Burrows and Badgers, Second Edition

Posted on May 19, 2025 by Mr G. Goblin under Burrows and Badgers

The much anticipated Burrows and Badgers second edition has arrived!

Well, it was released a few weeks ago but I’ve just recently got my copy. (Many thanks to my very understanding girlfriend who purchased it for my birthday.)

Anyway, I thought I’d share some initial impressions. Just a very quick overview and a run through of some of the bigger changes from the first edition rules.

For those who don’t know anything about the game, Burrows and Badgers is a 2 to 4-player table-top miniatures game where each participant controls a band of usually 2–10 anthropomorphic animals (mostly based on the smaller north European fauna) and sends them off on various quests, which will invariably result in vicious skirmishes with your opponents.

Ideally, the game is played as a campaign and at the end of each game, the warband and the characters make gains in wealth and skills and general prowess and also get to upgrade their den and purchase new equipment. But sometimes they are the victims of unfortunate events and sometimes their injuries simply require them to rest and recover. It essentially allows for character progression in the same way as a light role-playing game.

In some respects this game is similar to other table-top skirmish games but perhaps with the emphasis more on narrative than on competitive play, although the rules definitely allow for creative strategies and battlefield tactics. Any fans of the game, Mordheim, should feel very much at home with Burrows and Badgers. It contains the same level of quite brutal gameplay and dark humour but with a dollop of anthropomorphic whimsy – all in all quite an intoxicating mix.

I have been playing Burrows and Badgers on and off for a good few years now and it is without doubt one of my favourite, if not my all time favourite, table-top miniature games. I like pretty much everything about it – I like the scale of the game, like the theme of the game, I like the RPG elements of the game and I like the dark, gritty and crazy anthropomorphic animal world Michael Lovejoy has created as a setting.

I find the ethos of ‘Oathsworn miniatures’, the company run by Micheal and his wife Jo – their excellent customer service and engagement with fans of the game – to be unsurpassed. And I particularly love the fabulous and now very extensive range of miniatures designed by Michael. It’s just right up my alley.

I guess the fact that Northymbra, where the B&B action takes place, is a mythical version of northern England which also happens to be my neck of the woods is also a bit of a draw.

The first edition published by Osprey arrived in 2018 and I picked it up shortly after, and since then I’ve been playing the game fairly regularly.

Over time, as well as introducing new scenarios and adding some optional rules, I had begun to play around with the core rules a bit just in order to smooth some of the rougher edges and to speed the campaigns up just a little. Some of the changes I made I stuck with, others I didn’t, but Burrows and Badgers is one of those games that, because it’s not extremely competitive, you can have a lot of fun just tweaking rules or adding new ones of your own. It’s that kind of game.

So when Michael announced that a Second edition was in the pipeline, I had a few thoughts on changes that could possibly enhance the game. And it turned out I was not alone.
The game has quite a few dedicated enthusiasts and it was fantastic that Michael set up a Facebook group to allow discussion and play-testing of his new ideas for the game. It was great to see that he genuinely took on board the opinions of the players of the game who mostly seemed to be looking for an expansion of the rules and a general tidying up of certain aspects, rather than a wholesale change in the nature of the game.

Through a number of iterations Michael has arrived at a game that, although greater in scope, in its core rules still sticks fairly closely to the first edition. However, along with the smaller tweaks, there are a few more significant changes that I will discuss later.

My first predictions as to how the game might evolve were entirely wide of the mark. I thought, given its theme, there might be a move to make it slightly more child-friendly by reducing its complexity. But, although I think this version is a touch more accessible, this is not a game that has been dumbed down in any way. I think it is one of the more accessible of the hobby games out there but it will require some investment in time for anyone who wants to get the most out of it. I wouldn’t necessarily say that the game is particularly ‘crunchy’ but it has a depth that makes it eminently replayable with a whole array of exciting new permutations in this edition that players can get their teeth into.

Having said that, Burrows and Badgers is a game you can play in a variety of ways. If you want to play a simpler kid-friendly version it is entirely possible, but if you want the full granular B&B experience, that is definitely catered for.

Book Design

One of the things that instantly appealed to me about the first edition rules was the design of the rulebook – it looked and felt like a children’s storybook rather that a wargame manual and yet it had so much game content within its 130 pages that when I first read it I was completely astonished.

The new edition keeps to that aesthetic to some extent but unavoidably, because of the increased content – it is now 272 pages – it is a weightier and more visually dense tome than before, so it loses a little of that storybook feel.

Despite the increase on content, the layout of the book is clear, the rules are well structured and it is, I think on the whole, an improvement on the previous edition.

Michael Lovejoy is an excellent rules writer. He has a very clear jargon-free style of writing that is easy to follow and he does well to avoid frustrating ambiguities that can mar some game rules.

The concepts and mechanics are easy to understand and although readers will inevitably need to flip back and forth through the book from time to time as they get to grips with the game’s concepts, the main elements of the game are easily located.

Illustration

The most obvious difference in design in the new edition is perhaps the change of illustrator. I won’t dwell on this too much but I believe the artwork for the first book by the legendary Gary Chalk was much loved by many of us. Peter Johnston has illustrated this edition and he has done an excellent job and has certainly created images that feel more in line with Michael Lovejoy’s vision of the game, which is a little more ‘grown-up’ than the slightly cartoony style of Gary Chalk.

Still, one of the reasons I will be hanging on to my first edition of the rules is because of the fabulous Gary Chalk artwork, which is the very definition of the word ‘charming’!

A page spread from the First Edition. Artwork on the left by Gary Chalk.

Rules

Warbands

The first thing any player is required to do when starting a game of Burrows and Badgers is to create a warband.

So perhaps the first change that players will notice is that there are now considerably more options when it comes to choosing their band of brave or foolhardy adventurers, not only in the number of species available but also in the allegiances of the bands.

Whereas in the first edition, there were four allegiances, there are now ten possible allegiances to choose from. For example, you can now play as: Witch Hunters who hunt down heretics and dark magic users, often employing stag beetle grubs to aid them in their task; Routiers who are rag-tag bands of mercenaries made up of raw recruits and old campaigners; or even Undead warbands, lead by the unquiet souls of ancient champions or necromancers pursuing their own blasphemous schemes.

Each band comes with its own strengths, weaknesses and agendas. Also, they now come with their own list of rare starting equipment options, which further differentiates the bands.

The different allegiances each have their own Support Quests, which will allow them to win Experience and Fate points during the game by achieving certain objectives. This gives additional flavour to the warbands and different ways for them to advance.

Magic

Magic works in much the same way as in the previous edition. When setting up a warband any models can be given spells and become magic users with the usual penalty of Weak (1) and Delicate (1) for each spell they take.

The main difference in this edition is that spells can now be taken at no cost! (Apart from the Divine spells which cost 5 pennies each but do not cause any penalties.)

And as with most elements of the game, the number of spells to choose from has increased substantially. In the first edition there were 6 magical archetypes. Now there are 12 magical archetypes each with at least 6 spells to choose from, potentially leading to all kinds of magical mayhem on the battlefield.

Mechanics

When it comes to game mechanics, in this edition we have the introduction of Disastrous rolls. In the previous rules we had a mechanic called the Perfect roll, whereby a player who rolls the highest number on a die in a Roll-off gets to add +7 to the result, allowing smaller creatures to occasionally, and hilariously, deliver devastating blows to much larger ones. This rule is still there but now there is also the Disastrous roll, which is any roll of a natural 1 in a Roll-off. When this happens, in mitigation of the model’s bad luck, the model will instantly gain a Fate point.

And while we’re talking about Fate points, these now operate a bit differently to the previous edition. In the previous rules Fate points were pooled by the band to be used by any member. They are now assigned to each model – a maximum of 5 Fate points can be held by any model at a time.

Also the Fate points can now be used in a variety of ways. A Fate point can be spent to re-roll any dice roll. They can also be used to seize the initiative, allowing a model to get their activation in before their opponent. And they are now also used to trigger certain spells and skills.

An initiative Roll-off between the two leaders used to be the method of determining which side took the first turn. This roll can now be made between any two models in the opposing warbands. The Roll-off is now based on Nimbleness and the winner must use the model that won the initiative in their first activation.

This should lead to some interesting decision-making. You may want to use a particular model to take the first activation but they may be hampered by a low Nimbleness stat. This is when players will find themselves tempted to burn through the Fate points, using a model with a high Nimbleness stat to gain the first activation and then, as mentioned before, using Fate points to activate other models before the opponent does so. But, if the opponent also decides to use Fate points to steal initiative, then we’re back to Roll-offs to determine who goes first!

Actions

One of the biggest changes in this edition is that instead of each activating model having one Action coupled with an optional movement, we now have a system that allows a model two Actions per activation. A model may choose to make two identical Actions during their activation but will suffer a –2 modifier on any associated Roll-offs in the second Action.

The types of Action available to a model have increased from 6 to 11. Move is now a separate Action and in addition to the previous Actions of Attack, Shoot, Cast, and Search, we now have: Focus, Barge, Charge, Guard, Sneak and Interact. The Hide Action has been removed, essentially being replaced by the Sneak Action.

I’ve been using a double Action system in my B&B games for a little while now so this, for me, is a simple and sensible change.

I won’t cover the details of each of the Actions here but I hope to make a separate post in the future that will run though them all.

Conditions

This is not so much a rule change as a change in presentation. The Conditions are a list of some of the most common effects and how they impact models. There are 6 conditions. They are: Sneaking, Beserk, Stunned, Paralysed, Burning and Blinded.

The introduction of a list of common conditions brings the rules into line with a lot of other tabletop games and RPGs and generally tidies things up a bit.

Objectives

The introduction of objectives into the game is an interesting one. Now, each warband must place 3 objective markers onto the table according to deployment rules. These objectives can sometimes be used by the opposing bands to gain extra Fate or Experience points. For example, The Kindred allegiance can scout out (interact with) enemy objectives to gain Fate and Experience and Routiers can gain Fate points by keeping in contact with their own objectives and keeping the enemy away from them.

At first I regarded this as an unnecessary complication and I’m still not sure about it although I can see that it has the potential for expanding the tactical options during games. I’m looking forward to see how this works in practice over a whole campaign, and, to be honest, if it does become a distraction from the main scenario objectives then it would probably be easy enough just to play the game without them.

Post-Battle Phase

The post-battle phase of the game is the bit that happens between the actual skirmishes when animals can assess their damage, go on errands and make purchases, readying themselves for the next encounter.

A number of changes have been made to this phase and, in my opinion, all for the better. In general, the whole phase is a great deal more streamlined and easier to manage with some new and interesting choices to be made.

The main changes to this phase from the first edition is in the areas of Experience, Recovery, Off-Duty options, Hiring and the acquiring of Rare Items.

