we'll see...! 

    With the monastery's bell clanging, the Splintered Band & their helpers hurry off the battlefield

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 232
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 117 

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 21
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 40

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 93
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 100

Adventures of the Splintered Band - First Mission

    Splintered Band accepts its first job offer in Porthewn - escort a wagon through a rat-haunted forest

I'd read about the Ganesha Games rules Sellswords & Spellslingers on the Lead Adventure Forum. A cooperative fantasy miniatures skirmish game sounded intriguing. So, I did what I usually do when a new rules set piques my interest. I  batte reports on blog and watch them on YouTube. I also reached out to some of its fans on the Lead Adventure Forum. They wrote back and were very helpful, particularly Graham Harrison ("Sunjester" on the Forum). I was sounding out the possibility of running Sellswords as a historical cooperative skirmish for the Sunday gaming group, but setting it instead in Dark Age Britain.

I used the rules for a playtest of a Viking Raid scenario that I wanted to run at conventions. We decided that we liked the rules. Running it twice at Cincycon reinforced my liking for the game even more. So, in the meantime, I decided to start up my own solo campaign using the rules. I figured that every solo scenario I design and play will give me the experience to make the games I run for the guys on Sunday that much better, right? I also had been itching for a chance to use my Splintered Light Miniatures anthropomorphic animals again, so chose four of them to be my adventuring party. See the Prelude post to be introduced to the characters (if you haven't ready it already).

Setting the Scene

The four companions -- badger mage Jemmy Tar,  drinking buddy and armadillo soldier Abraxis, bodyguard and famed coyote warrior Yo-dee, and finally, the quiet, competent Pine Marten ranger Woodbine -- have just arrived in Porthewn. This town has been carved out of the Great Forest along a riverbank by mice settlers. There is a shadow upon the town, though, the four soon discover. Rats have been raiding the town and attacking travelers in the forest. Nearly all paths leading to the town have been closed off by the threat of the vicious raiders and thieves. 

    The table setup showing the wagon and its path through the forest to the safety of the bridge

The four are sitting in their Inn one morning, after finishing breakfast, when an elderly mouse enters the room. His deep green robes mark him as a monk -- a member of the Order of the Emerald Robes. They build monasteries throughout the forest as quiet places of study and learning. All mice revere knowledge and learning, and those of the order even more than the rest. The monk's brown fur is patched with white across his face and also on his arms encircling his staff. 

"Greetings, travelers," the mouse bows. "I hope your stay in Porthewn has been pleasant, so far." The four nod and murmur words of assent. "By your look, you are bold warriors and competent woodsmen. To reach Porthewn and not fall victim to the evils of the rats who have lately plagued the forest proves your prowess. Your arrival here is a blessing and we give thanks for it in our prayers."

    Here are the circled, randomized locations of the foes at the start of the game

Jemmy Tar stood up and pulled a chair from an empty table over next to the monk, motioning him to sit and join them. "Please sit, sir!" the badger spoke, waiting until the elderly mouse had seated himself before returning to his own seat. "How may our band of travelers assist you and the monks of the Emerald Robe?" 

The old mouse chuckled. "Badgers are so direct and to the point, are they not?" He smiled leaning his staff against the table and folded his hands, resting his chin upon them. "I am Talestor, a humble monk of the Order of Emerald Robes. Although our townsfolk are of good hearts and cheer, mine is clouded with worry. I fear for the closest of our monasteries in the forest — that of Brother Barnibus, his brethren monks, and their flock of students. We have heard naught from them in three weeks. The supply wagons we send weekly have yet to return, either. I fear that the wagons or the monastery have fallen foul of the plague of rats on this forest.”

    'ROAR!' A Bearman Guardian springs the ambush by felling a tree, blocking the path to the bridge

Jemmy and his companions exchanged looks across the table. Talestor was surely not just an old monk burdening them with his worries. With so much to be done in a growing, new town, they had anticipated someone would come forward and offer them a job here in Porthewn. For Jemmy, it was the reason he led the band here. He spoke up and encouraged Brother Talestor to continue. In the end, the order offered to pay them to escort a wagon of supplies to the Monastery of Brother Barnibus — a wooden tower and surrounded by walls -- a full day’s journey along forest paths. If all was well, he requested they return with the previous wagons that had been sent and, also escort them safely back into Porthewn. Then, he requested the four report to him and inform him how the people of the monastery were faring.

