The Session Zero post will give a little more background, but here I’m attempting to solo a published adventure module with a standard party of four D&D characters, continuing the story of Vincent & Shira. Yeah, Yeah…. I’ve not really resolved the “debt to crime lord” storyline or the thing with the “alien orb”, so I’m not sure if this would be placed before or after that, time-wise — obviously I didn’t think that through too much, but I like these characters (we go way back) and I want to play them so nyyyeeaaahhhh!

One thing I do want to focus on this session is GM skills and procedures, and trying to separate the GM role from the Player role (to whatever degree I can, at least). I tend to get stuck in omnipotent narrator mode, but I want to change that up so I’m first setting up like a GM and then switching hats to put myself in the Player role and see the world through my Characters’ eyes. I’ll not pollute these posts with timekeeping tables and such, but I am reading through Chapter 13: Dungeon Master Procedures in the RC and will  be taking much of it into practice. Obviously, not entirely necessary for a free-form solo game, but I’m also interested in learning this stuff for when I’m GMing for my kids — or the off chance some actual adults got together.

Module Specifics

Black Blade of the Demon King is an OSR (unofficial LotFP) adventure module for 3-8 characters levels 1-3. Armor Class is given LotFP-style: ascending with an unarmored AC of 12 — which I believe is a balancing mechanic based on the idea that ascending AC starts unarmored at 10, but in LotFP fighters get a +2 attack bonus by default — so I think I’ll be subtracting two and inverting that number (subtracting from 19) to get the Rules Cyclopedia descending AC equivalent (e.g. 12AAC: 19 – (12 – 2) = 19 – 10 = 9AC … or, a simpler way of thinking about it: subtract the LotFP AAC from 21 to get the descending AC — 21 – LotFPAAC = AC –thanks to +Gerard Nerval for that tip!).

Introduction

The GM’s intro describes the module as “a cinematic adventure […] in a fast-paced story about desire, sacrifice, and the unrelenting push and pull between the two“. It also outright tells you the Black Blade is the “bad guy”, implies what will happen to anyone who attempts to wield it (think: The One Ring), and what the party ought to do with it should they succeed in reaching it first. We can probably also surmise the titular Demon King will be involved as well. It’s designed to be about making hard choices for your characters rather than ransacking and looting — another aspect that seems preferable for solo play.

Conflict is built in via time management, harsh environmentals, a creepy, smiley-faced cult, and the incessant, beckoning dreams from the sword, raising tension throughout the 3-act structure, all intended to convey a feeling of impending doom.  The party has 5 days to reach the Blade before competing NPCs — of which there are dozens — and then rolls are made daily to see which NPC is the victor.

Three of those NPCs will stand apart from the crowd: The Defender, The Seeker, and The Wildcard. The GM is advised to roll for these among 24 potentials before the adventure, but instead, here I see an opportunity to keep things interesting by leaving which is which largely unknown to myself until dramatically most impactful. My only concern is that the 24 NPCs are divided evenly between the 3 categories — Defender, Seeker, and Wildcard — so they’re already predisposed to be in those roles. However… perhaps the three will all portray varying aspects of each role, leaving their true nature a mystery until the end. At such time, I can swap out their specifics to the appropriate category, revealing their true nature!

A die-drop table is provided as well, to generate lesser NPCs if needed, but there is one more important NPC called “The Silver Queen”. I think she may be a “good guy”, but her role is, luckily, not entirely clear to me yet. One thing that is clear, though: the Universal NPC Emulator will come in handy for dealing with all these guys.

Running the Module

The next section provides information on some of the unique elements of the module and how to handle them. The first is a series of gauges that will come into play throughout the adventure: Resist Cold (starting at 0 + CON), Law, and Chaos (starting at 1 or 0, depending on alignment). The values are modified as events occur, and d6 rolls within these “skills”, as they’re called, will result in a success. Failing a Resist Cold roll will result in damage. If either Law or  Chaos reaches a value of 6, something dramatic will happen. Additional rules for Fatigue are provided, requiring characters to have a good hot meal every day and stay bundled up from the cold or face a CON hit.

The GM is then instructed to roll up some details:

• Dreams and Rumors for each character
• the 3 competing NPCs
• when The Cold (that smiley-faced cult) will attack
• when the Silver Queen is encountered
• and lastly, how The Seeker will attack the party on Day 4.

While this is great information to have in hand for a GM planning to run this module, since we’re soloing the thing, I’m going to do it a little bit differently:

• I’m just going to jot down the options for the last three events, saving the actual roles until those hallmarks are within sight
• I will roll for the Dreams and Rumors for each of my characters, which is essential to the setup
• I’ll also roll in each of the 3 NPC categories to determine candidates, but I won’t classify them in those roles until it’s absolutely necessary. I’ll be leaving their intentions as ambiguous as I can, leaning on the UNE to manage their behaviors. After all, appearances can be deceiving.

The Champions

Nothing too fancy here, just some basic RC-era D&D characters. I threw in a Complication from Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells and may leverage the Traits from Scarlet Heroes (a great solo resource, if you haven’t checked it out). I feel these give the characters some great descriptive qualities in just a few words, hinting that a complete history is there that just hasn’t come to light yet (and it’s not all sunshine and roses thanks to the Complication).

Rhombic Triacontahedron (aka d30)

I’m repeating their stats here, with alignment listed, along with their initial new “skill” values and the Dreams and Rumors I’ve rolled for them. I’ll repeat them again should anything significant change in their details. As a side note, I changed Hisham’s Detect Magic spell to Read Magic, as the RC rules recommend it as the mage’s first spell (so they can read scrolls, etc). Sleep, Magic Missile, Charm Person, or Shield are the 2nd spell recommendations, so he’ll stick with Sleep.

