Sir Lance... not a lot, but a bit (497)
A quick summary of events in the year 497.
Following the ineffectual meeting of the Collegium in London, the knights saw to a little business outside of their usual hunting grounds. Given the heavy raiding of the previous year, and arrangements made by both Silchester and Lindsey with the Saxons (much to the knights' disgust), they thought it efficacious to seek allies for the times ahead. A sensible choice (and one of greater probity than the plan - thankfully soon shelved - to usurp the Earl of Hertford with greatly outnumbered forces...), and the knights first rode in embassy to the Bishop of St Albans. Whilst there, some of the knights first received the dream of a snake-strangled keep [SIR GORBODUC THE FIEND].
Sir Gorvannon, of course, was 'father' of a little, wrinkled brown baby, which wise folk attested to be a changeling. He convinced the others to aid him in finding his true child, supposedly held in the demesne of the King Sauvage, somewhere in the depths of the magical forest spreading over the land. After visiting St Albans, the knights blundered merrily into the forest's depths, with all the normal trivialities and failed hunting rolls that typically ensue. Whilst in the Forest Sauvage, they encountered a strange fella, replete with foreign ways and strange spears [PRESAGE JOUST].
When Sir Bernard greeted him -- "What is thy name, Sir knight?" (not that Michael ever talks like that, mind) -- he replied "I am Sir Lance... not a lot, but a bit." His squire did appear slightly feminine and great deal younger. From there they visited Sir Lance's home, the CASTLE OF EASE at Brun, and tarried for a while ere the knights could rouse their most lethargic of companions -- such as Sir Edic (who criticalled his Indulgent roll) and Sir Breunis -- to overcome that place's strange spell.
That done, they got lost again (of course), before they heard the tinkling of a bell in the distance. Sir Breunis, famed for his recklessness, spurred forward; he encountered a man dressed in rags and rusted armour, and mounted on a flea-bitten pony. Upon his shield was fashioned a crude cross of branches, and his broken spear held a small bell. He introduced himself as Sir Pencast the Leper Knight, and begged for a sip of water, for there was no spring nearby from which a leper might drink. Sir Breunis duly obliged with his own waterskin, and Sir Pencast returned it with great thanks. Once the leper had departed, Sir Breunis cast away the skin (now secretly a healing potion), and the ground grew lush where it fell.
After another spell lost in the forest, the knights came upon Merlin. After railroading them onto an adventure in his usual way, he led them unerringly through its magical depths to the town of Medbourne, the site of the adventure of SIR GORBODUC THE FIEND. Having taken to heart his exhortation to have no mercy upon their foes, they immediately set upon the bandits in the fields (and even some peasants too), giving themselves great advantage.
What happened next was an utter disaster for the GM's team. Our table has a policy of letting the dice fall where they may, to everyone's approbation. Occasionally it can seem cruel to the players, but on this occasion it reduced the GM to tears.
Following several rounds of combat against somewhat ineffective opposition (even armed with great spears, and double-teaming the knights, the bandits rarely proved dangerous -- even those that criticalled their Hate (Knights) passions were Bob Hope or no hope, given the players' superior die-rolling), the Fiend in question appeared.
Now Sir Gorboduc should have proven the most serious threat to the knights thus far. He had 17+6 points of armour, 47 HP, a -10 Valorous modifier, a sword skill of 19, and did 8D6 damage. He also had a 75% chance of becoming impassioned. Quite a foe. Indeed upon first seeing him, none of the player-knights could make the requisite Valorous check needed to engage the Fiendish Knight. I did ask that a household knight accompanying Sir Breunis, however, attempt the check (which he made). My thinking was that, while the knights busied themselves with the evil lieutenants, Sir Gorboduc might assail the out-matched bachelor for a round or so. If the latter was chopped in half, as I expected, then no harm, no foul; it would charge the atmosphere of the combat, evidence the Gorboduc's fiendish and spur on the player-knights.
In theory.
Given that some of the player-knights were fairly competent-looking, and had already massacred many of his men, I decided to roll Sir Gorboduc's passion straight away; no messing around. Needless to say he failed. Furthermore, in the ensuing combat the lowly bachelor managed to knock the Devil from his horse. Then this was compounded by the fact that Sir Gorboduc had a DEX of 6, and whenever he received any kind of blow he kept falling on his arse. Our fiendish knight had descended (quite literally) into parody. Thankfully, another player-knight now got involved and made the killing blows, so at least the Fiend's death did not fall to some extra malingering in the background.
In another game I'd have fudged it, but not given how we play Pendragon. Whilst I bemoaned the GM's dice, Sir Gorvannon took possession of the manor in the forest.
