This post continues on from yesterday’s Barbaric Week (https://www.ppmgames.co.uk/2022/07/19/barbaric-week/)
I left yesterday’s post with the first section of map.
Kane will be entering from the top of the map into the cave. The first thing I am going to do is try and cast his first spell, Call Animal. The goal will be to call a wolf because wolves and cool wolf companions fit the barbarian image.
I need to roll 7+, and I have Sorcery-1, meaning I need to roll a 6. I make the roll, just and Kane’s wolf companion pads up to him.
This gives me a bit of backup in any combat.
Entering the cave creates questions. So I may have to create some extra solo mechanics. The most obvious question is are their any giant insects or other nasties coming out of the cave right now? That is a yes-no question, but it is very likely to be followed by “What are they?” if I get a yes.
As a mostly 2d6 game, the temptation is to go for a 2-12 oracle. Above 7 being yes, below 7 being no, and maybe a complication or twist in the middle. Barbaric though has its own ladder, and I want to use that as much as possible.
| 2d6 | Answer |
| 2+ | Extreme No |
| 4+ | No |
| 6+ | Yes, but… |
| 8+ | Yes |
| 10+ | Extreme Yes |
Now I can roll to find out if there is an immediate threat from the centipedes/roaches/etc.
The 7 falls into 6+, a Yes but… My first reaction is that yes there are insects here but they are sleeping or sluggish. Maybe it is cold and they are not very active. This has the secondary benefit of creating the mental impression of Kane arriving at the cave very early in the morning, the ground still wet with due, and morning mist swirling around. It has helped me build a mental picture of the scene.
We now know that there are beasties here, but not what, or how many. Last time I made a small table. Now it the time to use it.
| d6 | Encounter |
| 1-2 | Giant Cockroach |
| 3-4 | Snake, venomous |
| 5 | Giant Centipede |
| 6 | Giant Spider |
I rolled a 1, so that is Giant Cockroaches. But how many? One on its own seems a bit meager. It is time to extend our oracle table.
| 2d6 | Answer | Encounters |
| 2+ | Extreme No | Little threat |
| 4+ | No | Weak |
| 6+ | Yes, but… | Risky |
| 8+ | Yes | Dangerous |
| 10+ | Extreme Yes | Lethal |
I am thinking that if the sum of the foes Endurance is equal to mine, that is Risky (no general would like a fight with equal forces). Working down from there, A fight with foes with half my Endurance (rounded up) would be weak, below that is little threat. Dangerous would be up to double my Endurance and Lethal is more than that.
In my case, Kane has 7 End. So the steps could be <=3, 4-6, 7, 8-14, 15+. Giant Cockroaches have 3 End, so 1 would be Little Threat, 2 would be Weak, 3 become risky, 4 Dangerous, and 5 or more would be Lethal.
I rolled a 4, so it is a Weak encounter with two Giant Cockroaches.
I will spare you the roll-fest of combat, but to summarise it, Kane won surprise; using his bow, he took out one of the two roaches in the first round. The second one scuttled forward, and Kane shot that one at near point blank and took it out as well. The lesson is that bows doing 4D of damage are lethal against lightly armored targets.
It is time for Kane to light his first torch and enter the cave…