There are 14 options for Dreams. I roll a d8 and a d6, adding the results, rerolling several duplicates. Rumors are in a d30 table, and luckily I had the foresight (if not the need) to purchase a d30 some twenty-odd years ago and it just so happens that I still have it in my possession…

The Contenders

The Defender

You can choose or roll amongst the 8 Defenders (or just amongst the first 6 who have a more “normal” difficulty rating). They’re essentially “the good guys” who are after the Blade, not for want of power, but for a desire to protect people from the havoc they know it will bring. If prompted, most will serve as a guide and may even pay (d4*10 gold per day) the PCs to join them.

I roll a 3:

The Seeker

Seekers are the “bad guys” of the NPCs seeking the Blade, entirely for their own personal gain. They may opt to tag along with the party as well, but won’t hesitate to throw them under the bus. Again, you can roll a d6 for standard fare or a d8 to include the crazies (you’re even advised against using #8 unless you enjoy TPKs!).

Again I roll a 3:

The Wildcard

This group of NPCs have simply been beckoned by the Blade, much like the characters. They don’t really know much about it except that it’s something powerful calling to them. The same d6 or d8 roll:

I roll 8:

That’s it! Setup complete. Who else is excited??  What? Just me?? Bah!

Act I: Land of Ice and Snow

Day 1

The characters start out aboard ship with 1d12 = 11 other adventurers, travelling to a land known as Svårtgard Rel-Arktos — a desolate, sub-arctic region with only 3 hours of pale sunlight breaching the horizon each day, in these, the last days of Summer. Their dark dreams are calling them to the region, and their destination is the great port city of Støvring Kith-Avonmore.

The icy waters are pocked with  huge, jagged icebergs, many looming far overhead as the ship carefully navigates the dangerous route, seeking the shelter of the city’s walled harbor.

There’s some spoiler text about the Silver Queen appearing as a narwhal darting between the icebergs. Yes… the unicorn of the sea. I roll a d20 against each character’s WIS attribute to see if they notice the thing. Vincent: 6 within WIS of 10 = yes; Shira: 3 <= 12 = yes; Hisham: 5 <= 13 = yes; Calleagh: 15 <= 16 = yes. The text indicates noticing the thing will provide “a sense of well-being” and provides a brief reprieve from the call of the Blade. They also accumulate a Law point, raising Calleagh to 2, and all others from zero to 1.

After remarking at the Narwhal’s presence, I decide to have the characters wander about the ship a bit to see what the other adventurers may know. The wizard, Hisham, has the best CHA score, and is also a travelling salesman of sorts, so he’s the personable one to send out gathering intelligence.

Using the NPC die drop table on page 107 of BBotDK, I roll up a level 2 Chaotic Cleric (+1 to hit, 16AAC/5AC) who “Knows the truth behind the Cold”. I roll his name from the Skandr names chart in the Red Tide setting book — Haruk Hanevold — and then break out UNE (these are all d100 rolls), skipping over the “Power Level” table since we got that information from the drop table.

It never ceases to amaze me how generalized, random tables can prove so, so fitting in the context of a story and how often randomized and disparate sources can link up so nicely. I rolled a cleric on the Black Blade die drop table and UNE also produced a “childish monk”, lending more specifics to the type of cleric we’re confronted with. The Motivations and Mood could be construed in multiple fashions, but there’s no denying that rolling the NPC’s Focus of weapons is entirely freaky.

Hisham begins mingling about the ship, feeling slightly better about this insane journey he’d agreed to undertake — seeking out the source of the shared dreams of he and his friends — after awing at the sight of a majestic, horned sea creature they’d spotted off the starboard stern. After unburdening a pair of the ship’s crewman of their coinage in exchange for some ointment for their “sailor’s rash”, he happens upon a shaven monk at the bow of the ship, quietly and eagerly eyeing the waters ahead for sign of Kith-Avonmore.

 

Pleasantries exchanged, Hisham begins plying his apothecary’s wares to the man, masking the true intent of his party’s mission. He soon learns that Haruk is a monastic cleric answering the call of the Blade in the name of his order. He warms up to Hisham quickly and eagerly continues on, telling of how, upon hearing the tales of his dark dreams of a sentient blade, his superiors had ordered him from the sheltered confines of their reclusive monastery (burden modesty) to learn all that he can about the dreams — and this weapon —  and how it might aid their order (chronicle medicines). If it proves useful to their cause, he is to return the sword at once (steal hate) to the leaders of the order — for scientific study and preservation measures, of course.

 

Hisham invites the man to partake in some of the fine pipeweed he had procured ahead of the voyage, but already feeling somewhat green with sea sickness, he politely refuses. Instead, Hisham offers up a small vial of peppermint oil to settle his spinning head. Much obliged, Haruk offers some parting advice: avoid the (1d6 = 4) hooded, whispering figures huddled together in the ship’s hold — members of a mysterious cult. “The Cold” he calls them, and if Hisham ventures near, he’ll soon learn why…

I think I’ll wrap it up there for now, since most of the post ended up being more setup it’s already quite lengthy. I mark off a couple hours of game time and we’ll pick up again next session back on the ship to see if The Cold decides to attack (us or other Blade seekers on the ship), and then make landing at Kith-Avonmore (Støvring as it’s named in the module).

I’m still excited that this will work out quite well for a module play. Aren’t you? What?? Bahhhhhh!