"Brother Talestor, you spoke rightly when you said my companions are bold warriors -- fearing no rats or dangers of the forest. We came to Porthewn precisely because we had heard of your plight. We will undertake your request, and accept your offer of pay," Jemmy spoke.

The elderly monk stood and bowed, thanking them each. "Meet me before first light at the town gate, then. Until then, I bid you good day!"

Wagon Through the Woods

Rather than simply use one of the scenarios in the rules or in the campaign book I had purchased (Last Stand at Mistham), I was -- perhaps foolishly -- designing my own. I did use the scenario in those two books as a template to choose how many foes would begin on the table, what creatures would arrive in response to which cards, and so on. So, I wasn't completely winging it. Plus, I figured, if this campaign goes well and others think it looks fun, I could always submit the scenarios to Ganesha Games as another campaign book supplement. 

    Rats time their ambush perfectly and begin within short range of the cart and Jemmy Tar & Yo-dee

The player characters (PCs) are in charge of escorting a wagon along a winding forest path from one table edge to the opposite. A bridge across a creek marks the exit from the table for the wagon. As the game begins, the echoing sound of an axe biting into the trunk of a tree over and over rings beneath the leaves. Soon, there is a loud crash, and the companions see ahead in the distance, a large tree truck falling across the path, blocking their progress. Stepping out in front of the trunk and into the middle of the pathway is a mighty bear holding an axe over its head. It roars a challenge that reverberates beneath the leaves of the forest. Woodbine's whisper could be heard, "A Bearman Guardian of the Forest..." On either side of the bear are two rats readying a sling and beginning to slowly whirl it around its head.

    An inauspicious start - Yo-dee fails 2 of 3 activations and is wounded by a sling stone!

When the tree fell, Jemmy Tar was riding in the wagon. Abraxis was plodding along in front of him, Woodbine scouting ahead. Trailing behind was his bodyguard, Yo-dee. Brother Talestor had given the companions a well-trained horse to draw the wagon. It would continue to move at the last speed it was directed. This could be a Slow Walk (3" per turn), Normal Walk (4"), Trot (5"), or stop. The horse would continue to move at the same pace once per turn, following the path, until a player character takes an action to speed it up, slow it down, or stop it. 

    The Splintered Band fight back and 2 ratling slingers & the armored ratman are quickly slain

I rolled randomly for where the other foes would begin on the table. A horde of three ratling slingers burst from the trees within range of  the wagon, accompanied by an armored rat. Three more ratlings with spears or clubs were near the board edge on the right hand side of the path, while an another armored rat was on the left. In Sellswords, you pick an order for your PCs to move in and they follow that throughout the game. The foes move or attack only when directed by cards, which are drawn when characters fail to activate. An 8+ is needed on a d20 to succeed, and players may attempt 1-3 actions each turn.

    With all of our failed activations, more and more rats began to appear in the forest...

I decided Yo-dee would act first. He is Impulsive (negative trait), meaning he must always attempt at least two or three actions. He promptly failed two of the three! I drew a "Horde Activates" card, meaning the slingers would shoot -- this was an ominous start! The horde, well within short range, fired two sling stones at Yo-dee and one at Jemmy, who was marginally closer to one of the ratlings. Yo-dee was struck, suffering one of his three available wounds before he'd even taken an action. Foolishly, I had not purchased "Armor" or "Shield" for Yo-dee yet, intending to buy them right away with my first experience points. On his one action, Yo-dee closed into contact with one of the slingers. Abraxis activated next and moved ponderously (he has the negative trait "Slow") towards the armored rat guarding the slingers. Woodbine also failed two actions, leading to the arrival of even more rats not far from the board edges near the wagon. Luck was not on the Sacred Band's side in turn one! Woodbine dashed back with his one action, thinking the others might need his help against this plague of enemies. Jemmy was last to activate and cast his "Magic Dart," slaying the armored rat on the edge of the trees.

    Jemmy Tar realizes they can't bogged down fighting every rat that appears - 'Catch up with the cart!'

Yo-dee snarled and cut down two of the ratling slingers with mighty sweeps of his two-handed sword. Abraxis stepped forward under the trees and snatched the pouch off of the rat Jemmy's magic had slain. Woodbine aimed at one of the reinforcements and shot that armored rat down. Next, Jemmy, attempting to slay the final rat slinger with another Magic Dart, rolled a "1." This is bad for a mage...really bad! It represents the mage's mana or ability to cast spells being exhausted for the game -- on turn two!! Now, I was happy that I had also purchased Martial Arts and Martial Block so he could melee enemies. The badger figure is the tallest of the crew and I figured he should be able to man-handle many of the other creatures they'd encounter.

