Sellswords and Spellslingers in Jotunheim

 

I finally managed to get a game with a "new" project I've been working on throughout the lockdowns. It's a setting for Sellswords and Spellslingers games loosely based on Norse mythology.

I was inspired by some old Heartbreaker dwarf minis, sculpted by Phil Lewis some 30-odd years ago. I liked the character of these minis but they really didn't fit in with any dwarfs in my collection (which are very much based in Tolkien's Middle Earth). So I decided to use them as Norse Dark Elves, or Dokkalfar. I then decided to use other Phil Lewis sculpts from the same Heartbreaker range for Alfar (elves) Sveltalfar (black elves, which I am interpreting as orc/goblin types) and Draugr (undead/zombies). I have had to resort to other manufacturers for some of the characters/creatures, but the bulk are Phil's Heatbreaker sculpts.

So here is my first outing in this new world! I didn't want to make the scenarios too basic, so I created a more experienced party of heroes. They are two groups with in the part. A Rune Priest (spells: Enhance Others and Knockdown) and a Sorceress (spells: Frost Blast, Death Cloud and Teleport Friend), each accomponied by a Huscarl and a Shield Maiden (I will start naming the characters if any survive the scenario).

 

Book One - Runestones.

Experienced Scenario: 5 XP per player plus individual XP rewards

 The adventurers are tasked with obtaining 5 mystical runes, which will unlock the secret of the ancient map that leads to the Lost Horde of the Dokkalfar King. The runes were inscribed into 5 stones in an icy valley, on the edge of the Hnitbjorg (The Clashing Mountains). They were placed there by a Dokkalfar sorcerer, who cursed the stones with dark magic and raised guardians to protect them.

 On the journey the adventurers were pursued by Dokkalfar warbands, determined to keep the location of the horde a secret. To add to the danger, the valley is deep in the territory infested by Greater and Lesser Sveltalfar.

 Terrain: An area of icy wilderness with 5 standing stones, 2 on the south side of the river and 3 to the north. PCs start along the Southern table edge.

 Foes:

2 Greater Svelalfar

3 hordes of 3 Lesser Sveltalfar (1 horde has bows)

 Ambush: 1 Draugr emerges from the ground in front of the nearest stone.

 Reinforcements: 3 Lesser Sveltalfar (1-3) or 1 Greater Svelalfar (4-6)

They are at our Backs: 4 Dokkalfar enter on the Southern edge.

 Traps: No traps in this scenario.

 Complications: The first time a Complication card is drawn 1d6 skeleton archers enter from the southern edge.

 Wandering Monster: A Guardian is summoned to protect the stones. It will appear at a random stone.

1-3 - 3 Draugr

4 – Ice Troll*

5 – Snow Ogre*

6 Ice Worm*

*Ignore these rolls if already in play.

 

Foes Interacting:

Dokkalafr and summoned Guardians (Draugr etc) will ignore each other and concentrate on the adventurers.

Guardians ignore Svelalfar, who are frighted by the summoned Guardians and will not move with 4” of any guardians.

Dokkalfar and Sveltalfar will attack each other, if they are activated within 4” of the other, and fight until one side is exterminated. Each time the fight is activated, roll 1d20 for each foe in the fight, on a roll of 11+ it is killed.

 

Victory Conditions: Leave from any edge with all as many runes as possible.

Other individual rewards: A PC carrying an out-of-action PC off the table gains 1 XP. Killing a Troll/Ogre/Worm gains 1 XP.

 

  

The table after the first couple of turns. On the hill in the botton right of the picture, a Shield maiden has reached the first runestone.

A group of Draugr arrive.

A Huscarl faces down two Lesser Sveltalfar...there had been three a moment ago.

The other Huscarl finds his way to the second runestone blocked by a Greater Sveltalfar, but he takes the beast down.

More foes move across the bridge.

Yet more Druagr emerge from the ground next to a runestone.

The two Huscarls gang up on a Sveltalfar.

Bugger, now an Ice Ogre has turned up!

To speed things up the Sorceress teleports a Huscarl to the second runestone, unfortunatly he fails his constitution roll and lands in an ungainly heap.

Yet more Draugr appear behind the party along with a bunch of angry Dokkalfar.

The Rune Priest tackled a Dokkalfar.

The party reach the bridge. The Huscarl having regained his wits and read the runestone, they now have 2 of the secret runes.

But more Draugr energe.

The Rune Priest and a Huscarl hold the bridge against the Snow Ogre.

Whilst the Sorceress has Teleported the other Huscarl to the far Runestone.

An overview of the action. The Huscarl now has 2 secret runes and one of the Shield Maidens has 1.

The heroes on the bridge fell the Snow Ogre, not both have suffered injury.

More Dokkalfar join the fray.

What's that large shape running towards the bridge? It's an Snow Troll! The Sorceress finds herself surrounded by foes, but eliminates most of the with her Deathcloud (lucky she made the roll!) and a Shield maiden knocks off the last Dokkalfar with a well aimed axe.

In the meantime the Huscarl makes his way towards the next runestone, drawing the attention of a bunch of Sveltalfar.

Things are hotting up on the bridge! Sadly both the heroes fall to the claws of the Ice Troll.

The Huscarl chops his way through the Sveltalfar, but takes a wound in the process.

The Sorceress teleports a Sheild Maiden to the last runestone and she reads the secret rune.

Unfortunately an Ice Worm pops up out of the ground and promptly eats her!

At this point we decided that, sod dying heroically in a saga, the survivors were off. With half the party dead and only 3 runes (the eaten Shield maiden had read both runestones before she became lunch!) we will need to regroup, recruit and see if 3 runes are enough to move the party on ib their quest.