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For the battle system.

It is very simple which is both a pro and con. It really doesn't allow for much interaction of high level players as individuals.

We did test an earlier, A proto-battle were we had the players as individual units but they made mincemeat out of their enemies. Even an army twice the size of what i had them facing would have been hard pressed to challenge them and the Korvosan forces.

I put them in charge of all the Korvosan units let them plan out their tactics and how they fought there are two players in my group who are into war-gaming warhammer fantasy 40k flame of war etc. They found the system a bit to simple and lacking in dept but other than that enjoyed it.

We used an old battle mat we had around and drew in the environment were they chose to fight a mountain pass opening into a wider valley. we used
some miniatures to signify the units, which allowed us to better visualize the flow of battle.

so TDLR: Simple and quick enough to use. But not in-depth enough to have the players take part without being to overpowered at the level they are.

Yes there was much cheering when they got rid of Brom Altho the Bard Steiner was quite pissed when he wasn't allowed to cut his throat.

The Deal with Roderic basically free's up those that had voted for him in this Case the baroness Naomi. The Applicants themselves have no vote of their own in this case the Baroness Naomi.

Aye Bloodsworn vale would have done nicely except we have already played that one but i have something similar in mind.

So the Battle was fought. We ended up going with allowing the Players as Special "attachments" to the Units.

The fighting was brutal. The Shoanti Focused their attack the Korvosan guard. Which was the groups plan.

With the Shoanti focused on the Korvosan infantry Their Cavalry and Hippogriff riders struck hard and fast against the moon clan robbing the Shoanti of the Archer support but at the cost of most of their infantry.

but in the end with the Sun clan infantry surrounded and using their greater mobility the Cavalry and hippogriffon riders managed to rout them.

The night after the battle. Roderic Arabasti called upon the players.

Offering them a deal. He would step aside remove his name from the vote,

in return they would support him in gaining lands and title either within Korvosa or in unclaimed territories if they managed to gain the crown.

The group Agreed to this and upon returning to Korvosa a new vote was called for.

Roderic supporters: Withdrawn from the run

Kassius: Lukas Allin

Falco : Vogler, Garney,

Players: Marshal Kroft, Archbanker Tuttle, Baroness Naomi,

Brom Allinn

Abstaining Neolandus, Magister Ornelos

With No clear winner a new vote was called for within a week.

but as the council prepared to adjurn Brom Arvanxi rose up in a screaming rage and demanded that the council stop this farce and aclaim him king right there and then when Senenchal Neolandus refused and ordered him to sit Brom drew out a scroll and while defended by his servants who had managed to sneak into the castle summoned forth a Mighty Daemon, it fell to the players to defend the council and the applicants against the Daemon and Broms henchmen,

Defeating them Brom was arrested and after some discussion Was delivered to the Chelaxian Ambassador with orders to remove him from the city at once

Honestly, if you were to run a legitimate combat with a ~15th level PC, even a Rogue, I would not be surprised if he won.

It'd probably look a lot like this.

Hehe yes you are right on that point. We made fun of the scenario of the 5 of them lining up infront of 1100 charging Shoanti and then playing out a scene were they destroyed them in a movie montage.

But were's the fun in that :)

We have also been working out how to implement the players themselves as part of the battle.

Straight out converting them using the Ultimate campaign rules makes for.
slightly wierd units :)

Such as Falke the Rogue

unit size 1 ACR of 7 HP of 31 DV 21 OM 12 Ranged 11
Speed 1
Morale ??
Resources Healing potions Improved armor(magic) improved weapons (magic) Mount Ranged weapon

Special abilities
Bleed(rogue talent),Evasion, Sneak Attack, trap sense, Invisibility

Tactics Dirty fighter, expert flanker.

In a test we did we almost had Falke destroy a 500 man shoanti army on his own.

We are thinking of solving this by applying the pcs as resources so if Falke for instance goes with the Atirran guards he would apply some bonuses to the unit such as giving them some of his special abilities

Oh yes should be fun :)

Here are the Army stats i decided to make them a bit advanced for flavor.

Atirran guard Human Infantry
Size 500 (Huge) ACR 6 HP 33 DV 16 OM 8
Resources : None
Speed 1
Morale:+2
Consumption
Tactics Defensive Wall Om -2 DV +2, Dirty fighters one melee phase OM +6 False Retreat OM and DV +6
Commander Marshal Kroft
Charisma modifier +2 Profession Soldier 2
Leadership 17 level 12 + charisma 2+ leadership
feat.
Boons:Bloodied but Unbroken +2 to offense checks
Loyalty +2 to all morale checks.