    Another 'horde' (group acting together) of ratlings charges in against Abraxis and Jemmy Tar

Meanwhile, Yo-dee slew the last slinger. He reached into his pouch, and pulled out one of the two Healing Potion that Brother Talestor had given them that morning. He drank it, and marveled at the sorcery that immediately healed the throbbing bruise the ratling's slingstone had raised on his shoulder. Abraxis hurried back to the wagon and climbed aboard, at Jemmy's shouted instructions. Woodbine aimed through the trees and shot one of the ratlings advancing towards them. There was a hiss and another ratling leapt from the branches of the trees and charged at Jemmy, who was trotting up to help the ranger face the rats. Jemmy kicked the charging ratling, hurling it against the trunk of a tree where it shrieked, then lay still. He motioned to the ranger, "Let's catch up with the wagon! We need to fight our way through this ambush!" He called to Yo-dee, who was looting the bodies of the ratlings to follow them. The coyote pocked the silver he'd found in their belt pouches and trotted off to join his companions.

    Ratling horde is quickly dispatched, but the Bearman Guardian comes closer and closer to the cart

The horde of ratlings armed with clubs and swords was closing in on the cart, so Abraxis hopped off to face them. Jemmy stood alongside him, smacking his fist into his palm. He shouted for Woodbine to shoot at the bear, who was steadily advancing towards the cart, shaking his axe and roaring. With high-pitched shrieks, the three ratlings charged into the badger and armadillo. Abraxis' mace smashed one to the ground, while Jemmy blocked the swing of another's club and slammed his fist into its face. It crumpled to the ground. The badger then swatted aside the spear thrust of the last ratling and grabbed it by its throat. He shook it a few times and then dashed it to the ground, where it lay still.

    Jemmy Tar shouts out instructions to encircle the bearman and attack him all together

The horse behind them began to neigh loudly and rear in its wagon traces. Spooked by the approach of the roaring bear, it refused to move forward anymore. In the setup, I noted that when the "Scenario Event" card was drawn, the horse would refused to move until either the card was drawn again or a PC was able to convince it to move forward. A snarl of pain and rage escaped from the bear as Woodbine fired an arrow, striking it for one wound. The bear would be the group's biggest challenge. It could take five hits, but also had "Berserk Rage" as a trait. That meant each wound would cause its Danger Level to go up by one (what you need to exceed on a d20 roll to hit it). The bear's DL begins at 14, so it would steadily get harder and harder to kill as we inflicted wounds upon it.

    Blood flows in a furious battle -- the 4 adventurers take wounds, but inflict them on the bear too

Jemmy called to the group and urged them to charge in it all together so that the bear would have a harder time focusing on one of them. In Sellswords, a PC or foe is -1 for each extra figure in contact with it. Yo-dee watched his friends encircle the bear. He then howled a warcry, charging in and landing a two-handed slash across its back. Two-handed weapons inflict two hits, so now the bear was up to three total wounds! The bear responded with a backhand swing of its axe, wounding the coyote. The bear lunged again at Yo-dee, slashing at him and inflicting a second wound. Woodbine charged in and swung his axe, missing. The bear jabbed the long handle of the axe into the ranger's chest, wounding him, as well. Sellswords has a very clever melee mechanic. If you equal or exceed the DL of a foe with your attack, you inflict damage. If you fail, the foe wounds you! Jemmy was up next and also charged in, attempting to hammer the bear in the back with a two-fisted blow. He missed, which meant he was also hit. His Martial Block failed, and Jemmy was also wounded. Our rolls, which had been below average, took a nose dive in the combat with the bear.

    The wounded bear roars and in a berserk fury swats Yo-dee into the trees, knocking him out of action

Yo-dee rolled for three activations, thinking one more hit with his two-handed sword would finish off the wounded bear. He failed all three! I pulled a "Monster Activates" card. The bear attacked and Yo-dee rolled of "1!" When this happens, the powerful bear lashes out and hurls the PC 2d6 inches away. The coyote was flung into the trees, smashing into an oaken trunk. He crumpled limply to the ground, out of action. Abraxis also tried a two-handed blow, as well. If you use two actions to attack in Sellswords as a "Powerful Blow," you get a +3 to beat the enemy's DL. This was the tactic I needed to employ to hit the bear. With three wounds, its DL had risen to 17. The bear was in a state of fury, though. Abraxis rolled a "1", suffered his second wound, and was also flung into a clump of trees. Now, only Woodbine and Jemmy were left to face the bear. The ranger also tried a powerful blow, but failed, and suffered his second wound, as well. Jemmy took advantage of the bear's focus on the pine marten and landed a blow, inflicting its fourth wound. One more and it would be down! Just to be on the safe side, Jemmy stepped back for a second and quickly downed the last healing potion they'd been given. 

