(TFT) Rough 'n Ready Campaigns: Age of Blood

[Sgt Hulka <hulkasgt@yahoo.com>]

Hi guys. I was re-introduced to this game through David Miller's posts to the Heroscapers site with his awesome flocked terrain. I've been lurking on the archives of this list for some time, trying to figure out how to join, and only just realized what I had been doing wrong. So here I am.
   
  Anyway, I've followed with some interest the recent discussions on "Rough 'n Ready" campaigns but had little to contribute until recently, when I discovered a gem of a miniatures wargame called Age of Blood. It's a free download at:
   
  http://www.wargamesjournal.com/resources/resources.asp
   
  The jist of the game is that the player(s) create Viking Warbands and terrorize northern Europe during the dark ages. On it's own it's great, but one of the things that caught my eye is the pseudo-role playing element called the "Quest". A Warband's leader can embark on a Quest, bringing with him only his Champions (the smallest most elite faction of his Warband) in search of reknown and treasure. It immediately occurred to me you could use Microquests for those "Quests", especially "Death Test" to represent, perhaps, a test required of Vikings hoping to join the fabled Byzantine Varangian Guard. Other Microquests, like Dark City Games' ones, should work equally well. I've converted most of the relevant Age of Blood rules to The Fantasy Trip and I intend to start a solitaire campaign as soon as I gather enough painted miniatures (I'm weird that way). So I decided to share my work. Note that in order to even understand any of the following conversions, you'll need to read
 Age of Blood, which is a pretty good read, anyway. Here goes:
   
