Monday, December 5, 2016

Frostgrave: Silence in the Library



On Saturday, we got together for the 11th and final session of the 2016 campaign. Sadly not everyone could make it. So with a reduced player base (6 instead of the normal 8) we shrank the table down to 8' long. The playing area was further reduced by setting up a fairly massive Dwarven Forge dungeon setup to go with the library scenario. And as we've all been furiously making bookshelves, that further reduced our playing area.





It was an impressive looking table!

Since it was both the final game of the campaign, and also during the holiday season, we each brought 3 wrapped gifts (valued $5 or less each) which were tied with the treasure tokens. Get one token, get one gift. Get 5 tokens, get 5 gifts.

We also decided that since we were playing in the library, the first wandering monster would be the librarian (the ghost lady at the beginning of Ghostbusters) and the next 2 would be Vashta Nerada (from Doctor Who) all of which would use the stats of the Wraith.

Elsa started out in the corner with Kodak to the right, and Relig across the table.
Relig's minions
The blue box and her Doctor 
After descending multiple flights of stairs and entering the library proper it was clear that most of the books were long ruined, yet a few treasures might still be found...  Elsa enchants the slow golem to move a little faster (Fleet Feet) and sends it to comb the fiction shelves for anything shiny. Anna tries to do the same for Lady the treasure hunter, but fails. Everyone else heads to the right toward a door leading deeper into the library.



At the door Elsa tries to give Johann the knife (treasure hunter, new hire) the same enchantment, but felt the same draining sensation Anna did. There was something odd about this library... Beyond the door is a long hallway off to the side, and another chamber, the geography section. Johann goes through to the chamber, and finds a chest. Elsa tells him to grab it and head back. Down the hallway, lined with a long shelf, the wizard Relig steps into sight. Anna tries to send a bolt of ice at him, but while the ice shoots down the hall, it has no force and lands without effect. The young marksman lines up a shot, but misses. Hood and the Gravedigger rush down the hall.

The Vashta Nerada, sensing the heat of living bodies, emerges near Elsa's party, though they never see it. Later Relig's zombie does encounter it, and is stripped of it's lifeless but enchanted flesh. The other Vashta Nerada and the librarian both appeared at the far side of the table.

Elsa speeds up Johann, while Kodak and several of his minions appear from around a bookshelf. He tries to capture the mind of Lady, but she's made of tougher stuff, and flips him off. The old marksman takes a shot at Kodak, but misses.


Down the hallway, Relig sends his dog and an infantryman down the hall toward Anna, and creates a wall of fog blocking Anna and the marksman's line of sight. In return Anna sends Rathgar the man at arms flying through the fog and over the crowd, while the marksman moves forward through the fog. The old gravedigger (treasure hunter) kills the dog, while the infantryman tries to kill the flying Rathgar, and ends up dead himself. The marksman again aims for Relig, and drops him with a bolt lodged in his center mass.

Back in the geography section, a not so secret door opens, revealing one of the Doctor's men, and dropping his invisibility, one of Kodak's men attacks him. Lady joins in, killing Kodak's treasure hunter who was engaged with the Doctor's treasure hunter. Sir Hellsbane, following closely behind Lady, takes out the Doctor's treasure hunter. Elsa tries to blast Kodak, but feels the magic slipping from her fingers. Sacrificing her flesh to the cold within, she empowers the spell... and completely fails to land the ice bolt anywhere near Kodak. (3 points of health to get the spell off, and then a 1 on the to hit roll). Rather than risk being exposed, she engages with Kodak's templar, sidestepping his attack, and dropping him handily. The young marksman tries to take out Kodak, but ends up with a bolt in his eye instead.

Though the hidden door, River comes around the corner with a musketman. Both fail to do anything.

In the hall, Anna tries to boost the young marksman, but again fails, while the Gravedigger swings his shovel as ineffectively as the woman at arms swings back.





Elsa tries again to ice bolt Kodak, but once again her magic fails her, and she ducks through the secret door. Lady grabs the treasure that the other treasure hunters were fighting over, while Sir Hellsbane gets between Elsa and River.

Meanwhile Anna fails to enchant herself with fleet feet. On the upside, the Gravedigger smacks the woman at arms upside the head. Doesn't drop her though.





Sir Hellsbane charges River, who's pistol finally works, and drops him. Elsa tries to blast the musketman, but hurts herself instead. In a rage she leaps toward him. If magic won't work, her weapons will. Lady charges River, smacking her upside the head with the treasure she'd snagged, dropping her to the ground.

Anna tries to wall off Kodak, but fails, while the woman at arms drops Gravedigger. Rathgar steps up to engage her. Hood runs off with the golem and Johann all carrying treasure.



Lady tries to help Elsa with the musketman, but gets a rifle stock to the gut. Elsa lands a solid blow in return. Anna fleet's the old marksman and starts making her way back to the stairs. Rathgar and the woman at arms hurt each other, neither giving ground.

Elsa flashes a bit of snow at the musketman, while Lady bashes him over the head, dropping him. They grab Sir Hellsbane, and move to check the door. they don't see any sign of Kodak or his minions, so they make their way back toward the stairs, catching up with Anna and the rest of their group.



Back at the inn, Elsa pours over the recovered treasures. Two books of magic with new spells to learn, and a magical robe and great sword. Sadly Gravedigger and the young marksman never made it back, and their loss was keenly felt, though Sir Hellsbane made a quick and complete recovery.



After chatting with Anna and the rest of her companions, she decided that she'd wasted enough time in Felstad, and that it was time to return to her throne.


Elsa finished the campaign with exactly 1,000 XP coming in right at the bottom of the pile. Not helped were the miserable spell rolls this session. I got off a mere 7 spells over 9 turns! However, the 4 treasures earned got me 4 picks from the presents pile, and I have to say I got some nice pulls!


Chris reported on Kodak's final adventure here.

As this was the end of the campaign, and time to retire Elsa and company, it's time to think about what warband I'm going to run next... Here's a hint!

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for putting these up. I can vicariously tabletop miniature wargame through them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very impressive. The table looks great!

    ReplyDelete

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