Or in english: "Let the combatants loose on the 17th". "Laissez-aller" was a phrase that were said at tournaments just before two knights rode against eachother. I use it now, because on the 17th of this month, at 14.00 hours local time, the four players start their character generation. And after that (or on another timely placed session near to this date) I plan to run the beginning adventure.

The game begins in 484, late summer (intended to be after the Uther victory over the saxons). The four liege knights of the player characters have been among those that's been forced to stay at home, on garrison duty. That fact have left them (the four liege knights) in a sour mood, and on top of that to just stand guard in a rather calm period of the county, hasn't exactly improved on that.

I want to describe the foul mood and irritant behaviour of the knights, many times ousted on the squires (player characters). How could that be accomplished? Latrine duty? I don't know. Any ideas are greatly welcomed here.

Then the starting adventure itself: I have modified it. Instead of the bear of Imber, it's the boars of Imber, and the fact that they're attacking humans and running around in the vicinity of the village instead of the woods nearby, is that they've been stirred up by an angry giant - with a nasty tooth-ache! He can't eat properly, he can't sleep, he can't think of anything else than his tooth! So, he's on a rampage.

And also, almost at the same time the squires are asked to hunt down the boars, a saxon raiding party is on the move through these parts. I would want the giant to be somehow "steerable" (by the squires) towards the saxons if at all possible.

Maybe the saxons has managed to pillage a monastery brewery and are carrying barrels of something, which the giant can anaesthetize the pain with. Maybe the squires have heard the giant mumble "Fy fo fum, must stop my ache with som rum" or some such thing. Any and all ideas are welcome!!

Well, here's one thing to consider: Boars in Pendragon is deadly. I would much rather face one bear than one boar (especially if in armor, although the boar spear might tilt the odds without an armor), and if you are sending a group of boars, a giant and a host of Saxons at your player squires... well, I would not be laying goods odds on their survival.

Well, here's one thing to consider: Boars in Pendragon is deadly. I would much rather face one bear than one boar (especially if in armor, although the boar spear might tilt the odds without an armor), and if you are sending a group of boars, a giant and a host of Saxons at your player squires... well, I would not be laying goods odds on their survival.


Thanks Morien for that reply!

Ok, so hunting boars are really much more feared than going against a man-eating bear? I understand. But the basic idea for this is a chain reaction of sorts; boars -> giant -> saxons. And the solution should be getting the giant to somehow attack the saxons. Two birds with one stone. It IS dangerous, but also take into consideration how preoccupied the giant is by his enormous tooth-ache.

I mean, first the squires arrive at Imber. They've heard about the (ordinary) boars from before they got to Imber, and that they are running rampant through the village and have 'accidentally' gored a young boy. So the squires prepare for a hunt, and from horseback with boar spears, could it really be so dangerous? If it is, I'll have to reconsider.

Anyway, halfway through the hunt they pursue a larger group of the boars in among the trees, and the suddenly they hear a booming voice from someone complaining about "being trampled by the 'buthesome boors'". That's the giant. And maybe he's roaring about that it was "dem roasted boors who gut stuck'in me tooth and made it 'urt" (or some other words along that line). "Oooh I hate dem!" And he continues "Mee tooth, mee tooth! It 'urts, it reeeli 'urts, aaarghh". And so forth.

The squires should get quite close to the preoccupied giant and perhaps even be acting like some sort of "thinking voice" for the giant, proposing that he could get the pain-killer from the saxon looted rum. Remember, giants are supposed to be very stupid.

The big questions is: how and when can the squires have seen the saxons or somehow gotten the info that they're around?
And I know this plot is perhaps way over the squires heads, but sometimes big happenings coincide without any consideration for who experience them. And that's what I'm after! Please feel free to critizise my ideas as harshly as you may want!

So the squires prepare for a hunt, and from horseback with boar spears, could it really be so dangerous? If it is, I'll have to reconsider.


Yes. Sorry, let me rephrase that: Hell yes.

Just looking at the stats from the 5th ed rulebook (Lordly Domains was even worse): HP 45, Tusks 18, 6d6 damage. That's the same as a lance charge! Furthermore, the boar goes after the horse, so the chances are, the first round will kill the horse, the second the now unhorsed rider. Imagine a group of those, and you have total carnage on your hands, especially as I am not convinced that you can make good use of the boar spear from horseback (that it, its ability to stop the boar on a good hit).