Experience

Experience that has been earned is allocated to each model. No model can have more than five Experience points and once a model has acquired their five points they may spend them in the Post-Battle phase by rolling on the Advance Table. When using the Advance table the result will depend on the Warband’s Archetype. So, Cunning Folk Advances are weighted towards Cunning skills, Warriors towards Fighting skills, etc.

Off-Duty

There are now four Off-Duty tasks available: Labour, Train, Wander and Rest.

Labour works in the same way as in the last edition and allows models to earn Labour points that can be spent on den upgrades that will enhance their band’s capabilities.

Train is a new option that simply gains the model +1 Experience point.

Rest, allows some minor injuries to be ignored.

The Wandering option has been expanded in this edition. We now have a very neat ‘push-your-luck’ system whereby a model can choose to wander alone or in company, either Locally for low risk and low reward, Farther Afield for medium risk and medium reward or Into the Wilds for high risk and high reward.

Models that wander as a group can modify the result rolled on the random tables and therefore mitigate some of the risk, but any rewards (and penalties) will only be applied to one designated model.

This system is a really nice development from the single table in the previous edition and gives the players some decisions to make and a greater range of possible results.

Recovery

The Recovery rules now allow for a band to maintain a Pension that is added to by an external benefactor when models receive injuries. The Pension can be drawn from (up to 50 pennies) when a model dies or is retired.

This is simply a neat device that helps prevent your band running out of members as the casualties mount up!

In this edition of the rules, all models that have ended the game with wounds will need to check whether they have suffered an injury.

Also there is now a Minor Injury table for those models that have received lighter damage. Some of these wounds can be ignored if the model decides to Rest in the post-battle phase, which I think is a particularly nice touch.

Note: there is an error on the Major Injury chart: Enfeebled should cause Weak (1) and not Delicate (1).

Hire

The system for hiring new models to your band remains essentially the same except models can now be hired at half their cost but will come with the innate Unreliable skill which may mean they run off halfway though a battle. You get what you pay for!

Trade

Trading, as in the first edition, allows models to buy and sell equipment in the general store. The main difference is the increase in the number of items available to you. Deciding which items to purchase is now going to be a trickier task!

Rare items can be obtained using a simple system of an availability dice roll. Only six availability rolls are permitted by a band per post-battle phase.

As in the last edition, rare items that are available can be bought for a price randomly generated by a dice roll.

Those are the main changes I can see in the post-battle part of the game. And although the changes are not massive, on the whole this feels to me like a more intuitive and entertaining set of procedures than in the first edition. In the past, the between-game admin could sometimes become a bit cumbersome. I think there is less chance of that happening with these new rules.

Quests

I’m not going to go into any depth about the Quests, or scenarios, available to you in this edition, other than to say, as with the other areas, the number of options has increased significantly.

There are now 20 main quests and around 40 side quests available to play. So it’s highly unlikely that anyone will be complaining about a lack of options in this area.

On top of this it should be remembered that there are also the allegiance specific Support Quests to attempt as well.

Appendix

In the appendix, there are some optional rules, including rules for mercenaries and war machines that may be nice add-ons for more experienced players.

Some long-time players may be disappointed that some of the optional rules that have appeared in editions of the Oathsworn Journal (rules for weather, rules for the cave bear, etc.) have not been included here but I think it would be churlish to complain about a few bits of missing content in what is an impressively content-rich set of rules.

Roster Sheets

Finally there are some nicely designed roster sheets in the back of the book for copying, that will be required to track all the details of your warband and your den.

I notice that there is no allotted space to note down the size of your models, so you might have to squeeze that in somewhere. Otherwise they seem to cover most of the information that you’ll need to refer to during a gaming session, although details of spells and skills will need to be noted elsewhere given the limited space.

The sheets are also sensibly available as a download.

Conclusions

So, that is my quick run though of the new rules highlighting the main changes. My first impressions are almost entirely positive and I can’t wait to see these rules in action. With the increased popularity of the game, I am anticipating a lot more Burrows and Badgers content appearing on social media so I will be curious to see other people’s opinions especially from those who are new to the game.

Meanwhile, I will, when time permits, post my thoughts on the game as I delve further into the myriad of new options available to us in this edition. But I really can’t see anything that would dissuade me from my current view that this edition is an excellent piece of work from Michael Lovejoy and the publishing team at Osprey.

PS. Also, thanks to Michael for the credit in the book for my very small contribution in providing some feedback on some of the initial drafts of these rules. Cheers!

Burrows and Badgers Second Edition can be bought from Oathsworn miniatures.

Back to Bases

Posted on February 25, 2024 by Mr G. Goblin under Modelling and Painting, Other Stuff, Warhammer

So, it seems that everyone is dusting down their Warhammer Fantasy Battle armies and mustering them for action on the battlefields of the Old World. It’s all quite exciting.

I got my copy of the rules a few weeks ago and have been wading through it, trying to evaluate whether it is going to be worth the time and effort to reactivate my small but much-loved forces – Skaven, Dwarfs, Goblins and a few odds and ends from other factions.

Some of the rules have got me hankering to start rolling the dice again, others have left me a little perplexed – more of that at a later date, perhaps.
Weighing up the pros and cons of hobby gaming in the Old World and watching other players on various social media platforms getting their dusty old armies out of storage, I do feel I’m beginning to get swept up in the general enthusiasm for the game.

Of course, one of the main barriers to getting an Old World army together for someone who is determined to use the models they’ve got, rather than being subjected to the considerable expense and inconvenience of starting from scratch again, is the issue of the increased base sizes for many of the models, from 20mm to 25mm.

Re-basing all my individual models was never going to be an attractive option, having neither the time or inclination for such a mind-numbing undertaking. Using conversion movement trays seemed like the way forward but while there are many companies now producing these trays, I began wondering (inevitably!) if I could come up with a low cost, and possibly better, solution to the base size issue.

I now think I’ve come up with something that will do the job nicely.
I am taking advantage of the fact that I have magnets attached to the bases of most of my minis and am using a method based on the display trays I have made for my Burrows and Badgers miniatures.
I’ve written my method here for anyone who might be interested to do the same. I realise that this is not going to be an ideal or ‘low-cost’ option for everyone, but for anyone with minis with magnetised bases and a supply of suitable card and other crafting materials this might be the solution you’re looking for.

So if you would like to know how I created reasonably attractive and functional movement trays with a low investment in time and cost then read on …

INGREDIENTS

Stiff card
I use backing board from drawing pads or similar. Suitable craft card can be bought online at a reasonable price.

Paper templates
I have created a PDF of a grid that you can use for movement trays of various sizes. You will also require a printer (obviously!) in order to use this.

movement-tray-template Download

Tin can lids

Magnets
If you do not have magnets attached to the bases of your minis I would suggest buying 4mm diameter x 2mm thick neodymium magnets. You will require some epoxy glue or a glue gun to secure either the magnet to the base or a piece of tin lid to the base on which to place the magnet (more info below).

PVA glue

Craft knife and sharp scissors

For decoration
Acrylic paint or other suitable paint. Sponge and/or brushes for applying the paint. Flock, of your preferred type, or fine sawdust.

METHOD

Step 1

Print out the template and cut out an area equal to the desired size of your tray.

TIP: I prefer to use smaller trays which I can push together to form larger units. This allows for greater flexibility when manoeuvring and also means that when my units, inevitably, suffer multiple casualties, I can remove trays from the rear ranks as they become surplus to requirements.

Step 2

Stick the paper to the card stock with PVA glue making sure that is well stuck.

Step 3

Once the glue has dried, trim the card to the edges of the template with a craft knife or scissors.

Step 4

Take the tin lids and cut them VERY carefully, avoiding the sharp edges, into small pieces that will fit comfortably within the inner squares of the template.

Glue the pieces of metal down with PVA glue into the smaller squares then, when dry, cut another piece of the paper template to the same size and glue it over the first sheet, sandwiching the glued pieces of tin lid between the two sheets. Allow to dry.

TIP: Check that the metal you are using has enough iron content for the magnets to attach firmly. I’ve found that some tins are made with metal with a low iron content that won’t attract magnets, so it’s definitely worth checking before you glue them onto the tray.

Step 5

Once dry, you can paint and decorate the tray in which ever way suits your army.
I paint the tray with budget green paint from a discount stationery store then I’ll glue a bit of fine grit into each of the squares to represent muddy patches. This adds a bit of interest and makes it easier to see how many models will fit on the tray.

When dry, I add flock round the edges and along the gridlines.

I always – and you may not feel this is necessary – overpaint the flock with more acrylic paint and then when that’s dry, I drybrush highlights to accentuate the grass. I’ve always done this with bases to prevent the flock shedding over the course of many boisterous battles!

TIP: I have started to use chalk pastel to help represent dirt and mud on trays and bases. I simple apply a couple of shades of brown directly onto the painted surface and then blend the pastel into the grass with an old paintbrush. It’s very quick to do and the result is quite effective.

Having completed the above steps you should have ended up with a functional and visually acceptable conversion tray that will hold your magnetised minis securely in place.

If you have not put magnets on your minis but are considering doing so, I would advise not to stick the magnet directly to the base as I have done in the past. Instead glue a small piece of metal on the underside of the base with a hot glue gun or epoxy glue. You can then place the magnet onto the metal strip. This method allows you to swap magnets from model to model as they are required, meaning you don’t have to buy so many in the first place – kinder on your pocket and on the environment.

Conclusion

So, that is my new movement tray method.
One of the advantages of using trays like this, rather than trays that have ‘compartments’ for each model, is that you can use the same trays for 20mm and 25mm based models which can be really handy if you have a mixture of both.

This is also a reasonable method for extending individual base sizes – useful for skirmishers.

Of course, I could better integrate the models with the movement trays by painting the edges of all my mini bases green but given the potential tedium of that task, it’s not something I’m thinking of doing any time soon!

Ready for Action!

Posted on May 27, 2023 by Mr G. Goblin under Burrows and Badgers, Other Stuff, Rule Notes

I’m not sure how appropriate the title of this post is, given the amount of inaction that has been evident on this blog for some time, but I’ve been inspired to re-awaken the Greasy Goblin partly because I’ve been wanting to get some more Burrows and Badgers gaming underway and also I’ve been prompted by the news that Michael Lovejoy is in the early stages of writing a new edition of the rulebook, likely to be published in 2025.

So, changes are afoot when it comes to the core B&B rules and in itself, that’s no bad thing. There are areas in the current rulebook, brilliant though it is, that probably require a bit of tidying up. How far that tidying up will go and whether we will end up with a new set of rules very different from what we have now, remains to be seen. In the end, It’s entirely up to Michael. But we already know he has a track record of writing some really great rules and is happy to consult with current players of the game for feedback during the writing process, so I think it all bodes well. I wish him all the best in what is likely to be at times a difficult endeavour and I’m excited to see what comes out of it.