The Sable Company human/hippogriff airborne archers
Size 100 (Small) ACR 6 HP 40 DV 16 OM 8
Resources: Mounts Hippogriffons
Speed 6
Morale +4
Consumption
Tactics Expert Flankers OM -2 DV +2, Sniper Support +2 damage during melee phase, Withdraw
Commander Kassius Endrin
Charisma +2 Proffession soldier 3
Leadership 17
Boons: Flexible tactics +5 to morale checks to change tactics Sharpshooters +2 OM bonus in ranged,
Loyalty +2 to morale

The Atirran Marines Human archers
Size 100 (medium) ACR 5 HP 12 SV 15 OM 8
Resources improved arms
Speed 1
Morale +0
Consumption
Tactics Spellbreakers Taunt Relentless Brutality.
Commander None (will be lead by Heidar. But since he has no proffession soldier skill he doesn't really give them any bonuses

Roderics Mercenaries
Size 50 (small) ACR 4 DV 14 OM 4
Resources Mounts
Speed 3
Morale +3
Consumption
Tactics Cavalry experts +2 to OM vs non mounted, Expert flankers, Withdraw
Commander Roderic Arabasti.leadership 20
Boons 3 Bonus Tactic, Hit and Run, Loyalty

Hell Knights. Human Cavalry
Size 50 Human Knights ACR 7 HP 40 DV 18 OM 8
Resources Improved armor, Improved arms,
Speed 3
Morale +4
Consumption
Tactics. Cavalry experts, Relentless brutality, Withdraw.
Commander Commander D'vor
leadership 20
Boons: Loyalty Merciless Hold the Line Triage.

Shoanti army Lyrune-Quah (Moon clan) 500 (Huge) ACR 8 DV 18 OM 8
Resources Archers healing
Speed 2
Morale +2
Consumption
Tactics Sniper Support, Taunt Relentless brutality, False retreat.
Commander Zulminda Hunts by night Leadership 15
Triage Sharpshooter

Shoanti Army Sklar-Quah (of the Sun)(1) 500 Huge ACR 8 DV 18 OM 8
Resources healing
Speed 2
morale +2
Consumption
Tactics: Relentless brutality, taunt, Dirty fighters,
Commander Gerrev Fang Taker Leadership 20
Boons Bloodied but Unbroken, Merciless, Loyalty, Bonus tactic.

Shoanti Army Sklar-Quah burn Riders 100 Large ACR 8 DV 18 OM 8
Resources Mounts
Speed 3
Morale +2
Consumption
Tactics Cavalry Expertise, Expert Flankers, withdraw
Commander krojun Eats what he Kills leadership 20
Boons. Bloodies but Unbroken Merciless, Loyalty, Bonus Tactic.

Due to the private duel between Heidar and krojun the Burn riders take no part in the battle.

The Second day began with a Vote on the future king of the Atirr.

the final vote ended up

Roderic Arabasti - Vote Baroness Naomi

Kassius Edrin - Count Lukas Brine

Lord Falco Baron Vogler Baron Garney

Brom Arvanxi - Baron Allin

Heidar Paladin of Imodea - Marshal Kroft.

Abstaining Neolandus Toff Ornellus High Priest Tuttle.

With no Clear winner another vote was called for in a weeks time.

Having little else to go on the group decided to investigate the
Vampiric connection to Lord Falco.

Following his agent they discovered that he had hired a group of
unscroupulus adventurers to travel to an old battlefield between
the Shoanti and Atirr deciding they needed to monitor what they were
up to the Rogue Falco along with Raevor the Ranger decided to follow
the adventurers out of the city while the rest stayed behind to keep Falke under observation.

After trailing the adventurers and listening in on their conversation they found out that Falco's agent belived that the Scales had been lost
at the battle.

Arriving at the site the group decided to intervene using Greater teleport the rest of the party arrived at the old battlefield and followed Falco's group into a series of caverns.

the caverns proved to be filled with undead and aberrant densiens of the underground, and when Falco's group figured out they were being followed the matter turned into a race ending in a three way battle deep within the caverns between the players Falco's adventurers and
a huge abberation. Winning the battle the players ended up with the Scales and returned to Atirr on good measure.

Meeting with Tuttle the players presented him with the scales and secured his vote.

The day after another vote is called for

End vote is

Roderic Baroness Naomi

kassius. Baron Lucas

Falco Vogler, Garney

Brom Baron Allin

Heider Marshal Kroft, Archbanker Tuttle

Abstaining Neolandus Tuff Ornelos

With no clear winner another vote is called for in a weeks time.

The group continues to monitor Lord Falco and his people slowly revealing more of his network.

two days later word reaches Atirr. An army of Shoanti tribesmen is on the march heading for Atirr.

Neolandus calls together the leaders of the city to decide what to do
it is finally decided that Atirr will field what armies it has under the leadership of Marshal Kroft and Roceric Arabasti.

Neolandus gives the players a special mission. To convince the Hell Knights to join them in battle, the knights would make all the difference in a battle.

traveling to the Chapter house of the Hellknight they found them dismissive of their entreaties but finally offered a deal.