Now, that herd of boars might be instead a sow and her piglets, in which case they are much less likely to slaughter your squires, but might easily grow in the retelling.

I -think- (and if anyone knows better, feel free to correct me) that the normal way of hunting boars was with a huge number of hounds, who'd bring the boar to bay and basically allow the knight to make an unopposed attack. Of course, even that would not be enough to bring a Pendragon boar down...



The big questions is: how and when can the squires have seen the saxons or somehow gotten the info that they're around?


Well, the first idea to come to mind would be that the squires meet a messenger from the monastery or whatever it is that was looted, heading to Sarum to tell what has happened, and at the same time lets the squires know.

However, given Imber's location farthest away from the Saxon lands and deep inland, you might be better off using one of the other forests surrounding Salisbury. Say, the Ebble valley might work, With the Saxons hightailing it into the (future) Camelot Forest and the Avon River/seashore to make their escape.

Yes. Sorry, let me rephrase that: Hell yes.

Just looking at the stats from the 5th ed rulebook (Lordly Domains was even worse): HP 45, Tusks 18, 6d6 damage. That's the same as a lance charge! Furthermore, the boar goes after the horse, so the chances are, the first round will kill the horse, the second the now unhorsed rider. Imagine a group of those, and you have total carnage on your hands, especially as I am not convinced that you can make good use of the boar spear from horseback (that it, its ability to stop the boar on a good hit).

Now, that herd of boars might be instead a sow and her piglets, in which case they are much less likely to slaughter your squires, but might easily grow in the retelling.

I -think- (and if anyone knows better, feel free to correct me) that the normal way of hunting boars was with a huge number of hounds, who'd bring the boar to bay and basically allow the knight to make an unopposed attack. Of course, even that would not be enough to bring a Pendragon boar down...


I went and read some background information on the boars, how they react, if they're dangerous to humans, etc.
And the text(s) says that if cornered, a boar can really be dangerous, even lethal in a short amount of time. The male uses the tusk to gore upwards, and the female to bite down. But that's in a situation where fighting is the only way out. If at all possible they will run away, try to escape. And I think when chased by the horses, they aren't really cornered in that manner.
But I can easily be totally wrong here, I mean I've never really hunted anything beastial in my life, and never ridden any horse.
And then a bear, that's another matter I think. If it's a female, she's protecting her young and doing so within an certain area, which means she doesn't need to get in a tight spot before attacking. With male bears I don't know.

Your info on the hounds is very useful, thank you! Maybe they're dogs in the village that they can use (or probably have to be special hunting hounds)?



Well, the first idea to come to mind would be that the squires meet a messenger from the monastery or whatever it is that was looted, heading to Sarum to tell what has happened, and at the same time lets the squires know.

However, given Imber's location farthest away from the Saxon lands and deep inland, you might be better off using one of the other forests surrounding Salisbury. Say, the Ebble valley might work, With the Saxons hightailing it into the (future) Camelot Forest and the Avon River/seashore to make their escape.


Good ideas! About Imber, I'll change the village location, put it much closer to the eastern border. More logical when talking saxons, and perhaps there's a little monastery situated there. I'm calling the village Rinden, located on the west side of Harewood. Otherwise the same as Imber.

But, how large can the saxon raiding party be without seeming invincible?

Note that the wild boars can also attack if surprised, or if they perceive you as a threat. Just a cursory googling revealed cases in Turkey, where a wild boar (apparantly a dominant sow) had attacked whilst the victim was simply tending a hazelnut orchid. Your squires are chasing on horseback potentially with some hounds after a herd of sows and piglets (most likely, as the males are solitary), so the sows definitely would be agitated and ready to fight, if the paths cross. Granted, being sows, I would assume less damage than the boar (presumably male) in the rulebook.

Males can be very dangerous during the mating season, too, as is true for pretty much all large animals. All that aggression, see.

As for the Saxons, anything less than ten or so is not a raid, it is a theft. :P Of course, this means that the generic boatload of Saxons are likely more than a match for a solitary knight, or even a group of unarmored squires even if they are on horseback. Whereas a handful of knights on good ground with lances can demolish a small Saxon raiding party.