No set of rules is ever going to entirely suit everyone and one of the great things with B&B is that the rules offer a level of flexibility that makes tweaking the odd thing here and there very easy indeed. I have made quite a few, mostly minor, tweaks over the years I’ve been playing, but one of the areas where I think the changes I’ve made have been particularly successful is in introducing a Two-Actions-per-Activation system. So, you can imagine, I was heartened to hear that Michael is considering introducing such a system in the new rulebook.

I have never really documented the way I like to play the game, partly because I know there’s a good chance I’m going to make further changes at some point down the line – just can’t leave things alone! Still, this seems like as good a time as any to give a quick run-through of how I currently implement Actions in Burrows and Badgers.

Initiative Phase

Prior to the Action Phase is the Initiative Phase. I have made only one minor change to the procedure that is set out on the rules and I’ll mention it because it’s relevant to one of the Actions. It is:

All models are able to change weapons in the Initiative Phase.

There’s no need for players to do anything at all here. It just means that if a model was using a particular weapon last turn, they may use a different one in this turn.

Action Phase

All models are activated in turn, starting with the player who won Initiative. Models may make any TWO Actions per Activation. The players may opt to have a model make one or no Actions if they wish but should declare how many Actions they intend to take when the model is activated.
Here is a list of the 10 Actions we play with:

MOVE, CLIMB, JUMP, ATTACK, SHOOT, CAST SPELL, SEARCH, HIDE, ACT, READY.

For a simpler game or for newcomers to the game, it is fine to play just using the first 6 Actions (MOVE, CLIMB, JUMP, ATTACK, SHOOT, CAST SPELL).

I’ll go through each of the Actions in turn.

MOVE

A model cannot move between enemy models, or an enemy model and impassible terrain, if the base of the model is wider than the gap between the two.
Models may not move into contact with Hidden models.

Moving on standard terrain: Move = Maximum number on the Movement die.
Moving on difficult terrain: Move = Movement die roll.

Moving from standard terrain to difficult terrain: Roll Move die when entering difficult terrain and deduct distance already moved.
Moving from difficult terrain to standard terrain: Model may only move as far as die roll.

Moving over Obstacles (low terrain that is less than 2” wide – hedges, walls, etc.)
Roll the Movement die and deduct the distance already moved in this Action and if the result is less than 2 then the model may not move over the obstacle.

NB. Models can be turned to face any direction at any time.

Examples and Explanations

Jenny Pinepaw has a Movement stat of 6. She uses a MOVE Action to move 2″ to the edge of difficult terrain, then rolls the Movement die (D6) and deducts the distance already moved (2″). After rolling a 4 she moves 2″ into the rough terrain (4–2 = 2″) and ends her Action.

Jenny Pinepaw makes another MOVE Action. Because she is in difficult terrain she rolls her Movement die (D6) to see how far she can move. She rolls a 2 and moves 2″ from the rough terrain onto the standard terrain and ends her Action.

In this Action Jenny wants to move over the hedge obstacle. She moves 2″ and then rolls her movement die (D6). She rolls a 3 and deducts the distance already moved (3–2 = 1). 1″ is not enough to get her over the hedge so she must stay where she is.
She then makes another MOVE Action. She rolls her movement die and gets a 3 which is enough to get her safely over the hedge. She has performed 2 Actions, so her Activation ends.

CLIMB

When climbing standard terrain (e.g. steep steps, ladder): The maximum distance a model can climb is equal to their Nimbleness stat.
When climbing difficult terrain (e.g. ruin, cliff, tree): The maximum distance a model can climb is equal to a Nimbleness die roll. If a model has a rope and hook then they can treat difficult terrain as standard terrain when climbing.
Climbing Actions up a sheer face (e.g. building): This cannot be executed unless the model has a rope and hook. Such a climb is always classed as being on difficult terrain.

Models may not fire a 2-handed weapon when climbing unless they have reached a point where they can stand, i.e. they can’t shoot when halfway up a rope.

Stagger
A model suffering a wound within 1” of an edge or while climbing may fall if they fail a Nimbleness Roll-off, against a Target of 2. A falling model loses Wounds equal to double the height of the fall (no Armour modifiers).

Examples and Explanations

For the Stagger rule, I have reduced the target from 3 to 2 so that models aren’t unduly penalised for climbing.

Herbert Crump is a squirrel with a Nimbleness stat of 8, so he can climb 8″ of standard terrain. The ladders are 4″ high so Herbert can easily reach the top.

To scale this sheer tower wall, Herbert will need a rope and hook. Luckily he remembered to bring one. The terrain is difficult so he rolls his Nimbleness die (D8) and rolls a 3 and he climbs 3″ for his CLIMB Action. He will not be able to use a 2-handed weapon until he reaches the top.

JUMP

To jump down or jump across requires a Nimbleness Roll-off against the distance to jump.
+2 modifier if jumping across a gap and the model has made a move of at least 2” towards the launch point.
Success: Land safely. The model may immediately make a free move equal to their Movement minus the distance jumped.
Fail: Fall! The model loses Wounds equal to double the height of the fall (no Armour modifiers) and the Action ends.

Examples and Explanations

Flora Fleetpaw needs to get down from her vantage point in a hurry. She makes a JUMP Action by making a Roll-off of her Nimbleness (D6) against the distance to jump (3″). She rolls a 5 so she successfully jumps down and can then move up to 5″ on the ground as part of her JUMP Action (Movement (8″) minus distance jumped (3″) = 5″).

By allowing the model to move as part of a successful JUMP Action, we can simulate the speed advantage of jumping. There is obviously a risk associated with a jump but if you need to get somewhere in a hurry, in most cases, jumping down is faster than climbing down.

Flora Fleetpaw Makes a MOVE Action towards the fast-flowing stream. She then makes a JUMP Action to get across it. She rolls off her Nimbleness die (D6) against the distance to jump (4″) adding +2 to the roll because her last Action was a move of more than 2″ towards the jump. Unfortunately she rolls a 1 which is not enough for her to clear the water (1+2 = 3). She’s not up a height so she doesn’t suffer any wounds for falling but her Action ends in the stream.

The +2 modifier is to simulate the advantage gained by taking a ‘run up’ before making a jump.

ATTACK

An ATTACK Action is permitted if the model is in base contact with an enemy.
Roll-off attacker’s Strike against defender’s Block (apply modifiers). If the attacker wins, the defending model marks off a number of wounds equal to the difference between the rolls.
+2 modifier if the model has moved more than 2” directly towards the enemy in this Activation.
+1 modifier for Strikes and Blocks if fighting from higher ground than your opponent.
–2 modifier for Strikes and Blocks if fighting without a weapon (Unarmed).

Pushback
If an attacker wounds their opponent then the opponent may be pushed directly back, up to 1”. If it is not possible for the model to move back because it is hemmed in, then the model receives an extra wound.

Outnumbering
If a defender is in contact with more than one enemy, then the defender suffers a –2 Block penalty for each additional enemy in contact with them.

Moving out of combat
If a model moves out of contact by more than 2” in one Action, then any or all of the models that were in contact can make a ‘free’ attack Action. They make their Strike Roll-off against the defender’s Nimbleness.
(A model can make a MOVE Action (less than 2”) followed by another MOVE Action to disengage with an enemy.)

Examples and Explanations

Wild Billy makes a MOVE Action to join his comrades in a fight against a ferocious badger. His second Action is an ATTACK Action. He makes a Strike Roll-off against the badger’s Block. Billy adds +2 to his roll because he moved more than 2″ towards the enemy in his last Action. The Badger must deduct –4 from his roll because he is outnumbered by 2 models (–2 plus –2). The badger loses the Roll-off and is wounded. Billy pushes his adversary back and because the badger is hemmed in by a model on the other side, it suffers another wound!

It is usually a good idea to push your opponent back if you are Attacking as your second Action. This means your opponent will usually have to use a MOVE Action before they can attack you when it comes to their Activation, meaning you don’t end up suffering two attacks against you!
The +2 modifier for moving towards the enemy is to simulate the power and momentum of a charge.

I have made the Outnumbering rule a bit more powerful than in the published rules so that smaller beasts have a greater chance of taking down larger ones through weight of numbers. For the same reason I have reduced the effect of The Melee Master Skill – I have it so it now reduces the modifier to –1 rather than eliminating it.

Hettie Slugg batters Wild Billy from higher ground and gains a +1 modifier to her Strike roll. Because they are less than an inch apart vertically, the models are considered to be adjacent.

SHOOT

The shooter must have at least partial line of sight to a target that is within range. The model may not shoot if within 2” of any enemy.
NB. An obstacle does not block line of sight if the active model is in contact with it.
Roll-off shooter’s Ranged stat against the target’s Nimbleness (with modifiers).
+2 modifier to Roll-off if shooter makes no other Action other than READY.
–1 modifier if there is only partial line of sight to target and –1 if target is within terrain that gives cover.
+1 modifier if Shooting from higher ground than your target.

If the target is in contact with one or more models, then first roll D6: on 1–2 shot has hit one of the other models (determine which one randomly, i.e. assign die rolls to models; lowest number is hit).

Misfire
If a Black Powder weapon is fired and a 1 is rolled then the weapon cannot be used for the rest of the game.

Examples and Explanations

I think any rules for shooting very much depend on the terrain that you are using in your games. For me, terrain that gives cover includes terrain that does not necessarily block line of sight but could probably provide cover from ranged attack. Examples are: rough ground, bodies of water or fields of crops. So a targeted model that is in rough ground and is partially hidden by a tree would result in the shooter receiving a –1 modifier for the rough ground and a –1 modifier for partial line of sight.

I have heard concerns about the use of the Fast Shot skill with a two-Action system, with models potentially getting 4 shots in a turn. I address this by changing the wording on the skill slightly so that the shooter gets to fire twice in one Action, once per turn, giving them a maximum of 3 shots in an activation.

NB. The higher ground modifier is useful in encouraging players to take advantage of the terrain that you’ve spent so long lovingly crafting!

Flora Fleetpaw takes aim at an enemy Hare. She gains a +1 modifier for being on high ground and, as this is the only Action she is taking, she also gains +2. But the hare is in terrain that gives cover (–1) and she only has partial line of sight (–1) . So, in total, she gains a +1 modifier (+1 plus +2 plus –1 plus –1 = +1).

Flora has moved up to the wall for her first Action and is going to SHOOT as her second Action. There will be no modifiers in this Action.