A knight of the order had recently been found to have broken one of the principle rules to never deal with Fiends. When discovered the Knight fled pursued and was chased by 5 of his former brothers but escaped via a portal in a ruined manor 2 days travel towards the cinderlands.

If the group could find the Knights sent after Cuendal the traitor and help them bring him back to justice the Hell Knights would fight along side the Atirran forces against the Shoanti.

Traveling to the manor they found the portal and stepped through into a proto dimension connected to the abyss. Within the dimension they discovered that the knights had hall been killed by the Abyssinian demons and that Cuendal now ruled this dimenson having slain the demon that ruled there before.

A series of battles were fought before they reached a cavern were Cuendal waited along with a powerful Succubi the monster that had
gotten him to betray the hell knights. A battle was joined and at its height. The Succubi offered the players a deal she would help them Defeat Cuendal in return she would continue to aid them in the future and they would assist her in certain matters on the material plane.

Refusing they slew the Succubi and subdued Cuendal and brought him back to the Knights.

Having Fullfilled their part of the bargain the Knights Joined the forces of Atirr and met the Shoanti on the field of battle.

Outnumbered the fate of the battle looked bleak for Atirr.

Until Heidar the Paladin rode forth and spotting Krojun Eats what he kills leading one of the three Shoanti forces challenged him to single combat. With Krojun Accepting they fought a duel that would be spoken of for years to come. Ending in Krojuns defeat his part of the army stepped aside. still faced with two of the 3 shoanti armies and outnumbered things still looked bleak..

Not sure if i should start a new post but ill just leave this here for now.

The most recent session went as follows.

The group was asked by Seneschal Neolandus to meet a ship arrving from Cheliax carrying Brom Arvanxi the Younger Brother of Queen Ileosa. The group was to provide and escort for the Young Noble and make sure nothing happened.

At the same time the groups Rogue Falke got word from one of his agents (he has been setting up a network of informants and spy's since Edge of Anarchy).

That Archbanker Tuttle was meeting with someone that same day to discuss throwing his support behind one of the candidate.

In the end the group decided to split up with Heidar the Paladin of Imadea and the ranger Raevor decided to head for the docks while the Rogue Falke. Steiner the Bard Abrada the Cleric and Sidic the mage decided to follow Tuttle.

Arriving at the Docks Heidar and Raevor saw that a sizable crowd of angry citizens had gathered and that out in the harbor a sleek Chelaxian warship was approaching.

They then spotted that Kassius Endrin was among the crowd and speaking passionately denouncing the Arvanxi family and Chelaxian interference in the cities matters. the Crowd already angry over Brom Arvanxis imminent arrival began to become enraged. Stepping in Heidar attempted to keep things from escalating out of control but failed to reach the crowd.

As the Chelaxian ship came along the pier the crowd began to pelt it with rocks and rotten fruit shouting out slogans against Cheliax and the Arvanxi. As the ship came to a halt a row of Hell Knights could be seen standing upon the deck.

But even the presence of the Hellknights was not enough to calm things down as Brom came on deck as well a group attempted to board the ship even tho Heidar and Raevor tried to hold them back.

The Hell Knights reacted swiftly drawing weapons and attacking the crowd. As things spun out of control the warship pulled away from the pier and out of reach and the harbor area was thrown into a riot.

Heidar and Raevor fought their way to a group of Korvosan city guards under attack by the mob and aided the in retreating.

Mean while the rest of the team set up a plan on how to keep an eye on Arch Banker Tuttle. With the Rogue planting a coin in the archbankers purse and the mage using Locate object to monitor his movements they finally found were the meeting was a catacomb deep under Korvosa.

There they found him discussing coming out in support of Lorda Korva.

After an initial offer a sizable sum of money was Rejected by Tuttle he came back with a counter offer. If Lord Korva could locate and hand over the Scales of Abadar a long lost religious Icon Tuttle would support him.

After Tuttle Left the group tracked Falco's Agent to a flophouse in the Shingles were he reported to another. The group was quite shocked to note that the Agent reported to a creature they identified as a Vampire Bearing a symbol they had seen before on the Vampire Spawn in Rakers alley (seven days to the grave). Deciding they needed more information they decided to monitor the vampire and the agent. And try and find out what was going on.

Returning to Neolandus after a night spent quelling the riots at the harbor the found him quite upset that they had not done as he asked in escorting Brom Arvanxi.

he revealed that he had hoped that by making sure nothing happened during Broms arrival he would have been able to politely reject the demands by the Chelaxian ambassador that Broms claim to the throne should be considered. But with The ship having been attacked the Chelaxian ambassador was furious making it impossible for Neolandus to reject their demands in this matter...

mrVergee i sent the email to ou via pm :)

The Shoanti will make an appearance. I am hoping to use that as the first test of the Ultimate campaign mass combat rules what forces will be available to Korvosa will in part depend on how the struggle for the crown is going.

