First Play Test for Hexenjager

The citizens of Orendorf caught word of a plot by Hargella, the local witch, to poison the water and curse their goats.  A runner was immediately sent to notify Pastor Ulrich and the Chevalier Von Rechten.  Quickly, they assembled a handful of the local regiment and set out for Orendorf.  Their goal was to arrest the witch Hargella and bring her to trial.

Two dragoons were dispatched to secure the water and goat pens.  The remaining soldiers entered the center of town along the main road.

Hargella was indeed approaching with force of scarecrows and venomous imps.  Two greater scarecrows, serving as her lieutenants, quickly sensed the presence of Pastor Ulrich and headed toward that godly man.  The others followed Hargella toward the goats and their water trough.

In the town center, the Chevalier Von Rechten formed his musketeers into a firing line.  They began to exchange fire with the venomous imps while Pastor Ulrich stayed to the rear, giving encouragement.  One of the imp’s poison arrows struck the Chevalier, who dove into a ditch.  For the remained of the fight, these groups would occupy each other with volleys that achieved no decisive result.

Meanwhile the greater scarecrows circled to the right, trying to get at Pastor Ulrich.  One musketeer and his sergeant met them head-on.  At first the frightened soldiers gave ground before the aggressive scarecrows.  Eventually, with some good activation rolls, they were able to gang-up in melee and defeat their enemies, securing this flank and ending the threat to their spiritual leader.

The two dragoons made good use of Long Move to get between the witch and her objective, but things went badly at first.  Hargella cast a withering spell that knocked one trooper from the saddle.  As he hit the ground, he was swarmed by lesser scarecrows.  Failing a fear test, the fallen trooper tried to surrender by promising to serve the Darkness.  In so doing the fool lost his soul in addition to his life.

The second dragoon was made of stouter stuff.  He fought off the scarecrows and made two attempts to take the witch herself.  She escaped his saber and as turn 9 was completed, the game ended.  The authorities failed to capture the witch but the dragoons kept her too busy to reach her objective.  I called that a draw.

Fear and Faith is a fun system.  As with all the Song of Blades and Heroes variants, the activation mechanic presents interesting tactical decisions.  The addition of the fear mechanics adds a welcome level of complexity that rightly makes the fear of evil as decisive as the effects of combat rolls.  There is still a bit to work on with regards to my solo engine that drives the evil forces.

Exploration in the Frozen Ruins

The first time I used tarot cards to resolve exploration in Frostgrave, I was playing solo, and the game didn’t involve much combat despite the numerous cards that spawn uncontrolled monsters.  Today I played with two opposing warbands on a smaller, 3’x3' table.  Combat was continuous (mostly with spawned monsters) and the exploration rules still worked fine.

With the smaller table, I only set out 12 mystery tokens.  The Wizards Tarot deck was used to determine what the mysteries represented.  Two uncontrolled monsters began near the middle, this time a snow troll and a bear.

The two warbands are level-zero teams I use for introducing Frostgrave to new players.  Purporto the Summoner with his apprentice Yellena:

Jalibarsa the Seer and his apprentice Sarith:

The bands started at opposite edges and fanned out to explore the mysteries, hoping for good treasure and xp.

On turn1, Purporto summoned a Major Demon while his soldiers entered a small ruin to explore mystery #11.  Card draw:  Ace of Pentacles – The small chamber had once been richly appointed but the ravages of ice and time left little of value.  The wealthy wizard who lived here must have had something to loot nearby, though.  D12 roll of 10 meant that a treasure and monster were activated at mystery #10, which was just outside the chamber, a few inches behind the explorers.  How convenient!

The treasure looked to be the wizard’s conjuring table over which two armored skeletons were standing guard.  Purporto’s team destroyed the skeletons and secured the treasures on the wizard’s table.

On the other side, Jalibarsa entered a ruin to explore mystery #9.  Experience with this mod taught me to have archers and other support standing by before someone spends an action to reveal the mystery.

Card draw:  The Empress.  Before the Great Catastrophe, this building was an arboretum, used to grow herbs and magical plants for the Empress’ personal alchemist.  Jalibarsa opted to risk a search, but rolled poorly and awoke a white gorilla.  Teamwork put down the beast but Jalibarsa would have to look elsewhere for treasure.

Sadly, his apprentice Sarith was having no better luck.  On investigating mystery #7, card draw: Five of Cups, they found an empty house.  The walls of this place ached with the anguish of a love spell gone badly.  Perhaps the lonely occupant welcomed the final doom of Felstad when it came.  This card activated a monster and treasure, but at a location some distance away, near the opposing warband.

After this disappointment, Sarith and his soldiers became entangled in an archery duel with the other warband and also drew the attention of a large bear.  The beast was put down before it could eat anyone.  Two soldiers were injured by enemy arrows but were able to withdraw to safety.

Meanwhile, one of Purporto’s archers investigated mystery #4, card draw: Six of Swords.  This was the home of a great mariner who brought back treasures from distant lands.  After dispatching a wolf who had made her lair here, Purporto’s team secured the treasure.  Did the mariner and his family perish when the city fell, or were they safely over the sea?  Nothing in the ruins provides that answer.

At the same time, Jalibarsa’s team finally found success, discovering the treasure in the workshop of a craftsman of great renown.  Some magic armor or a weapon would be a welcome addition to the party’s arsenal.  A snow leopard who had taken residence here was defeated without much difficulty.

Purporto’s major demon was able to bring down the snow troll and carry off the last treasure.  Demons can be very useful when they obey orders. 

In the end, both warbands were able to carry off several treasures without loss.  I was impressed with their ability to deal with some monsters that I consider tough for a level zero warband.  The key was using an infantryman to investigate the mystery token before his companions had yet acted.  That way they could react, usually with missile fire, before the creature phase.

I may need to up the difficulty level, but overall I think it was a fun game.  It still needs more testing before I bring it to the friendly local game store.