To be continued.
Following the ineffectual meeting of the Collegium in London, the knights saw to a little business outside of their usual hunting grounds. Given the heavy raiding of the previous year, and arrangements made by both Silchester and Lindsey with the Saxons (much to the knights' disgust), they thought it efficacious to seek allies for the times ahead. A sensible choice (and one of greater probity than the plan - thankfully soon shelved - to usurp the Earl of Hertford with greatly outnumbered forces...), and the knights first rode in embassy to the Bishop of St Albans. Whilst there, some of the knights first received the dream of a snake-strangled keep [SIR GORBODUC THE FIEND].
Sir Gorvannon, of course, was 'father' of a little, wrinkled brown baby, which wise folk attested to be a changeling. He convinced the others to aid him in finding his true child, supposedly held in the demesne of the King Sauvage, somewhere in the depths of the magical forest spreading over the land. After visiting St Albans, the knights blundered merrily into the forest's depths, with all the normal trivialities and failed hunting rolls that typically ensue. Whilst in the Forest Sauvage, they encountered a strange fella, replete with foreign ways and strange spears [PRESAGE JOUST].
When Sir Bernard greeted him -- "What is thy name, Sir knight?" (not that Michael ever talks like that, mind) -- he replied "I am Sir Lance... not a lot, but a bit." His squire did appear slightly feminine and great deal younger. From there they visited Sir Lance's home, the CASTLE OF EASE at Brun, and tarried for a while ere the knights could rouse their most lethargic of companions -- such as Sir Edic (who criticalled his Indulgent roll) and Sir Breunis -- to overcome that place's strange spell.
That done, they got lost again (of course), before they heard the tinkling of a bell in the distance. Sir Breunis, famed for his recklessness, spurred forward; he encountered a man dressed in rags and rusted armour, and mounted on a flea-bitten pony. Upon his shield was fashioned a crude cross of branches, and his broken spear held a small bell. He introduced himself as Sir Pencast the Leper Knight, and begged for a sip of water, for there was no spring nearby from which a leper might drink. Sir Breunis duly obliged with his own waterskin, and Sir Pencast returned it with great thanks. Once the leper had departed, Sir Breunis cast away the skin (now secretly a healing potion), and the ground grew lush where it fell.
After another spell lost in the forest, the knights came upon Merlin. After railroading them onto an adventure in his usual way, he led them unerringly through its magical depths to the town of Medbourne, the site of the adventure of SIR GORBODUC THE FIEND. Having taken to heart his exhortation to have no mercy upon their foes, they immediately set upon the bandits in the fields (and even some peasants too), giving themselves great advantage.
What happened next was an utter disaster for the GM's team. Our table has a policy of letting the dice fall where they may, to everyone's approbation. Occasionally it can seem cruel to the players, but on this occasion it reduced the GM to tears.
Following several rounds of combat against somewhat ineffective opposition (even armed with great spears, and double-teaming the knights, the bandits rarely proved dangerous -- even those that criticalled their Hate (Knights) passions were Bob Hope or no hope, given the players' superior die-rolling), the Fiend in question appeared.
Now Sir Gorboduc should have proven the most serious threat to the knights thus far. He had 17+6 points of armour, 47 HP, a -10 Valorous modifier, a sword skill of 19, and did 8D6 damage. He also had a 75% chance of becoming impassioned. Quite a foe. Indeed upon first seeing him, none of the player-knights could make the requisite Valorous check needed to engage the Fiendish Knight. I did ask that a household knight accompanying Sir Breunis, however, attempt the check (which he made). My thinking was that, while the knights busied themselves with the evil lieutenants, Sir Gorboduc might assail the out-matched bachelor for a round or so. If the latter was chopped in half, as I expected, then no harm, no foul; it would charge the atmosphere of the combat, evidence the Gorboduc's fiendish and spur on the player-knights.
In theory.
Given that some of the player-knights were fairly competent-looking, and had already massacred many of his men, I decided to roll Sir Gorboduc's passion straight away; no messing around. Needless to say he failed. Furthermore, in the ensuing combat the lowly bachelor managed to knock the Devil from his horse. Then this was compounded by the fact that Sir Gorboduc had a DEX of 6, and whenever he received any kind of blow he kept falling on his arse. Our fiendish knight had descended (quite literally) into parody. Thankfully, another player-knight now got involved and made the killing blows, so at least the Fiend's death did not fall to some extra malingering in the background.
In another game I'd have fudged it, but not given how we play Pendragon. Whilst I bemoaned the GM's dice, Sir Gorvannon took possession of the manor in the forest.
To be continued.
posted by Stewart Stansfield | 1:55 pm
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