CAST SPELL

A model may not cast a ranged spell at a target if it is in contact with an enemy, but it may cast a spell without range and can always cast a spell upon itself.
Spells can be cast on friendly hidden models.

Roll-off caster’s Presence or Fortitude stat (depending on spell type) against the spell target.
+2 modifier to Roll-off if caster makes no other Action other than READY.
–1 modifier if there is only partial line of sight to target and –1 if target is within terrain that gives cover.
–1 modifier for each armour Tough bonus the caster is receiving.

If the spell causes wounds and the target is in contact with one or more models, then first roll D6: on 1–2 the spell has hit one of the other models (determine which one randomly, i.e. assign die rolls to models; lowest number is hit).

Examples and Explanations

Jenny Pinepaw has the spells, Cure and Lightning. She backs away 1″ from the enemy beaver. She can now attempt to cast a Cure spell on a friendly model within range or on herself, or maybe a Lightening spell on the beaver. If she had remained in contact, then she would only have been able to cast a Cure spell on herself.

SEARCH

Searching for a hidden item
The model must be in contact with terrain to be searched. The model must not be in contact with an enemy.
Roll-off Awareness against the target of the hidden object (plus modifiers).
+1 modifier for each previous successive action spent searching.
+1 modifier for each friendly model who has searched the terrain in that turn.
Targets:
Easily spotted: 3
Concealed: 5
Well hidden: 7
Cunningly disguised: 9

Searching for a hidden enemy
The searching model must be within line of sight or within 6” of the hidden model.
Roll-off Awareness against target’s Concealment (plus modifiers).
+2 modifier if model has full line of sight to target.
+2 modifier if target has made any Action this turn other than HIDE, ACT or READY.
+1 modifier if model has only partial line of sight to target.
+1 modifier for each friendly model (including searcher) within 6” of target.
+1 if on higher ground than target.

If the hidden model is found, they break cover (are no longer hidden) and can be targeted as usual.

The hidden enemy is automatically found (is no longer hidden) if an opposing model ends an Action within 6” and in full line of sight of the target model.

Examples and Explanations

This is probably the most complex of the Actions but I think it is fairly intuitive.
The higher ground modifier makes sense to me and, once again, gives players an incentive to use vertical terrain.

NB. A hidden model can still be found even if they can’t be seen. Animals generally have very sensitive senses of smell and hearing!

Mad-Eye Mary uses an Action to SEARCH for a cache of treasure in the old tree stump. This is her third successive Action spent searching and her toad friend has also made a search this turn, so she gets to add a +3 modifier to her search roll.

Charlie Chopper is making a SEARCH Action to uncover a concealed toad that hid last turn. Charlie has partial line of sight to the toad (+1) and is also within 6″ (+1) and so gets to add a +2 modifier to his SEARCH roll.

Charlie is again searching for a toad. This time he is on high ground (+1), has partial line of sight (+1) and there is a friendly model within 6″ of the target (+1). Also the toad made a MOVE Action this turn before his HIDE Action, so Charlie can add another +2 giving him a total modifier of +5 to his search roll. It is unlikely the toad will stay hidden for long!

Charlie ends a MOVE Action with full line of sight to a hidden toad within 6″. The toad is no longer hidden!

HIDE (Go to Ground*)

Models making a HIDE action must be at least 6” from the enemy and touching terrain that gives cover.
They remain hidden until they perform an Action other than, HIDE, ACT or READY.
Hidden models cannot be targeted except by friendly magic users. They also count as being ‘ready to Ambush’.

Ambush
An Ambush can be performed if the model was hidden at the start of their Activation and is targeting a model within line of sight.
An ambusher may only make one Ambush in their Activation.
If an ambusher attacks or shoots at the target model in their Activation then Roll-off Concealment (with modifiers) against the target’s Awareness.
+2 if no enemy model (other than target) is within 12” of ambusher.
–1 for each enemy model within 6” of Target.

If the Roll-off fails then resolve ATTACK/SHOOT Action as normal.
If successful, then the target may not make a Block or Nimbleness roll to defend.

Examples and Explanations

* ‘Go to ground’ is a term that Micheal Lovejoy came up with and is probably a more accurate description of this action – the beast is just getting low to the ground and skulking, to reduce its visibility. It does not need to be completely out of sight to be hidden.
An ‘at least 6” from enemy’ limitation to perform the HIDE Action seems sensible to me.
The Ambush modifiers are designed to simulate the chances of one of the targeted model’s comrades spotting the ambusher and alerting the targeted model.

Salty Sue, the otter, is hidden at the start of her Activation. She makes a SHOOT Action as her first Action and makes an Ambush Roll-off with a +2 modifier because there are no other enemies within 12″. The Roll-off is a success and the surprised beaver is unable to make a Nimbleness roll to defend himself against the shot. Sue then uses her second Action to HIDE again.

Sue is once again hidden at the start of her Activation. She makes a MOVE Action to make contact with the weasel and them makes an Ambush Roll-off but with a modifier of –1 because there is another enemy within 6″ of the target. She still manages to win the Roll-off so the weasel is unable to Block when Sue makes an ATTACK Action as her second Action.

ACT (Interact*)

The model must not be in contact with an enemy.
You can use an ACT Action to load a slow-loading weapon, drink a potion, apply blade poison, swap a weapon, etc.

Examples and Explanations

* Michael Lovejoy has suggest an ‘Interact’ action that provides a similar function. (‘Interact’ is probably a less confusing name than ‘Act’!)

ACT is a bit of a catch-all Action that can be used as players see fit. If players want to introduce a loading action for slow-loading weapons they can utilise the ACT Action; if they decide it would be more realistic for a model to take an Action to apply a blade poison, then they can use ACT. Obviously, players should decide on what the ACT Action covers before playing the game.

I have found the Action useful as an ‘equip’ or ‘swap weapon’ Action. Here’s how I use it:
A model that has used a ranged weapon or cast a spell during their Activation is considered to be Unarmed for the remainder of the turn unless they use an ACT Action to arm themselves with a close combat weapon.

Flora makes a SHOOT Action as her first Action and then uses an ACT Action to equip herself with a sword so if the otter moves and attacks, she will not suffer a –2 modifier for being Unarmed.

READY

A model can take the READY Action as their first Action and then pass play to their opponent.
The ‘ready’ model may take their second Action after any opposing model has made an Action – it does not have to wait until the end of the opposing model’s Activation. If the opposing model wants to take a second Action, it must do it after the ‘ready’ model has finished theirs.
An ambusher who is interrupted by a ‘ready’ model before they make a second Action will not be able to make an Ambush Roll-off against that model.
Models who have made a READY Action must take, or forfeit, their second Action before the turn ends.

Examples and Explanations

This Action is very much optional but can be good fun to include. It’s useful for dealing with a charging enemy or for making a dash to safety. It’s a good idea to use counters, either on the table or on the character sheets, to record which models are Ready.

An otter is out of sight and waiting to engage Flora to prevent her from shooting. Flora Activates first and performs the READY Action, then passes play to the opponent. The otter makes his first MOVE Action towards the fox. Flora is ‘ready’ and so can now make a SHOOT Action before the otter reaches her. She receives a +2 modifier to her roll because she has not made another Action other than READY.

So, that’s my preferred way of using Actions … for now. In writing this down I can already see room for potential improvements. Maybe a beast who is pushed back and hemmed in should receive an extra D4 wounds rather than 1? Maybe we need to allow models with polearms to attack models that are not in base contact?

Rules for tabletop games are often a balance between realism and playability, and where you draw that line is very much a matter of personal taste. Of course, we can stick to the rules as they are are written and we still have a great game, but for me, the ease with which we can customise them is a great plus point. It will be interesting to see how the new rules shape up but regardless of which direction they take us I already know that Burrows and Badgers is a game that I’m intending to be playing for years to come.

A Grave Business

Posted on January 1, 2023 by Mr G. Goblin under Burrows and Badgers, Reports, Skirmish Reports

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The conditions are right for a night of lucrative grave robbing and two rogue warbands have their eyes on the burial site at Gibbet Hill.
Many ancient graves are on that hill and there could be rich pickings to be had once the sun goes down. Yes, there is the risk of disturbing vengeful grave wraiths but the rewards are well worth the potential danger. It’s just going to be a case of getting to the graves first or, if that fails, preventing the enemy running off with the loot.

Set-up

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The Black Maggot Gang (defenders)

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Tommy Cobblers (Leader, wild cat)
Eddie Maggot (Second, starling)
Willy Swindle (stoat)
Venoma Blackwyrm (adder)

The Rusty Hook Slayers (attackers)

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Bonnie Scarface (Leader, fox)
Luteus Longbody (Second, otter)
Billy Blackeye (weasel)
Timmy Sprout (mouse)

This is my own scenario, originally written for Halloween but now with a few modifications. It’s essentially a treasure hunting scenario with the additional danger of randomly appearing wraiths.

A PDF of the rules can be downloaded here.

P.S. Apologies for the poor quality of some of the photos. Not much light around at this time of year!

Turn 1

The Rusty Hook Slayers start proceedings with Timmy Sprout the mouse who advances and hides.
Luteus the Otter spots Eddie Maggot searching a grave and casts a fiery blast spell at the bird. The blast blackens the feathers of the surprised starling.
Billy Blackeye, the weasel, cradles his blunderbuss and moves forwards and hides.
Bonnie Scarface, the leader of the Rusty Hooks, reaches a grave and immediately starts digging but fails to find any treasure this turn.
Venoma Blackwyrm of the Black Maggots slithers forwards and hides behind the graveyard wall.
Tommy Cobblers, a burly wild cat and leader of the gang, claws his way through the dirt at the first gravestone he comes to. Success! The cat immediately pockets five pennies.

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Willy Swindle the Stoat scrambles up a ruined stone structure to gain a vantage point from which he can use his caliver.

(I always give a +1 modifier to any model shooting or attacking from an elevated position. I feel it makes sense to give an advantage to those on higher ground and goes some way to offset the danger of falling.)

The night gets off to a shaky start for Eddie Maggot as a grave wraith suddenly appears at the grave he is defiling. The evil spirit chills the starling rogue with its unearthly aura, severely weakening him.

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Turn 2

Timmy Sprout searches a grave for loot but fails to find anything.

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Luteus, again, targets Eddie with his fiery blast spell leaving the unlucky bird severely wounded.
Eddie makes use of his healing potion and flies away from the grave ghast and the incendiary powers of the enemy otter to what he hopes will be a safer place to look for treasure.
Billy Blackeye makes it to a grave but rather than dig in the dirt, decides to take a shot at Eddie Maggot with his blunderbuss. Eddie is seriously thinking that he should have stayed home tonight!
Venoma casts a blast of magical flame at the weasel in retaliation.
Bonnie’s search for treasure remains fruitless and she takes a nasty shot from Willie Swindle’s caliver.
Tommy Cobblers moves onto another grave and begins another dig.
Another ghast arises, this time in front of Bonnie Scarface. She suffers the pernicious effects of the spectre’s proximity.