The players did not do well in making friends among the Shoanti. While they managed to finish the ritual they barely scraped by on gaining the Shoanti's respect, and they did little to lower tensions between the shoanti and Korvosa in fact except for the Ulfan Bard (skald) i would say relations between the players and the Shoanti are pretty bad.

Mrvergee sorry i meant to post it earlier but i would love to get my hands on your notes :)

Rodrics claim to the Arabasti name is legitimate as far as it goes the problem arises from the fact that his line of the Arabasti family comes through his great grandfather a legalized bastard who ended up being disinherited. So while he has a strong claim it is by no means ironclad.

Lord Falco is like the ancient Uncle everyone has who's world views as so hidebound it causes embarrassment (he came about during Edge of Anarchy when i needed a High noble Npc for one of the players to meet, the
character was trying to convince nobles to put their personal house troops out on the street to quell the riots) needless to say Falco refused and stopped that plan cold quoting ancient precedent that the
noble families are not allowed to field their troops within the city
unless personally commanded to do so by the King or Queen.

Tels.

Yes one of my players does have an eye on the throne a minor noble and Paladin of Sarenae, quite the firebrand with a silver tongue, the group has already started work on putting his name forward..

Not that they haven't been approached as well by others hoping for their support :) something that has the groups bard in something of a sweat since he's being offered a princely sum to support Lord Falco.

Thank You MrVergee i will :)

as for how things are going the Queen met her fate yesterday and the group has began working on getting their hands on the throne in earnest.

Currently Senenchal Neolandus has been named Regent and rules along with a council with Marshal Kroft, Archbanker Darb Tuttle, Archmage Toff Ornelos, and 3 surviving members of the highest Korvosan noble families.

The first act of the Council has been to call for a Diet among the cities ruling families and influential organizations to choose a new king.

While Kroft favors them Neolandus has informed them that for now he remains neutral but if they can swing enough support their way he will come out in favor of them as well.

There are a number of people making a claim for the throne including a distant relative of the dead King Eodred Arabasti a Rodric Arabasti man known as a leader of a Fierce mercenary company. Rodric arrived in the city shortly after the players left for the final battle with Ileosa and helped Marshal Kroft and the Rebels clear the Queens forces out.

Queen Ileosa's half brother a Chelaxian with delusions of grandeur but surprisingly has support among a small segment of pro Chelaxian nobles and the Order of the Nail. The young mans arrival has been announced by the Chelaxian ambassador along with a stern warning that Chelaxia will take very dim view if anything happens to him while in Korvosa

The Academae has put forward a cousin of Archmage Toff Ornelos Dimitri Ornleos an accomplished mage and scholar.

Among the noble families of Korvosa two have support Lord Kassius Endrin a relative of the Dead Lord Marcus Endrin the slain leader of the Sable company. Kassius has the support of many of the Noble families and some of the cities poorest people but is viewed by others as a naive crusader

the other is Lord Falco Korva who can by round a bout ways trace his lineage to Field Marshal Jakthion Korvosa He has the support of most of the Noble families at the start.

So all in all there will be plenty of action for a while

Thanks :).

yes the list of titles and such if i use the ultimate campaign system would be quite different. And tbh the way im planning it the ultimate campaign will most likely take over once the Rp/adventuring part of convincing people they should be put in charge is done.

The City state of Korvosa would definetely be suffering from just about every bad event you can think of from Ultimate campaign and some extra ones as well so it will be a challenge to swing it back from the edge.

My group is close to the end of Curse. Last chapter to go.

They have expressed an interest in what happens when we defeat the queen,

and have been quietly pumping Marshal Kressida seneschial Neolandus and others about the possibility of them making a move for the throne.

I already have some ideas concerning what ill run a series of adventures aimed at convincing one or another group within the city to support them while dealing with a host of other potential claimants including Queen Ileosa's Chelaxian family and relatives of the Dead King.

But two of my players asked if i had considered using the kingdom rules from Ultimate campaign and i am wondering has anyone had experience of using that as a continuum of the Crimson throne campaign ?

And if so did you keep any handy stats around :)

Im running coct in a greyhawk setting i use the city of Atirr on the
east coast of the former Great kingdom ith the North kingdom in the role of Cheliax.

Bellport to the north is riddle port and the shonti are a tribe of flannae barbarians stuck in an area between the bone march and the Northern Kingdom. So far its fit in there well with only minor tweaks and fixes

Atirr became a free city when the Great kingdom fell appart and the North kingdom was to buzy staying alive to pick a fight with them.

Today Atirr remains free from the great kingdom by a mix of bribery and
hot foot diplomacy. if anyone wants the basic conversion notes i can send them in here.