Note that the wild boars can also attack if surprised, or if they perceive you as a threat. Just a cursory googling revealed cases in Turkey, where a wild boar (apparantly a dominant sow) had attacked whilst the victim was simply tending a hazelnut orchid. Your squires are chasing on horseback potentially with some hounds after a herd of sows and piglets (most likely, as the males are solitary), so the sows definitely would be agitated and ready to fight, if the paths cross. Granted, being sows, I would assume less damage than the boar (presumably male) in the rulebook.

Males can be very dangerous during the mating season, too, as is true for pretty much all large animals. All that aggression, see.

As for the Saxons, anything less than ten or so is not a raid, it is a theft. :P Of course, this means that the generic boatload of Saxons are likely more than a match for a solitary knight, or even a group of unarmored squires even if they are on horseback. Whereas a handful of knights on good ground with lances can demolish a small Saxon raiding party.


Again, thank you Morien for your useful answers! I hear you about the sow (I reap what I sow...). I'll have to look up when the mating season is then, hopefully not in the same late summer I'm planning these encounters to happen. Otherwise, hello bear again.

My bad explanation - I forget my own plans sometimes! The idea is that only the giant and saxons should meet each other in combat, or atleast until both parties is weak enough for the squires to come in and make a couple of coup de graces as a finish.

Is it unmanly and cowardly, you think, for the squires (in spite of not yet being knights or equites) to use the combat situation to their advantage when fooling the giant to clash with the saxons? I am not sure at all here.

I'll use 10 basic saxon warriors then from the 5th Ed corebook, and hope they'll be enough trouble for the giant!

Ruse de guerre and all that... it is legitimate for the knights to ambush raiders, and this is the rough and ready times of Uther, when honor takes backseat to force and practicality.

As for the giant, depends on his size. A Small Giant becomes chop sui in moments, while a Huge Giant simply squishes the Saxons by stepping on them. Medium Giant would be touch and go, if the Saxons were to fight to the last, but I would expect them to break after a few deaths: no rum is worth being squished!

I am thinking of using the three-eyed giant from "Sword Lake" adventure, because I am not going to use a giant in that adventure - nor any giant goat - (it'll be more direct with Merlin taking them aside and wanting them to guard him all the way from the Earl's castle in Sarum). One or more of the PKs are going to have a personality thing that makes Merlin interested.

As a complete side note: my real life grandfather, called Viktor Hansson, was born in the town of Svärdsjö here in Sweden. That name; "Svärdsjö" means "Sword Lake" in my swedish native tongue. Feels strangely reassuring. (My real name, btw, isn't Derek, but Erik).

Anyway - good info Morien, reminding me of the Uther era take on these matters. I'll have to look and see if ol' three-eyes is the equivalent of a small, medium or huge giant. Following your advice, I want to keep him as a medium giant. I also imagine the rum-carrying saxons really want to keep the prize and perhaps are even going to try retreating earlier.

Then again, saxons are hardy warriors. And so are giants. Also single-minded.

Just a minor nitpick, but it wouldn't be rum that the saxons have stolen. Medieval Britain had neither the distillation equipment or the sugar cane crops to make rum.

Wine, beer or mead would all be genre appropriate however and many monasteries had a good reputation for their fermented products.


[Back to lurking in this enjoyable thread.]

Regards
Luke

Just a minor nitpick, but it wouldn't be rum that the saxons have stolen. Medieval Britain had neither the distillation equipment or the sugar cane crops to make rum.

Wine, beer or mead would all be genre appropriate however and many monasteries had a good reputation for their fermented products.


[Back to lurking in this enjoyable thread.]

Regards
Luke


Yes of course! How stupid of me. But it just shows how unaccustomed I am with different types of alcohol, gods! I do have a beer sometimes, about twice a year (yep, I am not your average drinker), and preferably in a pub which we have very few good ones in Sweden compared to the rest of Europe. Thank you Luke! Nice to have a name to fit the "voice" to, so to speak.

I do long for the British pubs to get a real breakthrough here in the cold north. Swedish people of all ages are so juvenile when using alcohol. They almost always get roaring drunk, instead of contributing to the nice conversational atmosphere of the Brit pubs.

But I am getting far away from the subject here! I apologize. Won't happen again. Kindest regards, Erik.

Well, ok. If the boar is such a dangerous animal to both mount and rider, and I am reluctant to use the bear, what animal(s) other than those named could I use? Preferably the hunt should be for several animals so that all the player characters gets an equal chance at a "shot". What animal(s) could be such a nuisance or danger to the farmers but not enough danger to prematurely kill the squires? As usual, all suggestions are welcome.