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Finally, the ghast that had previously attacked Eddie now moves to inflict damage on Billy Blackeye.

The ghasts seem determined to keep their gold from the grave robbers!

Turn 3

Tommy Cobblers, the only one having any success with his grave robbing, finds another five pennies in a grave.
Bonnie Scarface, on the other hand, is unlucky enough to be shot again by Willy Swindle. This time the shot is enough to take the Rusty Hook’s leader out of action and puts an end to her night of treasure hunting!

(In future I may opt to restrict line of sight to more accurately reflect the murky night-time setting for this scenario. This would prevent long-range shots such as Willy’s.)

Venoma, spotting Billy Blackeye hiding behind a tree preparing to take a shot at Eddie, casts another blast of flame at him, and incinerates the blunderbuss toting weasel.

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Typically, Eddie’s reprieve is short-lived as he is attacked by two grave wraiths and is finally overpowered by the forces of the undead.

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Timmy Sprout manages to extract some treasure from the grave he was searching but looks in imminent danger of a ghast attack. Luckily for the mouse, the wraith dematerialises before it reaches him.

The Rusty Hooks now have five pennies and the Black Maggots have ten pennies. Bonnie, Billy and Eddie are out of action.

Turn 4

Having removed any immediate threats, Venoma Blackwyrm slithers over the graveyard wall to search for treasure.
Willy also attempts to join the search for treasure but falls (perhaps as a result of his penchant for Black Weasel Strong Ale) as he descends from the roof of the old ruins. While lying prone on the ground, he is attacked by a grave ghast and is injured further.

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Tommy Cobblers sprints away from the advancing wraiths that have finished off Eddie Maggot.
Luteus, with help from Timmy, discovers some treasure – five pennies worth of grave gold.
However, their joy is short lived, as one grave ghast appears where they’ve been digging and another one bears down on them.

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This is too much for the two remaining members of the Rusty Hooks and they drop their treasure and run from the burial site.

The Black Maggot Gang also decide to end their activities for the night but take with them the ten pennies that they have liberated from the graves.

Victory for the Black Maggot Gang

Although this particular game was over fairly swiftly, I think the scenario works quite nicely on the whole. Certainly the random encounters with the ghasts give the game a sense of trepidation that is suitably atmospheric. I will probably add some restrictions to line of sight in future to reflect the gloomy setting.

Definitely a scenario to add to future campaigns, I’d say.

‘A Grave Business’ rules.pdf

Egg Hunt (4)

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Mr G. Goblin under Burrows and Badgers, Reports, Skirmish Reports

Egg battle_Final_LoRes

Welcome to the Pawsworth EggHunt!

This is the fourth annual Pawsworth EggHunt I’ve attended. It’s an event that rarely disappoints when it comes to edge-of-your-seat thrills, spills and a smattering of eggstreme violence!

Once again the oeuficiating bunny distributed the coloured quarry around the surrounding countryside before the Eggcellent Rangers and the Eggceptional Hunters commenced their scramble to see who could claim the most highly prized of the eggs.

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In the last three competitions it is the Hunters who have shown themselves to be the superior egg collectors, winning two of the last three contests with the third resulting in a hard fought draw.

This year it was clear from the outset that both sides had honed their tactics and had a clear game plan. It was a matter of debate as to which team had the better strategy but regardless of tactics it soon became apparent that the players were determined to give it their all in the pursuit of victory.

The Hunters went in early for the highly prized and potentially match-winning golden egg. Ollie the otter swam into the pond and began scouring the murky water for the elusive treasure.

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Meanwhile the Hunters had clearly decided that Malcolm Mole, with his limited perception, was more suited to hunting down Rangers than rummaging around for eggs.
The mole’s first action was to surface from beneath the ground to attack Serena Sparrow and then later he lured Morton Mouse into battle, successfully embroiling them both in protracted combat and limiting their egg hunting activities.

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Through the early stages of the hunt the Rangers managed to move into the field, efficiently collecting eggs as they swept forward. By the mid point of the contest it was clear that they were ahead of the game when it came to the egg count and it was going to take a supreme effort for the Hunters to make up the lost ground.

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With Ollie struggling to find the golden egg, the Hunters made various attempts to attack their opponents with the intention of breaking the eggs that the Rangers had recovered.

Ricky rat had some success in this endeavour, employing his blunderbuss to take pot shots at his adversaries.

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Still, it appeared that the Rangers were on track to claim the prize

Then finally, and after many unsuccessful searches, Ollie the otter emerged from the pond triumphantly holding the golden egg in his paw. Suddenly it was the Hunters who were ahead and their victory now seemed assured as the contest drew to a close.

But then, with impeccable timing, Rosy the rabbit released an arrow shot at the gleeful otter. Ollie was hit and the egg was shattered, along with the Hunters’ lead and their hopes for an easy victory.

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It was now the closing moments of the contest and the only thing that was going to save the day for the Hunters was a full-scale onslaught on the Rangers. Many beasts were wounded in the ensuing fracas and Malcolm the mole made a heroic sacrifice in order to keep the Rangers at bay.

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As the sun went down and the contest was finally declared over it was apparent that the Hunters had left it too late. They ended the day with 2 white eggs and 2 yellow eggs, a total of 6 points, while the Rangers had amassed a total of 10 points with their 2 white eggs, 1 yellow egg and 2 blue eggs.

What a contest! A stunning and well deserved victory for the Eggcellent Rangers who played a skilful and strategic game.

Things could have been so different if the Hunters had held on to the golden egg but it was not to be their year.

The Pawsworth Egg Hunt trophy and warm congratulations go to the Eggcellent Rangers.

I look forward to reporting on this increasingly riveting contest, same time, same place, next year!

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Uther Dreville (sporting correspondent), Sternpaw’s Almanack.

Here is a PDF handout of the basic rules for those wanting to stage their own contests.

Egg Hunt Rules

Reports from previous contests can be found here:
Egg Hunt 1
Egg Hunt 2
Egg Hunt 3

Warband Name Generator

Posted on January 15, 2022 by Mr G. Goblin under Burrows and Badgers, Game Aids, Other Stuff

Warband Name

A quick one to start the new year.

I’m planning on playing some cooperative games of Burrows and Badgers this year and, as usual, I’ll be reporting on how the games go.
These reports are not going to have anywhere near the level of (unnecessary) detail contained in previous reports and will just be an outline of how the campaign is going and an assessment of how the, mostly, home-brewed rules are faring.

Anyway, we’ll get into all that in good time. What I am posting about today is the naming of Warbands.

In this cooperative style play, we will find ourselves up against a different warband every game. This is going to be a great opportunity to get a wider range of minis out on the table so I’m really looking forward to that. But for descriptive purposes I am going to have to name every warband our guys come up against which, given how long it takes us to think of a single warband name, is going to be fairly time consuming!

Hence the Warband Name Generator.
I’ve quickly listed some potentially appropriate names in an Excel document and utilised the Randomise function (by far my favourite Excel function) and have created myself a fairly decent name generator.

Now, as with most random generators, it does occasionally throw up some complete nonsense. But, with the odd judicious adjustment, I should be able to squeeze out a reasonable name for my adversaries within a few goes. I’ll just mix and match until I get a name that is appropriate for the models I’m up against and does not read like utter gibberish.

So, this file is available to download here.

Feel free to alter and distribute it as you like. If you don’t have a copy of Excel, the file should open in Googlesheets as well. You can use the browser refresh to generate new names.
I think I’m going to find it useful and I hope that anyone else who uses it does too.

The Pay-Off

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Mr G. Goblin under Burrows and Badgers, Reports, Skirmish Reports

The Warren Percy Affair: Part 12

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“Has it been worth it? Probably not”, thinks Rufus Grimspike as he trudges with his warband to the designated meeting place where he is to collect the warband’s wages. Still, he remains in reasonable health and with the income from this little venture his warband can take it easy for a while before taking on less challenging work – some simple extortion, smuggling or larceny would suit his warband just fine.

Abelard Snook has entrusted the delivery of the paychest to his fiancé, Lady Jane D’eath, while he is attending to other business matters, such as arranging the transportation of a reluctant ‘guest’ to alternative accommodation. He has no fear that Lady Jane will have any difficulties in dealing with the Hired Paw. In fact, he is slightly more concerned about the safety of the freelance warband. Lady Jane has a reputation for dealing harshly with those who have failed to excel in their service to her fiancé and after the Hired Paw’s failure to destroy the Tipsy Toad she may not be keen to reward them.

Rufus Grimspike is well aware of Lady Jane’s reputation and so his plan is to rush in, grab the paychest and get away speedily before the vixen changes her mind about handing over the warband’s wages. Also, he has instructed his beasts to be on constant look out for the Chosen warband. There is every chance that they will show up on the scene and attempt to snatch the money before his warband can get it to safety. The fox quickens his step as he contemplates getting out of Warren Percy and never have to set eyes on those rogues ever again!

Set-up

This scenario takes place on the outskirts of Warren Percy. The Hired Paw will need to take the paychest from Lady Jane and haul it to safety before the Chosen can grab it. Full rules can be found in the Warren Percy supplement.

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Warbands

The Hired Paw (Royalists)
Rufus Grimspike, fox (Leader)
Barnabus Chipwick, beaver (Second)
Nigel Nimblepaw, dormouse
Samuel Tunnelton, mole
Tommy Skump, rat
Gripper Pinchbottom, shrew
(Bogun Glump absent due to injury)

Warband rating: 99

The Chosen (Rogues)
Burton Coggles, starling (Leader)
Hugo Blackriver, otter (Second)
Mortus Wrythe, adder
Roger Rumbottle, weasel
Nifty Burns, squirrel
Gulliver Swift, squirrel
(Hettie Slugg absent due to injury)

Warband rating: 88

Turn 1

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Rufus is the first to sight Lady Jane D’eath. The vixen is standing in a shady grove, nonchalantly filing her claws. Beside her is a large wooden trunk – the paychest.
“Right lads, let’s grab it and get out of here!”
Rufus sprints forwards towards Lady Jane and the warband’s hard-won reward.
Barnabus Chipwick, the beaver, lumbers after his leader as do all the other members of the warband, apart from Samuel Tunnelton, the mole, who takes the subterranean route and emerges next to the paychest, guarding it until the rest of the warband arrives.