  Page 13 SHIELDWALL
  The shieldwall was the dominant battle tactic of the period and consisted of a line of men each with their shields overlapping to create a wall of shields to 
  fight over. Though primarily a defensive formation, the tactic was so effective in attack as well as defensive that it was hardly ever not used when 
  circumstance allowed it.
  To form a shieldwall the figures must move into each others adjacent side facing, forming a line, and their player must then declare at the end of their 
  movement that they are in a shieldwall. A shieldwall can be formed with as few as two figures, but the disadvantages will outweigh the advantages with only a 
  few warriors as a shieldwall with exposed flanks is very vulnerable. While in a shieldwall, most figures double both the dexterity penalties and the hits 
  stopped of their shields. The exception is the single figure on the far right flank of the shieldwall. That figure doubles its shields dexterity penalties, 
  but reduces the hits stopped by 1the figure on the far right flank loses some of his shields effectiveness due to the fact that he is using it to cover the 
  figure to his left.
  EXAMPLE: Three Carls with large shields and two Huscarls with small shields form a shield wall. One of the Huscarls anchors the right flank. During combat, 
  the Carls shields give them a -2 dexterity penalty (the large shields -1 dexterity penalty doubled) and stop 4 hits (the large shields 2 hits stopped 
  doubled). The Huscarl in the middle of the shieldwall is at -0 dexterity (the small shields -0 dexterity penalty doubled) and his shield stops 2 hits (the 
  small shields 1 hit stopped doubled). The Huscarl anchoring the shieldwalls right flank is it -0 dexterity (the small shields -0 dexterity penalty 
  doubled) and his shield stops 0 hits (one less than the small shields normal 1 hit stopped).
  Page 34 THE WARBAND
  HERSIR
32-point build, must have Seamanship and Charisma Talents (min IQ 9)
  CHAMPION
32-point build, must have Seamanship Talent (min IQ 8)
  BERSERKER
St=15 Dex=8 (9) IQ=9 Warrior (1/0)
Warrior (2/9), Seamanship (1/8), Shield (1/7), Sword (2/7), Ax/Mace (2/7)
May automatically Berserk; Must roll versus IQ to stop Berserking
May not wear armor
  HUSCARL
St=12 Dex=11 IQ=8
Seamanship (1/8), Shield (1/8), Sword (2/7), Polearms (2/7), Ax/Mace (2/7)
  CARL
St=11 Dex=11 IQ=8
Seamanship (1/8), Farming (1/8), Shield (1/7), Sword (2/7) and either Ax/Mace (2/7), Polearms (2/7) or Bow (2/7)
Roll 1=Large Shield & Shortsword
Roll 2 or 3= Large Shield & Small Axe & Shortsword
Roll 4 or 5= Large Shield & Spear & Shortsword
Roll 6=Short Bow & Shortsword
  Page 39 EQUIPMENT
  Weapon -- Cost
Knife (Dagger) --  free
Sax (Shortsword) -- 2 sp
Sword (Broadsword) -- 10 sp
Spear -- 1 sp
Axe (Small Ax) -- 2 sp
Broad Axe (Battleaxe) -- 5 sp
Bow (Shortbow) -- 4 sp
  Armour -- Cost
Shield (Small Shield) -- 2 sp
Large Shield  3 sp
Leather Jerkin plus Helmet (Leather Armor) -- 25 sp
Chain Hauberk plus Helmet (Chainmail) -- 65 sp
Helmet (Cloth Armor) -- 15 sp
  Players may decide other equipment from Advanced Melee should be available at the Advanced Melee costs in silver. That makes the more exotic or advanced 
  weapons very expensive.
  Page 49 EXPERIENCE
  Use The Fantasy Trips version of Experience. Only Champions and the Hersir may gain experience. 
  Keep Age of Bloods Reknown system.
  Page 65 DESTINATIONS
  Anglo-Saxons (England)
  Bowmen -- Militia exchange their normal equipment for longbows on a roll of 5+.
  Huscarls -- Noble warriors are equipped with chainmail on a roll of 6+.
  Nobles -- Heroes are mounted on horses on a roll of 5+.
  Picts/Scots (Scotland)
  Thanes -- Noble warriors are mounted on horses on a roll of 5+.
  Horsemen -- Fighters are mounted on horses on a roll of 6+ and are equipped with spears and large shields.
  Armour -- Fighters do not wear leather armor.
  Fanatics -- Any noble warrior who isnt mounted is a fanatic on a roll of 9+.
  Nobles -- Heroes are mounted on a horse on a roll of 4+
  Irish (Ireland)
  Armour -- Noble warriors and fighters do not have leather armor. Minor heroes have leather armor, not chainmail.
  Fianna -- Noble fighters are mounted on horses on a roll of 7+.
  Warhounds -- Noble warriors who are not mounted are replaced with warhounds on a roll of 5+
  Franks (Franker Riket/Frisland)
  Nobles -- Heroes are mounted on warhorses on a roll of 2+ and have tower shields.
  Milites -- Noble warriors are mounted on warhorses on a roll of 3+. 
  Kite Shields -- Noble warriors have tower shields on a 4+
  Light Cavalry -- Fighters are mounted on horses on a roll of 5+.
  Poor Infantry- - Fighters who are not mounted do not have leather jerkins. Militia do not have shields.
  Bowmen -- Fighters who are not mounted exchange light armour and shield for a shortbow on a roll of 6+.