    With Abraxis also hurled wounded into the trees, Jemmy Tar & Woodbine face the foe on their own

At this point, I was wondering if I would have a "TPK - Total Party Kill." Woodbine swung a powerful blow at the bear but missed. Luckily, he was able to block the return swing from the bear with his shield. Jemmy lunged, though, and locked his arms around the bear's throat. He summoned all his strength and lifted it off the ground, shaking it back and forth. The battlefield was suddenly quiet as the bear's rorars were silenced, its windpipe cut off by the badger's vicelike grip. The bear struggled, but Jemmy refused to let go. He felt as much as heard the snap when the bear's neck broke. He sighed and dropped the bear's heavy body, which tumbled to the ground motionless. From behind him, Jemmy heard Abraxis, who was struggling to his feet, say,  "That was a mighty feat, my friend -- worthy of song!" 

    Victory - the Bearman is finally down! All are covered in the blood of their own wounds at the end

Jemmy took one deep breath, then began shouting out orders. "Woodbine, grab Yo-dee and put him in the cart! Abraxis -- get to work on moving that damned trunk out of the path! I'll get the wagon moving, again." All around them, the steadily advancing rats had paused upon the death of the bear. They now set up an angry chittering sound and were closing in on the cart from all sides quickly. Snapping the reins, Jemmy sent the cart racing forward towards the barrier. He took one second to catch his breath (sigh, failing all three activations!). Then he leapt from the cart and charged the rat slingers who'd been watching the duel with the bear, unable to fire for fear of hitting their own. Woodbine sprinted to Abraxis' side to help him move the tree from the cart's path.

    Abraxis & Woodbine attempt to lift the huge trunk and clear it from the carts path quickly

In my scenario rules, it takes two successful attempts to move the tree to get it completely off the forest path. I gave it a DL 18 (no penalty if failing), but each additional friend helping move the tree gave you a bonus of +2 to the roll. It took MANY attempts with my crappy rolls for Abraxis and Woodbine to succeed in rolling those two 16's! Meanwhile, Jemmy killed the last of the rat slingers as the even more rats were closing in. Once the tree was off the path, the horse continued moving. Abraxis leapt aboard the wagon, while Jemmy and Woodbine circled in as a rearguard behind it. The closest rats were still out of charge range, so the two hurriedly grabbed whatever loot they could find. They then followed the cart over the bridge and off the table. As they descended the bridge's far side, the ranger handed a ceramic jar to Jemmy. "I have heard wonderful things about the healing properties of the honey pots carried by bear guardians of the forest. Let's hope this is enough to revive Yo-dee..." 

Aftermath

 Well, that was close! I guess I had it coming, though, if you think back to how lucky my rolls were in my Five Parsecs from Home campaign. Here, it was the opposite. From the opening moment with the slingers getting a wound on Yo-dee, to Jemmy's Turn 2 loss of his magic mana, to the comedy of errors and below average rolls while surrounding the bear, my rolls were bad. It continued when I sent Woodbine to check on Yo-dee. Results can range from "Flesh Wound" to the PC waking up with 1 wound left but at severe minuses to dead. Guess what I rolled??

    Finally - the way is clear! As Jemmy battles the final ratling slinger, the horse & cart begin to move

Since this is a solo campaign, I decided that the "Exalted Honey" that Bear Guardians carry as treasure (and normally heals 2 wounds) would be enough to revive Yo-Dee. Plus, Woodbine has the "Healer" trait and could heal him for one more wound. Plus, as they arrive at the monastery, the coyote will be under the care of the most learned healers in the Great Forest -- the Order of the Emerald Robes. All of those things seemed to make sense to get the tough, barbarian Yo-dee back on his feet!

I hope you enjoyed my account of the game. There were many minor combats that I did not cover, rats killed, activation rolls failed, and more and more rats arriving on table. However, the woods slowed down the new arrivals, who come in 1d6 inches from the table edge spot rolled. So, I summarized the main events of the game and left out minutiae!

    The cart rumbles over the bridge as Jemmy Tar and Woodbine cover their retreat

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 104
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 54 

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 10
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 16

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 53
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 39

Prelude to a Solo Sellswords Adventure

    My 'Sellswords & Spellslingers' solo campaign will use my Splintered Light Miniatures animals

 Wait...what is this about?