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Turn 2

The Chosen enter the scene … or at least some of them do. Burton Coggles, Hugo Blackriver, Nifty Burns and Gulliver Swift have caught sight of the Hired Paw approaching the grove and begin their move to intercept the paychest.
The leader of the Hired Paw, Rufus, meets with Lady Jane. He politely but hurriedly doffs his hat to his employer’s fiancée, looking nervously around to see if he has unwittingly walked into a trap.

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“Don’t you trust me?”, asks the vixen with an innocent and disarming smile as she observes Rufus’ agitated state.
“Not remotely”, thinks Rufus as he hastily grabs the paychest and hauls it away.

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Meanwhile Nifty Burns of the Chosen moves swiftly to a position behind a tree and conceals himself.

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Tommy Skump, the rat mage, catches sight of the Chosen’s leader, Burton Coggles, and quickly summons a magical lightning bolt to blast the starling. The lightning strikes its target giving the bird a searing shock of pain.

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Hugo Blackriver, seeing the mage’s attack, takes his caliver and fires a shot at Tommy. The shot delivers some serious damage to the surprised and delicate rat.
Barnabus, the beaver, takes over chest-hauling duties from his leader and continues to drag it towards their camp. The powerful beast manages to heave it a good distance.

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Gulliver Swift, the squirrel ranger, moves into the grove and readies his bow.

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Gripper Pinchbottom, the shrew, attempts to take the chest from Barnabus in order to haul it a bit farther but before he can do so Nifty Burns steps out from behind the tree and shoots an arrow at him. Fortunately the shrew spots the ambush, dodges the shot and manages to heave the chest a few more yards across the field.

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The lightning blast from the rat mage has caused Burton, who is at times of stress afflicted with uncontrollable rage, to go berserk. He soars into the air and launches himself at Gripper.

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Nigel Nimblepaw moves in to fend off the enraged starling, but before he even moves Gulliver Swift shoots an arrow at the dormouse, wounds him and stops him in his tracks.
Due to previous battle injuries, Samuel Tunnelton can only hobble along to catch up with the rest of his warband.

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Turn 3

Roger Rumbottle, from the Chosen warband, arrives at the site of the conflict. Using his well-practised ‘Burst of Speed’ the weasel charges at Barnabus who is about to pick up the paychest again. The beaver, despite his size, is intimidated by the weasel’s fearsome appearance but still manages to resist the attack.

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The beaver is a master in evading close combat and using his ‘slippery’ skill he dodges past the weasel and picks up the paychest. Unfortunately for Barnabus, he fumbles the pick-up and only manages to move the chest a short distance.

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The berserk Burton Coggles takes a gulp of healing potion and strikes ferociously at Gripper Pinchbottom. The shrew is quickly taken out of action by the frenzied bird who is in no mood for mercy.

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Nigel Nimblepaw launches a slingshot at the dangerous starling, further enraging the bird.
Nifty Burns fires an arrow at Tommy Skump, the rat mage. The arrow hits and the rat reels but manages to stay standing.
Tommy quickly takes his healing potion and then casts a cure spell on himself, healing much of the damage done to him by the arrow shot.
But then Gulliver Swift also lets loose an arrow at the unfortunate rat mage. The arrow hits and Tommy is, once again, sorely wounded.
Rufus Grimspike, charges at Roger Rumbottle, but intimidated by the fearsome weasel, he bungles the attack and the weasel remains unhurt.

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Hugo Blackriver sprints in to block the path of Barnabus who is very close to making off with the paychest.

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Samuel takes a detour to see if he can flush out Nifty Burns, the troublesome squirrel archer.

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Turn 4

Mortus Wrythe belatedly slithers on to the battlefield for the Chosen warband.
Meanwhile Barnabus, once again employing his evasion tactics, slips past Hugo Blackriver, hauling the paychest with him. He storms forwards and nearly gets the chest to safety.

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Unfortunately for the Chosen, instead of pursuing the beaver, Burton Coggles, who is still blinded by anger, targets the nearest enemy and heads in the opposite direction towards Rufus Grimspike. With his magical weapon of rage he cuts down the leader of the Hired Paw in one fell swoop.

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Nigel Nimblepaw, witnessing the horrific onslaught, fires another slingshot at the starling but only delivers a glancing blow.
Mortus Wrythe, attempting to make up for his late appearance, casts a fiery blast at Barnabus but he only just singes the beaver.

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Tommy attempts to cast another cure spell on himself but this time the spell fails, leaving the rat in a very perilous state of health.
Roger Rumbottle charges towards Barnabus attempting to prevent the beaver making off with the paychest. The beaver is unnerved by the fearsome weasel and in his flustered state suffers a good few lacerations.

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Samuel Tunnelton attempts to pin down Nifty Burns the squirrel. The squirrel strikes out at the approaching mole but Sam blocks the attack.

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Gulliver takes a shot at Tommy Skump but the rat mage ducks neatly out of the way of the incoming arrow.
Finally, Hugo takes on the absconding Barnabus in a last ditch attempt to halt his progress. He charges at the beaver and gravely wounds him with a mighty strike from his greatsword. Barnabus staggers but holds on tightly to the chest.

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Turn 5

Barnabus digs deep and finds some last reserves of strength. He weaves round Roger Rumbottle and Hugo Blackriver and escapes the battlefield, hauling the paychest with him. The Chosen have missed their chance to deny the Hired Paw of their pay-off!

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Victory to the Hired Paw!

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Finally, the Hired Paw have their reward for all the tribulations that they’ve had to endure during their time at Warren Percy. It only remains to open the heavy chest and share out the pennies amongst the warband. All the beasts gather gleefully around, waiting for their share of the loot. Barnabus is given the honour of opening the chest as it was he who hauled it away from the Chosen warband and, besides, the Hired Paw’s leader is still weakened from the injuries inflicted by Burton Coggles.
The beaver triumphantly flings open the chest lid, peers inside and sees a scattering of pennies. Surely not enough for all of their sacrifices! He reaches inside to make sure there are no more pennies hidden at the bottom of the chest but fails to spot the tripwire in time.

KABOOOM!!!

The blackpowder hidden in the false bottom of the trunk explodes, blasting out splintered wood and metal and causing grievous injuries to all those gathered around.

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It seems that Lady Jane’s reputation is deserved. The Hired Paw, apart from Barnabus Chipwick who has been knocked senseless, limp away angrily from the scene, nursing their wounds and collecting the few scattered pennies as they go. Wherever the warband decides to go next in their search for lucrative employment, one thing is for certain – it will be a long long way from the village of Warren Percy.

Conclusion

So that concludes the final part of out Warren Percy Campaign and what a journey it has been!

Due to real life ‘events’, the campaign ended up being spread out over a good number of months but the story was compelling enough to keep us coming back to it. Although we adapted some of the rules to suit our own set-up and preferences, we did adhere to most of the central structure of the story and I was impressed with what it had to offer in terms of variety and tension. There are some great narrative touches in this game and the rule variations are well thought out and make the individual scenarios rich with all kinds of exciting possibilities. I was also pleased to find the campaign fairly evenly matched between the two warbands so at no point did either side get too despondent, although I appreciate we may have been lucky on that score.
All in all I would definitely say this campaign book is well worth the investment. Even if you don’t play though the whole of the Warren Percy campaign, there are enough ideas presented here to help enrich your own battles and perhaps inspire your own campaigns. Thanks go, as always, to Michael Lovejoy for creating this great game!

After the campaign

The Hired Paw

The Hired Paw have ended the campaign in a rather demoralised state.

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Rufus Grimspike, their leader, has been robbed by the Chosen and has now lost all his possessions. On top of that he has sustained a hamstring injury. However, his general strength has improved (gains strength skill) and he ends the campaign with a very respectable 24 Experience Points.

Beaver

Barnabus Chipwick, perhaps the most formidable of all the combatants, has been knocked unconscious by the exploding paychest. He is left for dead by the rest of his warband and is ultimately taken prisoner by the Chosen warband who are now considering his fate. He ends the campaign with 23 Experience Points and a huge number of acquired skills that will serve him well if he ever gets to escape the clutches of his enemies.

Dormouse

Nigel Nimblepaw has gained 10 Experience Points and remains relatively uninjured. He looks to have many days of fighting left in him yet.

Rat_mage

Tommy Skump, although of a naturally weak constitution, has provided some useful magical support for the Hired Paw and has gained 5 Experience Points.

Toad

Bogen Glump has taken a number of injuries in his time with the Hired Paw but ends the campaign with some good skills and 14 Experience Points.

Mole

Samuel Tunnelton, has more often than not been in the thick of the various engagements of the campaign. As a result he has taken some heavy injuries (his mobility has been particularly badly affected) but has learned some useful skills. He ends the campaign with 20 Experience Points.

Gripper Pinchbottom has become fearless as a result of the events at Warren Percy but also harbours a niggling wound because of his exertions. He has acquired 4 Experience Points.

Members lost in action: Bartle Heep (mole), Fanny Fuddlefox (rabbit).

The warband’s coffers contain just 4 pennies. They now have a potential Warband Rating of 115.

The Chosen

Although the Chosen have managed to expel the Hired Paw from Warren Percy it has come at a high price, notably the death of their first leader Bill Buckberry (although not at the paws of the enemy warband). Some of the members of the Chosen are wondering if this engagement has been worth the cost.

Starling

Burton Coggles, who took on the job of leader after the demise of Bill Buckberry, is now a redoubtable warrior thanks, in a good part, to his intense bouts of rage and his lethal magic weapon. He ends the campaign with 16 Experience Points.

Otter_mercenary

Hugo Blackriver has been a tough and resilient fighter for the Chosen. Incredibly, he has received no permanent injuries in this campaign and has acquired 20 Experience Points.

Adder

Mortus Wrythe, the mage, now has an impressive arsenal of powerful spells. He remains relatively uninjured and has gained 16 Experience Points

Shrew baker

Hettie Slugg has picked up a niggling wound but is otherwise in good shape. Lacking any particular skills, she tends to rely on brute force to batter her opponents. She ends the campaign with 10 Experience Points.

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Roger Rumbottle, despite his penchant for strong ale, remains a reliable and fearsome presence on the battlefield and has avoided any permanent injuries. He has developed some useful skills, particularly his ‘Burst of Speed’, and ends the campaign with 14 Experience Points.

Squirrel archer

Nifty Burns’ archery skills have been a big factor in some of the Chosen warband’s victories, most importantly in preventing the destruction of the Tipsy Toad. The squirrel has avoided injury and comes away from the campaign having gained 4 Experience Points.

Squirrel

Gulliver Swift, the newest of the Chosen’s recruits is also uninjured and has obtained 1 Experience Point.

Members lost in action: Bill Buckberry (hare), Bob Brassbludd (lizard).

The warband currently has no pennies in its coffers. They now have a potential Warband Rating of 101.