Well, ok. If the boar is such a dangerous animal to both mount and rider, and I am reluctant to use the bear, what animal(s) other than those named could I use?


Wolf comes too mind. Sure, they are dangerous as well, although mainly for the horses if the squires are armored. If they are in hunting leathers, then a bite from a wolf will hurt, but not drop them instantly. Also, a horse probably can withstand a nip or two without ill-effects, which is much more than can be said for a boar charge. The biggest worry with wolves is their high-skill in Pendragon. I would be tempted to lower it to 15 or even less, as one wolf is not THAT dangerous: it is the pack that will get you, those unopposed attacks from the rear, or simply the necessity of dividing your skill against three wolves at once.

Well, ok. If the boar is such a dangerous animal to both mount and rider, and I am reluctant to use the bear, what animal(s) other than those named could I use?


Wolf comes too mind. Sure, they are dangerous as well, although mainly for the horses if the squires are armored. If they are in hunting leathers, then a bite from a wolf will hurt, but not drop them instantly. Also, a horse probably can withstand a nip or two without ill-effects, which is much more than can be said for a boar charge. The biggest worry with wolves is their high-skill in Pendragon. I would be tempted to lower it to 15 or even less, as one wolf is not THAT dangerous: it is the pack that will get you, those unopposed attacks from the rear, or simply the necessity of dividing your skill against three wolves at once.


Thanks for the idea Morien, and the funny thing is wolves were on my mind too.

But, and now you're going to moan "oh no not again", but one of the players generated a pious roman christian knight with a family characteristic of "Huntsmen" (from the homebrewed table Cornelius made with manors giving family characteristics). And, he's got a boar spear heirloom. Finally he's a poor knight (I used the table for different income levels in BoK&L).

So, what if there's "only" one giant boar of legend, whose mate has been killed by the giant and by eating the mate the giant got his toothache? So, the giant has tried to shoo the remaining giant boar out of the woods or even kill it. There's where the squires enter (and the saxons). Maybe I'm trying to cram too many ideas into one scenario?

Honestly? I think you are, especially if this is to be the introduction. :)

Your campaign, of course, but were it mine, I'd simply let the Giant's howls to make the villagers nervous and the Lord/knights dispatch the squires to find out what kind of a beast dwells in the forest, or if it just the peasants being lazy and cowardly. And then they will find the Saxon tracks, having heard of that raid previously, and the stumble onto the Giant, giving them a chance to talk the Giant into attacking the Saxons.

Leave the Dread Boar of Wherever until another adventure. :)

Honestly? I think you are, especially if this is to be the introduction. :)

Your campaign, of course, but were it mine, I'd simply let the Giant's howls to make the villagers nervous and the Lord/knights dispatch the squires to find out what kind of a beast dwells in the forest, or if it just the peasants being lazy and cowardly. And then they will find the Saxon tracks, having heard of that raid previously, and the stumble onto the Giant, giving them a chance to talk the Giant into attacking the Saxons.

Leave the Dread Boar of Wherever until another adventure. :)


YES! That is exactly the kind of story I didn't have enough brain matter to think of myself. But you did! There you have it, bye bye bear and boars! I have it now.

It starts with something overheard in the local gossip of Sarum about someone curing their (knee-, tooth-, back- whatever) ache with some excellent mead. And the reports on the 'Howling of Harewood', and from there just as you put it! Good work Morien! :D

After some more thought and actual look at the values for the three-eyed giant, perhaps it needs some modification.

I can't take a Standard Giant, it's just too much, even for ten Saxon warriors IMO. A Small Giant can be a push over though. So, maybe a mix of the two "smaller" giants: the small one and the three-eyed one? I will run the battle before hand, to have a look at what actually happens. But the giant should still have the option of two brawling attacks, to be able to fight more Saxons at the same time. AND: He will probably not fight the squires, just scare them as he knows it is enough. But the Saxons are another thing altogether, they would certainly kill or capture the squires I think.

So as I said the plan is for the giant to get lured towards the Saxons and the mead. The tricky thing now is to get this situation smartly placed (and the made up monastery with the mead) somewhere close to Harewood.

Now, for something completely different: while writing this I'm listening to Jordi Savall, playing "Rodrigo Martinez"
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1HlSymdnB8). I recommend a listening.