I've been looking at these books for months. A few weeks +Matt Jackson spoke about the game on his anchor podcast, MattRandom, and that was enough for me to click the button on them. However, Matt had already ordered a copy for me. Such a nice Matt. Everyone should have one.
Four Against Darkness, I always want to add the in there, but that would be wrong. So it is a solo adventure rule set. Not one on one. Just you and a fist full of dice. I think just 2d6s for the main ruleset and then it mentions using all the dice in later books. I did grab the first two adventure books, but haven't looked at them yet. I read this book over a couple of time to get the gist.
I'm not going into a ton of details. Just what I am playing and running through. Here is my initial setup paper. Highly recommended you grab a copy. The couple of play-though videos and Matt mentioned it was easier. I'm into easy...don't tell Ivy I said that.
Here's my initial set up. I went with a basic party makeup for my first go titled "Who Said This Was A Good Idea?". Warrior, cleric, wizard, and rogue. I kept their starting equipment without switching it out. That is my marching order also. It is a good idea to write them on this sheet the way they enter a room.
So I roll a 33 on my first room generation. A corridor that splits and has two doors at their ends. Rolled a 4 to determine the contents, empty because it is a corridor.
Roll 65 for the next generation, another corridor. This one snake up and to the left. I rolled a 5 on contents. Special Feature. I rolled a 3 to determine the special feature, armory. If I wanted to I could change my weapons the characters are using. I'll pass on that.
Third room generation is a 51, another corridor. Also empty. I think someone may have been in this part of the dungeon. We must go farther.
DOH! I for got to roll for the entrance, I just made my own. Ah well. I'll do it next time.
53, another corridor. Whoever designed this place was terrified of width. This section is also empty. Running out of room on the map. I could go right or left. Those who know me know that this is not a choice.
36, finally a room! A wonky room. Since I was on the edge of the graph paper I had to alter it to fit. Minions! Talking twinkies attack! Wait no. I need to find the minion table. 2d6 fungi folk. Lvl 3. Shit, and they have poison. Man! Now I can attack first or see how they might act, but if I do that and they are hostile thet get to attack. There are only 4. Fuck'm murder hobo time!
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| Terrifying! |
Okay, got my spells. Sleep. Blessing. And because the wizard has absolutely no confidence in his companions, Escape.
My warrior, Sever, with his grim countenance and sharp blade attacks the fungi folk with a surprising savagery. His hidden hatred of all things mushroom is revealed. He rolled 2+1 (for his level) for a total of 3. Severing one of the fungi folk into equal sized slices awaiting onions.
Bronson the Boisterous bellows, bashing at the bloated body of a blasphemous fungi. Scoring a 2. Not enough to damage any of the fungi folk.
Delila, the lovely wizard with the dark eyes full of contempt pulls back her delicate hands and as they come forward a burst of sand fill the room and falls on the unaware fungi folk. A total roll of 3. Enough to take down a second one. Halving the enemies' number. And expending her only offensive spell.
Finally Cora, the moody rogue that never is seen without hood or dagger. She moves quietly, like a sigh in a storm. She slides behind the fungi folk and slides her dagger into its back. She keeps the blade flat to slide between its ribs. If it has ribs. A roll of 3 finds what would be considered the fungi's heart. The creature manages to let out a surprised glibby noise before it slumped to the cold, hard ground.
With the party finished and 3 out of 4 fungi folk slain the remain one must decide, to fight or to flee. With a roll of 2 the remain fungi flees. Sever lunges after it, but Bronson boasts, "Be still battle boy, for bounty has befallen before us." He points to the treasure left behind, 12gp fall from hidden pouches in the fungi folks' bodies.
With the first battle under their newbie belts, coming away unscathed they look to the door to the north and wonder what possibilities lie beyond. More treasure? Greater enemies?
42, another corridor. Rolled a 12, if this had been a room there would have been a dragon's lair! Now it stands empty and hollow and a mocking whistling wind blows through. Something knows we are here.
16, a room! I rolled a 10, weird monster table! Not sure what that means. I have to find that table. Rolled a 3, Chimera...level 5, 6 life points...3 attacks. Shit. And breathes fire. Everyone just pooped in their pants a little.
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| Absolutely Hideous! |
Sever does not hesitate. He slashed down on one of the creatures heads He needs to roll higher than a 5. A roll of 4 bounces off the chimera's hide. Sever feels the blade turn in his hand, the pommel is coming loose again. What confidence that was gained from the fungi folk battle evaporated as he stares into the eyes of creature made from hate.
Bronson scores a 7. A natural 6 mean I get to roll again. I'm exploding! A 5 for a total of 12. His mace finds bone rocking the chimera to its side. That's two wounds to the chimera. I think I'm doing that right. That means that little bastard has 4 left.
With no useful spells, Delila stays behind the armored meat to stay protected. Afterall that's what warriors are for, to die so she may live.
Cora sees a chance, a slight chance to sever the snake head from the body. She jumps forward her blade slashing upwards hoping to catching the writhing head unawares. A total roll of five is enough to cause the snake head to spit blood and frantically slither away.
With the party done attacking, the chimera stand with half its life points, 3. The chimera breathes fire! Oh fuck fuck fuck fuck. All character must make a save or lose 1 life.
Sever: failed
Bronson: really failed
Delila: shit, failed
Cora: my god, she failed also
So apparently I suck at rolling even when I'm by myself!
Second round.
Sever regrips his sword, feels it steady in his hand and lunges forward, tip aimed for the chest. Hit with a 5! Another life point drains on the floor.
Bronson bows below the beast's belly to batter its bladder. Bang and bounce the mace's blow blunders and the chimera remains unharmed.
Delila steps out from behind her meat shield, he hair singed and the fury in her face is palatable. She swings her staff she ordered from a fancy boutique, she paid extra for the silver inlay seahorse design. Oh she did miss by the way.
Cora slide around the back of the chimera, but the snakehead follows her and hisses. She lashed out, score a 5 and drains another life leaving it staggered with 1 life point remaining.
Chimera has no plans of going anywhere. It breathes fire...again. Crap. Crap. Crap. Here come the saves!
Sever: made it? really. well shit the bed and call the turds ted.
Bronson: fail
Delila: nailed it! save
Cora: failed
Sever sees an opening, rushes forward and shouts a war cry he heard his father say over and over again not knowing his father for a few of the words wrong. With a natural 6, with an additional exploding roll of 3 plus 1 for his level, Sever cuts into the hide of the chimera, finds its heart and pushed his steel deep and it moves no more.
As the party settles, each of them looking like a chimney sweep.
The creature had a bowstaff coiled in its tail. Delila knew it to be magic. She marveled at its design and the warmth it gave off when she touched it. The bow was awarded to Cora. To stand in the rear ranks and support the front line with missile fire. While Cora acted like it was not a weapon she wanted to use, she accepted it, hiding the grin beneath the shadow of her hood. This would bring a lot of money.
So there I will end it. Took me a while to finish the game. I was BSing a lot on-line. There was a lot of back and forth in the book. Partly because I am not familiar to the rules, but also the organization of the rules is a little wonky. Combat rules seem to scattered in the book. But that shouldn't be an issue once I get more adventures under my belt.
Here's the final look at my sheet at the end of the night.