From previous posts here, you may remember my plans to run a series of semi-historical series skirmishes set in Britain during the Dark Ages, and using Ganesha Games' Sellswords & Spellslingers miniatures rules. With my Five Parsecs From Home solo campaign wrapping up, I thought why not do another one of those for myself using these rules? It'll give me more practice with them, and be a chance to use my Splintered Light Miniatures anthropomorphic figures. It has been since last January that they appeared on table as enemies in a Might & Melee game (Wiley Games rules). We also used them in our brief dalliance with Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago back in 2018. In this case, my SLM animals will be both the heroes and the foes! 

With that, here's a little intro monologue introducing the characters: Badger Mage Jemmy Tar, Coyote Barbarian Yo-Dee, Pin Marten Ranger Woodbine, and Armadillo Fighter Abraxis. Apologies for my hack fantasy fiction writing...!

    The Splintered Band (from left) are Woodbine, Abraxis, Jemmy Tar, & Yo-dee

 On the Trail Towards Porthewn

"I am looking forward to finally arriving at Porthewn," said Jemmy Tar, as he adjusted the shoulder straps of his pack. He was the tallest of the four who were walking single file along a forest trail littered with fallen leaves, broken twigs, and lots of mud. Jemmy next straightened his light purple mage's robes, craning his neck to see if he could spot the roofs of the riverside town ahead, yet.

"Are you looking forward to sampling the town's ales, my friend?" asked Abraxis, the stout armadillo soldier, who was breathing hard as he tried to match his tall companion's longer strides. "We know how much you love your ale...!"

    Jemmy Tar, badger mage, and his little apprentice (who may appear in games, or may not...)

Jemmy snorted. "Ales are just one part of it! I want to see this new town that has been chopped out of the Great Forest. I want to talk to the mice settlers, learn what challenges they've overcome setting up along the river. I want to study their relations with the Frogfolk, who trade along the river's winding course. I want to talk to their Town Elders, hear why mice chose to settle here, in a place that only scattered forest monasteries of the Emerald Robe existed before. What new plants or herbs have they discovered?" At this point, Jemmy paused, and looked ahead to see if the cloaked pine marten, whose footsteps they were following, reacted. He received a quick glance back from the ranger, who then faced front again, deep set eyes scanning left and right.

"Are you suuure it's not the ales?" Abraxis asked. "That's the only thing I'm looking forward to after this interminable journey! Your stride is so much longer than mine," he puffed, swinging his arms vigorously, then patting his armored hide. "Plus, I'm carrying more weight than you!"

    Abraxis, the Armadillo soldier, is a sworn drinking companion of the ale-loving Jemmy Tar

Behind Jemmy, Yo-dee spoke up, in his heavily accented common tongue. "Yo-dee goes to Porthewn because Jemmy Tar does. Where Jemmy Tar goes, Yo-dee goes...!" The coyote barbarian's voice rumbled in the silence beneath the canopy of leaves.

The armadillo turned and craned his neck around Jemmy so he could make eye contact with the coyote. "Do you follow him out of friendship or service, Yo-dee?"

Yo-dee used his long, shiny sword to push aside a low-hanging branch and duck beneath it. "Yo-dee is Bloodguard. Because Jemmy Tar saved our village pups, Yo-dee follows. Our Wise Ones knew not why the young were dying. Jemmy Tar knew and provided potions. The young ones were healed. They die no more from the sickness. Yo-dee's village is grateful. If Yo-dee's life or death can serve the master, Yo-dee swears to do so."

    Woodbine, the pine marten ranger, is the band's guide through the Great Forest

Their ranger guide, Woodbine, spoke from the front of the column. "Well spoken, Yo-dee." He continued, "Jemmy, I have been meaning to ask. What was killing the young? Was it a new food source or a plant, or a vermin that infected them? I'd heard you tell the story before, but never the cause of the illness." The ranger's voice was modulated so silently that each could barely hear his words, but just enough that all could understand them.

Jemmy patted one of the herb pouches secured to his belt. "It was zuduk, an infestation. A vine that was growing on the trees close to Yo-dee's village. When the wind blew strongly, tiny petals, or pollenaides, would detach from the zuduk plant and and waft their way into the village. As you've noticed, coyotes pant to cool themselves. The zuduk is a mild poison to them. All would ingest it, but they are a hardy people. Only the very young were unable to shrug off the infection. They would wither, lose their appetite, and die."