The End

The Cover-up

Posted on June 21, 2021 by Mr G. Goblin under Burrows and Badgers, Reports, Skirmish Reports

The Warren Percy Affair: Part 11

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Rufus Grimspike has just about had enough. This was supposed to be an easy job. Just kick out a few villagers and rest up in the village for a few days turning away any nosy beasts that might come by.
But then that rival warband started hanging round and it’s been a constant battle ever since. Time to have a word with his employer, Rufus thinks. They need to collect their fee and then get out of here.
Rufus finds his employer, Abelard Snook, in an agitated state. He garbles something about attempting to protect a ‘guest’ at the tavern in Warren Percy but these constant incursions from this troublesome warband have forced him to have the individual moved, undercover of the night, to another location. Abelard agrees to pay the Hired paw what they are owed and end their contract but it is essential that any evidence of the beast that was residing in the Tipsy Toad Tavern is removed, and the only thorough way of doing that is by means of explosives. Yes, the Tipsy Toad needs to be blown up – one last job for the Hired Paw.
There are explosives already stored in the old blacksmith’s dwelling. The barrels of blackpowder just need to be moved to the inn and the fuse lit.
Rufus is of course suspicious and presumes that the ‘guest’ was a hostage, probably of some high nobility who would command a good ransom. Of course, King Othyr himself has not been seen for some time but … surely not.
Anyway, the task seems simple enough. Just one last job …

Meanwhile, the Chosen have been watching the village closely and have sniffed out the stash of explosives at the blacksmiths. They have come armed with flaming arrows, ready for the Hired Paw to make their next, and possibly final move.

Set-up

This scenario takes place in the north western area of the village. The Hired Paw will be attempting to blow up the village inn to secure victory. It will be the Chosen’s job to stop them.
Full details of the scenario can be found in the Warren Percy Supplement.

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Warbands

The Hired Paw (Royalists)
Rufus Grimspike, fox (Leader)
Barnabus Chipwick, beaver (Second)
Nigel Nimblepaw, dormouse
Bogen Glump, toad
Samuel Tunnelton, mole
Tommy Skump, rat
Gripper Pinchbottom, shrew

Warband rating: 91

The Chosen (Rogues)
Burton Coggles, starling (Leader)
Hugo Blackriver, otter (Second)
Mortus Wrythe, adder
Hettie Slugg, shrew
Roger Rumbottle, weasel
Nifty Burns, squirrel
Gulliver Swift, squirrel

Warband rating: 98

Resistance fighters
Jenny Pinepaw, squirrel (magic user)
Ted Delver, mole (blacksmith)
Penny Proudtail, mouse (warrioress)
Tolly Pricklepot, hedgehog (warrioress)

Turn 1

The Hired Paw know what they have to do. Rufus, the leader, shows the way by collecting a barrel of blackpowder from the blacksmiths, hauling it across to the Inn and throwing it into the building. It will take three of these barrels to make a big enough explosion to take the building down. They just need to do it quickly before the Chosen inevitably show up.

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But the Chosen have already spotted what the Hired Paw are up to. Gulliver Swift, the Chosen’s newly recruited squirrel attempts to climb a nearby burrow to get a better view. He just doesn’t quite make it to the top.

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Barnabus follows Rufus’ example and moves a barrel towards the inn.

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Hugo Blackriver suddenly charges into the village determined to put a stop to whatever the hired Paw are up to.

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Bogen the Toad stays out of reach of the approaching otter and hurriedly picks up another barrel and carries it towards the Tipsy Toad.

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Nifty Burns lights one of his flammable arrows, takes aim and fires it towards the toad and his barrel.

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It hits! The barrel quickly catches fire and before anyone can dive for cover there is a huge explosion.

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As the smoke clears it is apparent that Bogen has been blown sky high. The blast has caused Barnabus’ barrel to explode as well and the beaver is also out of action. Not only that, but Rufus has been badly burned as a result of the detonation. Not a good start for the Hired Paw!

Nigel Nimblepaw, after recovering from the shock, charges at the nearby Hugo Blackriver to exact revenge for this devastation. Hugo is wearing mastersmithed armour and so most of the dormouse’s attack is deflected.

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Burton Coggles, the leader of the Chosen, flies in to confront his opposite number, who still remains shaken and reeling from the blast.

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Samuel Tunnelton, as is his way, springs up from the ground and attacks Burton, severely wounding the surprised starling.

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Roger Rumbottle sprints forwards as does Mortus Wrythe – as much as a snake can – and Gripper Pinchbottom joins in the fight against Burton.
Tommy Skump sees Mortus Wrythe’s approach and casts a lightening spell at the adder. The bolt hits its target and wounds the delicate reptile.

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Hettie Slugg storms towards the rat mage to prevent further magical mischief.

Turn 2

Rufus pulls himself together and takes his healing potion. He considers trying to slip away from the disaster but thinks better of it and launches an attack against Burton Coggles. The fox inflicts several wounds on the bird taking the Chosen’s leader out of action.

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Roger moves over to the blacksmiths to prevent the hired paw collecting any more barrels. He also fires a shot from his caliver at Rufus. The shot inflicts further damage on the ailing fox.

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Samuel sprints, as fast as his little legs can carry him, over to Mortus Wrythe.

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Gulliver finally completes his ascent of the burrow and fires an arrow at Rufus Grimspike. This time Rufus’ armour prevents any injuries.

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Gripper Pinchbottom moves to give assistance to Nigel Nimblepaw against Hugo.
Mortus backs away from Samuel Tunnelton and attempts to direct a magical blast of fire at Rufus. The spell fails, however.
Nigel attacks Hugo. It’s a good strike but the otter’s armour absorbs most of the damage.
The otter strikes back but the plucky dormouse blocks the attack.
Tommy Skump holds his position and attempts a lightning blast at Hettie Slugg. This time his magical abilities fail him.
Hettie takes advantage of the Mage’s error and makes her way towards Samuel Tunnelton. Unfortunately, the diminutive shrew struggles to clamber over an obstructing hedge and is unable to reach the mole.

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Turn 3

Word has reached the evicted inhabitants of Warren Percy that the Chosen have the upper hand against the Hired Paw and some of them have turned up to help the Chosen out.

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Rufus sees the trio of angry villagers arrive on the scene. This is definitely turning out to be a bad day! The fox decides, discretion being the better part of valour, his best option would be to hide behind some nearby rocks until this is all over.

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Hugo swings his weapon at Nigel but once again the doughty dormouse blocks the attack.

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With Rufus gone to ground, Roger decides it’s safe to stop guarding the blacksmith’s door and moves in to attack Gripper. The shrew stands up to the fearsome weasel but still suffers significant wounds.
Samuel advances again towards Mortus. The snake is swiftly taken out of action by the determined mole.

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Nifty Burns lets loose an arrow at Samuel. Sam is lucky and just dodges the shot.

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Tommy Skump tries another lightning blast and this time wounds Hettie Slugg.
The shrew is riled by the painful shock and turns round and sprints towards the rat mage with murderous intent.

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Nigel Nimblepaw attacks Hugo. The attack is deftly blocked by the otter.
Gulliver Swift fires an arrow at Samuel, wounding the mole.
Gripper strikes at Hugo but also fails to injure him.
The villagers charge forward. Penny Proudtail sprints towards Samuel, Ted Delver the blacksmith follows her at a somewhat slower pace and Jenny Pinepaw moves quickly towards the village well.

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Turn 4

Another of the evicted villagers, Tolly Pricklepot, arrives in the village to help expel the Hired Paw.

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The Hired Paw are now heavily outnumbered and look destined to be defeated but they are determined to fight to the last beast. They have stuck at this too long to give up now.

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Ted Delver the village blacksmith swings his hammer at fellow mole, Samuel Tunnelton. The blacksmith unleashes his killing blow. It’s more than sufficient to take Sam out of the fight.

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Tommy Skump gives up on magic and resorts to beating Hettie Slugg with his staff with some satisfying results – the shrew takes a good few wounds.

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Jenny Pinepaw searches the terrain for the leader of the Hired Paw but is unable to spot the wily fox.
Nigel Nimblepaw slips away from Hugo Blackriver. He scurries over to the blacksmiths and emerges carrying a barrel of blackpowder. He knows the odds are against it but blowing up the inn may be the only chance of winning this contest.

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Roger is onto the dormouse immediately. He charges Nigel and wounds him.
Gripper swings his axe at Hugo. The otter blocks the attack with ease and strikes back, cutting the shrew down with a hefty blow.

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Rufus, in his hiding place behind the rocks, watches as his warband is whittled down. He knows he needs to make a move, he just needs to time it right.
Penny Proudtail moves to help Hettie Slugg against Tommy.
Tolly advances and so does Jenny Pinepaw. As the squirrel moves forwards, Rufus sees his chance. He leaps out from his hiding place and shoots his pistol at Jenny. The surprised squirrel suffers some serious damage from the shot.

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Now that the Hired Paw’s leader has revealed himself, his enemies close in. Both Nifty and Gulliver advance towards the fox.
Hettie Slugg attacks Tommy again but only inflicts minor wounds.

Turn 5

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Before Rufus has a chance to dart back behind the rock, Nifty Burns shoots an arrow at the Hired Paw’s leader. It’s a good shot and Rufus Grimspike is struck down.

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Tommy Skump battles on with Hettie Slugg and manages to inflict more wounds on the shrew.
Penny Proudtail vaults over the wall and closes in on the rat mage from the rear.
Hugo Blackriver saunters over to where Nigel Nimblepaw is valiantly attempting to carry the barrel of blackpowder. He strikes the dormouse but Nigel remains on his feet.
Nigel, finally gives up on hauling the barrel and uses the last of his strength to attack the otter. The otter’s armour, once again, proves difficult to penetrate and the exhausted dormouse has to give up the fight.

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The only remaining member of the Hired Paw left standing is Tommy Skump but it doesn’t look like he’ll hold out for long with enemies closing in all around him.

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However, he manages to hold off another attack from Hettie.

Turn 6

Roger Rumbottle makes his attack on the rat mage and delivers a good number of wounds.
The cornered rat continues to fight with Hettie but the weakened mage fails to make any impression.
Hettie strikes back, further wounding the rat.
Finally Penny Proudtail steps in to finish off the rat mage with a perfect strike. Tommy falls to the ground. It’s all over for the Hired Paw, Warren Percy is back in the hands of the villagers.

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Victory to the Chosen!

