STALKER7

A Nightwatch Blood and Bone battle report.

A couple CCWC members got together the Saturday before Christmas to catch up, chuck dice, and move toy soldiers around the tabletop. A simple one-shot game: the party needed to decipher the arcane symbols carved on three way stones in the ruins of Umva Dor. The stone bones of the ancient city lay in goblin territory however, and it soon became apparent our heroes were being watched.

With most everyone traveling or otherwise busy preparing for the holiday, John and Matt fielded a Mancer, two Blades, an Alchemist, and a Tracker to get the job done.

Eight turns in a large 4 x 6 battle area, they did a fair job of scouting out the region, avoiding patrols and roaming creatures, and started together at the far end of the table, very close to one of the cryptic waystones.

Advance to Contact

The crew moves up and translates the first stone as two packs of pale goblins spawn. A quick, fierce skirmish at the fountain, our heroes beat back the attack and skirt the arched wall of a cloistered courtyard toward the second objective.

Push Forward

As part of the challenge, the runes require a successful Interact action to be deciphered but the Hunter must use their Mind attribute dice to do so.

The Mancer tries and fails, so the job falls to the Alchemist, who also ends up struggling with the archaic symbols. Bad luck. (shoulda paid better attention in Magic Rune class instead of concocting “custom” potions with the supplies you nicked from the Herbalism Department, eh?) The next waves of enemies appear and the two Blades and the Tracker attack, buying time for their comrades to get the correct translation.

“That’s the symbol for ‘a hat full of fish’, right?”

No. No it isn’t.

The fighters take the brunt of the damage fending off the spider riders while the Mancer and Alchemist quibble over esoteric interpretations of magic symbology. After some serious effort on their part, the etched passage finally makes sense and they head toward the third and final waystone. Just in time for a pack of Ogres to appear. And they have a Ogre matron with them. (Terror-level Alpha spellcaster)

Once again, the fighters move to intercept.

It’s a knife fight in a dark closet as the fighters tussle with the Terror-level ogres. The spell-slinging Matron fires mage bolts while the brutes hack and slash, and the Hunters burn through their Healing Potions - and still suffer injuries – keeping them away from the Mancer and Alchemist at the last stone.

It’s a damn close thing but at last, the runes are deciphered and the Pact falls back toward their exit at the old stone bridge. A narrow victory is still a victory. Nightwatch for the win. 2023 closes out on a good note.

***

That’s all for now. I’m getting back into work mode after the holiday break, so there’s more battle reports, fiction, and new games in the works.

A Happy, Healthy New Year to you all. Have a great day.

If you’re interested in Nightwatch Blood and Bone, there’s more information here: Print version at AMAZON or PDF at Wargame Vault