    The Splintered Band trudges along on a path through the Great Forest

"Ah!" Woodbine nodded. "Ten autumns ago, there was no zuduk near Yo-dee's village. Now, it spreads throughout the Great Forest. No wonder their wise didn't have lore of that plant." Jemmy Tar made sounds of agreement, but did not elaborate on the cure. He knew the ranger, who was a skilled healer and understood the forest plants better than himself, would ask later.

Abraxis nodded as well, adjusting his shield on his back. "So, Yo-dee's village, in their gratitude, sent our friend here to be a bodyguard in repayment? No mean gift," he said, looking back at the tall and rangy coyote. He paused for a moment, then said, "Ah-ha!" Chuckling, he added, "If Yo-dee is oath-sworn to Jemmy Tar, then I must be tankard-sworn to him! For I have never known a better drinking companion than our friend the badger in all my days!" he laughed.

    The Great Forest has become dangerous, haunted by vicious bands of rat raiders

"Aye," Jemmy said, "but I don't have an armadillo's constitution to handle excesses of ale, my friend! Still, I agree -- we are companions of the tankard. Malty Browns, tasty Bocks, thick Porters, crisp Lagers!" Both badger and armadillo smiled, remembering many joyous evenings. "And I admit, I am thirsty..." All four laughed, for each had memories of their merriment. The band had been traveling for weeks to Porthewn, but had been boon companions for nearly a year, now. 

Woodbine's whisper carried back to the others, almost quizzical in tone, "No rats on our journey, so far..." Each made a sound in reply, but Jemmy's head continued to nod. Finally, he appeared to have gathered his thoughts, took a deep breath, and sighed.

    Jemmy Tar and his Bloodguard companion, Yo-dee the coyote barbarian

"The wars of the mice and rats have been going on for centuries -- all the way back to the Great Awakening. When the woodland creatures opened their eyes and their minds grew, remembering, acting on what they learned -- no longer on instinct. Many creatures began to walk on two legs. The mice, smaller, but wiser, focused on lore. Accumulating knowledge and passing it on to their litters. They were the first to build communities. The rats, stronger, bigger, and meaner, learned to prey on others -- seizing was easier than building, they decided. The other races were occasionally drawn in to their wars, but the fighting never ceased. A century ago, the rats were defeated and driven back to the margins of the Great Forest -- the mountains, swamps, and desolate places. However, in recent years, they've returned. They are raiders, kidnapping merchant caravans or travelers, and taking their goods. Some say they devour those they take. Others say prisoners languish in cages, and still others say that they make the captives fight each other in gladiatorial games. That would fit their cruel nature...

"I confess I have led our merry band here, because I have learned rats are closing off the trails leading to Porthewn. If travelers do not come here soon, the way may be shut. So, I wanted to see Porthewn with my own eyes, and learn if the elders know what has brought the rats back. Why has their menace been reborn? So, I apologize if I lead you into danger, my friends..."

    Yo-dee the coyote has sworn to protect the life of Jemmy Tar, the badger mage who helped his village

Behind Jemmy, Yo-dee whacked a branch with his sword, scything it cleanly from where it was overhanging the trail. "Yo-dee does not fear rats..."

Abraxis turned around again, eyeing the tall coyote. "And you shouldn't -- not with that giant rat-cleaver of yours...!" Yo-dee paused and seemed lost in thought. He stopped walking for a moment, then abruptly strode forward, again.

"Maybe Yo-dee should name his sword. I call it 'Sword', now." The teeth in his long, narrow snout gleamed as his lips pulled back, revealing sharp canines. "Rat-cleaver is a noble name, friend. Yo-dee likes."

Jemmy chuckled. "A noble name indeed, Yo-dee. And look ahead -- Woodbine sees Porthewn, now. He is pointing out it the town's rooftops..."

    The Splintered Band arrive at Porthewn -- a mice city hewn out of the Great Forest

 

What's next?

Hopefully soon, I will begin posting battle reports and pictures from my solo games of Sellswords & Spellslingers. I encourage you to check out this cooperative/solo miniatures game, if you haven't played it. The defenders are controlled by a deck of cards and the game's A.I. You can play without a GM, or with, if you prefer. Stay tuned for reports from the adventures of the Splintered Band (named in honor of Splintered Light Miniatures, whose figures I am using).

    Along the river, mice settlers have built Porthewn -- where the Spintered Band begins its adventures

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 100
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 31 

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 10
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 14

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 51
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 26