  Saami (Lapland, Finland, Karelia)
  Sorcerers -- Minor and lesser heroes are replaced with sorcerers on a roll of 7+.
  Armour -- Fighters do not wear leather armor.
  Bowmen -- Militia replace their spears and shields with shortbows on a roll of 8+.
  Skraelings (Vinland)
  Armour -- All Skraelings do not wear any armour.
  Weapons -- Skraeling militia and fighters use native weapons (counting
as a sax) only.
  Fanatics -- Noble warriors are fanatics armed with small axes and large shields.
  Heroes -- All heroes are equipped with axes.
  Bowmen -- Any Skraeling is equipped with a shortbow on a roll of 6+.
  Shamans -- Minor and lesser heroes are replaced with sorcerers on a roll of 7+.
  Moors (Spanland)
  Armour -- Fighters do not wear leather armor. Heroes wear leather armor instead of chainmail.
  Jinettes -- Fighters are Jinettes on a roll of 5+, equipped with horsebow and sword and mounted on horses.
  Cavalry -- Noble warriors are mounted on warhorses on a roll of 5+
  Bowmen -- Fighters who are not Jinettes exchange their shields for shortbows on a roll of 7+.
  Page 68 THE RAID and Page 70 THE BATTLE
  Forces can get pretty huge pretty quickly, with 40+ figures on a side. As an option, I propose that if both players agree, the Warband player can choose to 
  remove either 2 Peasants -or- 1 Militia from the Raid or Battle for every Carl he or she removes from the same Raid or Battle. This represents the ill-
  disciplined Carls breaking off from the main battle to raid and loot and kill peasants. The advantage provided to the Warband player is that his Carls, 
  though removed from play, aren't actually killed, and are therefore always available as ship crewmen for the voyage home (or to a trading port). The 
  advantage provided to the Defending player is that Militia and Peasants are built on 28 points and 27 points, respectively, a bit less than a Carl, and so by 
  eliminating both the defending player gains a slight advantage. The Defending player always chooses, however, which Militia or Peasants to remove.
  EXAMPLE: The Warband player attempts to raid an English village. The Defending player determines that he has 8 Peasants and 12 Militia, and 6 of the Militia 
  are armed with Longbows. The Warband player has 10 Carls that he proposes removing from the battle. The Defending player removes all of his Peasants (at the 
  cost of 4 Carls) and 6 of his "normal" Militia (at the cost of the remaining 6 Carls), choosing to keep his precious Longbowmen.
  For Battles use the Dragons of Underearth method to determine the Warband Rating of the Viking and enemy forces. Treat warhounds as wolves (1 point) and 
  Warhorses as Bears (2 points). 
  Page 74 BESTIARY
  PEASANT
Str=10 Dex=8 IQ=9 Improvised Weapons (Count as Hatchet (1D)
Mundane Talent (1/9), Driver (1/9), Farming (1/8), Polearms (2/7), Ax/Mace (2/7), Bow (2/7)
  MILITIA
Str=11 Dex=8 IQ=9 Spear (1D) or Small Ax (1D+2), Small Shield (1/0)
Mundane Talent (1/9), Farming (1/8), Shield (1/7), Polearms (2/7), Ax/Mace (2/7), Bow (2/7)
  FIGHTER 
Str=11 Dex=10 (9) IQ=8 Spear (1D) or Small Ax (1D+2), Large Shield (2/1)
Farming (1/8), Shield (1/7), Polearms (2/7), Ax/Mace (2/7), Bow (2/7)
  NOBLE WARRIOR
Str=12 Dex=11 (9) IQ=8 Broadsword (2D), Spear (1D), Leather Armor (2/2), Small Shield (1/0)
Horsemanship (1/8), Shield (1/7), Sword (2/7), Polearms (2/7), Bow (2/7)
  FANATIC
Str=14 Dex=9 IQ=9 Small Ax (1D+2) and Large Shield (2/1) or 2-Handed Sword (3D-1), Warrior (1/0)
Warrior (2/9), Shield (1/7), Sword (2/7), Polearms (2/7), Ax/Mace (2/7)
May automatically Berserk; must roll under IQ to stop Berserking
  MINOR HERO
Str=12 Dex=12 (9) IQ=8 Broadsword (2D), Spear (1D), Small Ax (1D+2), Chainmail (3/3), Small Shield (1/0)
Horsemanship (1/8), Shield (1/7), Sword (2/7), Polearms (2/7), Ax/Mace (2/7)
  LESSER HERO
Str=12 Dex=14 (9) IQ=8 Broadsword (2D), Spear (1D), Small Ax (1D+2), Chainmail (3/3), Large Shield (2/1)
Horsemanship (1/8), Shield (1/7), Sword (2/7), Polearms (2/7), Ax/Mace (2/7)
  GREAT HERO 
Str=12 Dex=15 (9) IQ=9 Broadsword (2D), Spear (1D), Chainmail (3/3), Tower Shield (3/2)
Horsemanship (1/8), Shield (1/7), Sword (2/7), Polearms, Ax/Mace (2/7)
  MIGHTY HERO
Str=14 Dex=15 (9) IQ 9 Broadsword (2D), 2-Handed Sword (3D-1), Chainmail (3/3), Tower Shield (3/2), Warrior (1/0)
Warrior (2/9), Horsemanship (1/8), Shield (1/7), Sword (2/7), Ax/Mace (2/7)
  LEGENDARY HERO
Str=16 Dex=15 (9) IQ=9 Broadsword (2D), Great Sword (3D+1), Chainmail (3/3), Tower Shield (3/2), Veteran (2/0)
Veteran (3/9), Warrior (2/9), Horsemanship (1/8), Shield (1/7), Sword (2/7)
  WARHORSE
Use The Fantasy Trip 24 Strength version of the Warhorse, since these beasts are not the huge Destriers of the late middle ages.


       
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