The badly beaten members of the Hired Paw are expelled from the village. It’s a day of rejoicing and celebration for the villagers who can return to their homes. The Chosen are delighted to have finally exacted revenge on their arch-rivals.
Of course, the Hired Paw will probably still get paid for their efforts and this seems a little unfair to the Chosen. It would be highly satisfying to take the Hired Paw’s wages as well as taking the village. So, perhaps there is still one last battle to be fought …

After the battle

The Hired Paw

All of the Hired Paw were taken out of action and only Gripper Pinchbottom escapes permanent injury.
Rufus is enfeebled as a result of his wounds. Barnabus suffers a brain injury and his awareness is reduced because of it. Nigel Nimblepaw sustains some disfiguring scars and becomes fearsome due to his frightening appearance, whereas Tommy Skump is hardened by his injuries and becomes fearless. Both Bogen and Sam suffer leg injuries that impair their movement.

Experience
Through his considerable battle experience, Samuel Tunnelton has gained the Killing Blow skill.
Tommy Skump has found time to add the Cure spell to his repertoire.

Trading
The warband has enough in its coffers to purchase some anti-venom, some paralysing poison, a bow and a light shield.

Unfortunately Bogen’s war wounds are playing up and he is going to have to sit out the next operation.

New Warband Rating: 99

The Chosen

Burton Coggles and Mortus Wrythe were taken out of action by the Hired Paw.
Because of his injuries Burton becomes enfeebled and Mortus, who was not very robust to begin with, has been made even more delicate due to the wounds he has sustained.

Off Duty
The rest of the warband, as usual, look for opportunities to make money and gain advantages over their enemies.
Hugo Blackriver finds some materials in an abandoned mine which he sells. Hettie Slugg does some work for a moneylender and gets paid 10 pennies. Roger Rumbottle implements a payment-for-access arrangement at a nearby well and makes 6 pennies from thirsty beasts.
Nifty Burns finds 17 pennies on a shipwreck and Gulliver contacts a local scout for information that will likely be useful in a future encounter with the Hired Paw.

The Chosen’s gambling makes good money for the warband and despite a little trouble breaking out on one occasion, no one suffers any permanent injuries. The alchemy lab produces some healing potions and a paralysing poison for the warband.

Experience
Nifty Burns has gained some weapon skills thanks to his recent experiences.

Trading
The Chosen, having amassed a decent amount of coin, go on a spending spree to ensure they are at their optimum as a fighting force.
New arrowheads, weapons and armour are all purchased along with some spell ingredients and some superior black powder.

Hettie Slugg is forced to rest for a while due to a niggling injury. She will miss the next operation.

New Warband Rating: 88

Next scenario: The Pay-off

Take Control (4)

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Mr G. Goblin under Burrows and Badgers, Reports, Skirmish Reports

The Warren Percy Affair: Part 10

The Chosen are making yet another attack on the village of Warren Percy. This time they are targeting the North Eastern corner of the village. They have numbers on their side this time. Three of the evicted villagers will be joining them on this assault, and with new weapons and honed skills their hopes are high of a long-awaited victory.

Having intercepted The Hired Paw’s leader, attempting to send a message requesting reinforcements, the Chosen’s hope is that their opponents will be under-resourced and vulnerable to being overwhelmed by their attack. However, the Hired Paw have done a good job of strengthening their position. Rufus has managed to recruit a passing sword-for-hire and Barnabus has been spending his time productively constructing traps. With their combined experience, Barnabus and Rufus have become quite a formidable team and it will take a powerful (or lucky!) warband to shift them from this village.

Set-up

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A d4 was rolled to select the Northeastern part (Section 2) of the village as the area of battle for this scenario. The Chosen may set up their models on two of the edges – the village boundary.
The sun is low in the sky at the time of battle and beasts will have to be careful to avoid the disadvantage of facing into the sun when they attack.

Warbands

Warband rating: 91

The Chosen (Rogues)
Burton Coggles, starling (Leader)
Hugo Blackriver, otter (Second)
Mortus Wrythe, adder
Hettie Slugg, shrew
Roger Rumbottle, weasel
Bob Blassbludd, lizard
Nifty Burns, squirrel

Warband rating: 98

Resistance fighters

Jenny Pinepaw, squirrel (magic user)
Ted Delver, mole (blacksmith)
Penny Proudtail, mouse (warrioress)

Turn 1

Roger Rumbottle has sneaked into the village and is now in a good position for taking a shot at Barnabus Chipwick. The caliver shot hits the beaver but fails to do much damage.

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Rufus spots Bob Brassbludd advancing from the north and shoots at him with his pistol. It’s a good shot and the lizard is wounded.
Nifty Burns, the squirrel ranger, has less luck with his bow and arrow when shooting at Barnabus. The shot simply bounces off the beaver’s armour.
Nigel Nimblepaw hides behind a tree and Ted Delver burrows beneath one of the dwellings to advance towards Tommy Skump.
Tommy attempts to cast a lightning bolt at the Ted but the spell fails and sputters out.

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Jenny also attempts to cast a lighting bolt from the edge of the village towards Tommy but this spell also fails.
Hugo Blackriver favours a more direct approach and moves forwards towards the rat mage. As he advances he curses as he stumbles into some caltrops laid down by the Hired Paw.

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Suddenly Samuel Tunnelton launches an attack from below the otter’s feet. He leaps from the ground and delivers a massive blow against the unsuspecting otter.

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Burton Coggles, the Chosen’s leader, flies across from the other side of the battleground in an attempt to hold off the ferocious mole.
Barnabus Chipwick hurries towards Ted Delver to prevent him targeting Tommy or Sam.

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Hettie Slugg sprints across to one of the cottages and takes cover while Bogen the toad stays hidden behind a barricade.

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Bob Brassbludd takes his healing potion and then utilises his burst of speed to engage Rufus Grimspike. He leaps over the barricade and strikes at the fox. Unfortunately for the lizard, Rufus, with his excellent parrying skill and blessing of divine wrath, easily deflects the attack.

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Gripper Pinchbottom lends his assistance to his leader, dodging the caltrops that he’d help to distribute earlier. He inflicts a few wounds on the lizard.
Mortus Wrythe follows Hettie to her position behind the cottage.
Bogen the Toad spots the snake and attempts to ambush him but the snake is alert to the toad and is not taken by surprise. However, the force of the toad’s attack is so great that the delicate snake is overcome regardless – Mortus is taken out of the fight.

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Penny Proudtail seeing that Bogen has moved from the barricade takes the opportunity to sprint into the village.

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But tragically, the enthusiastic mouse blunders into a carefully concealed pit trap, plummets into the hole, and is instantly taken out of action!

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Turn 2

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Hugo Blackriver is badly hurt and Samuel Tunnelton sees an opportunity to take down the Chosen’s second-in-command. The mole delivers another impressive strike but the otter just manages to stay on his feet.
Hugo swiftly knocks back a healing potion and strikes back at Sam.
Tommy Skump attempts another lightning blast attack on the otter, this time with more success. Hugo’s armour is no defence against the magical bolt and the otter is struck out of action.

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Burton Coggles, since he procured the magical sword of rage, is prone to bouts of uncontrolled anger. However, on this occasion he keeps his composure and makes a measured and effective attack against Samuel Tunnelton and the pain poison on the starling’s blade only increases the damage inflicted on the mole.

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Bogen makes an attack against Hettie Slugg while Ted Delver attempts to take down Barnabus Chipwick with his blacksmith’s hammer. The formidable beaver remains relatively unscathed by the mole’s attack.

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Rufus confidently strikes Bob Brassbludd who is now surrounded, immediately taking him out of action.

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The Chosen warband is rapidly diminishing at the hands of the Hired Paw!
Jenny Pinepaw, still at the edge of the village, attempts another lightning blast at Tommy Skump. This time she is more successful but still does not do any great damage to the rat.

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Barnabus focuses his attention on Ted. The mole takes a heavy beating but remains upright.
Nifty takes a shot at Gripper but only grazes the shrew with his arrow.
The shrew shrugs off the wound and marches towards the leader of the Chosen with his weapon aloft.

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Roger Rumbottle raises his weapon to shoot Barnabus but as he does so, Nigel emerges from his hiding place and fires a slingshot in the weasel’s direction. The shot is a strong and unexpected one and stops the weasel in his tracks.

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Hettie strikes out at Bogen the toad. The ferocious shrew inflicts a nasty poisoned wound on the unlucky amphibian.

Turn 3

The Hired Paw has the upper paw. They only need to take out the Chosen’s leader to secure victory and all the members of the warband will be intent on doing just that.
Samuel Tunnelton wants to claim the glory for himself and puts all his efforts into a strike against Burton Coggles. The strike is a massive one that sorely wounds the starling but fails to put him out of action. The mole however is exhausted by the effort and will be no more use in the battle.

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Burton quickly takes a healing potion and briefly considers a quick flight to safety but the magical aura of the rage weapon he bears soon causes the starling to become overwhelmed with a crazed bloodlust. Despite being severely wounded he swings his magical weapon at Gripper Pinchbottom. The shrew reels from the attack and is also subjected to the pain poison that coats the starling’s blade.
Barnabus occupies himself with subduing Ted Delver, the blacksmith. This time the beaver makes short work of the rebellious mole.

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Gripper, now severely weakened by Burton’s attack, decides to make a last bid for glory and lashes out at the starling. Although intimidated by the berserk starling he lands a solid blow on the bird and takes the opposing leader out of action before collapsing himself.

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Roger takes a healing potion and sets out to attack Bogen Glump. The toad is unperturbed by the assault and suffers little damage.
Rufus sprints across to give assistance to Bogen but not before Hettie Slugg lays into the toad with her poisoned kitchen implements.

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The injured toad strikes at Roger but, hampered by the effects of the poison, does little damage to the weasel.
Nifty Burns fires a speculative shot at Tommy Skump and the rat quickly scurries into cover.

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Nigel Nimblepaw and Jenny Pinepaw, seeing that the battle is all but over, conserve their ammunition.

Victory to the Hired Paw

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The remainder of the Chosen warband once again retreat from village. The Hired Paw have again proved themselves to be too formidable an opponent for the attackers.
Still, after four determined attacks, the Hired Paw are beginning to wonder whether this job is worth the risks involved. Morale is waning and the beasts are beginning to get nervous. Sooner or later they are bound to be overrun by the Chosen warband. Perhaps it is time to have a word with their employer …

After the battle

The Hired Paw

Samuel Tunnelton and Gripper Pinchbottom both made an heroic sacrifice and were taken out of action.
As a result Samuel has his movement impaired (gains Slow skill) and Gripper is afflicted with a Niggling Wound.

Off Duty
Rufus and Barnabus hone their already impressive fighting skills by training in combat.
The rest of the warband pray to the gods for some divine advantage and are blessed with some good fortune (gain 3 Fate Points).

Experience
As a result of their recent experience, Barnabus has improved his speed, Nigel has gained some toughness and Tommy has increased his fortitude.

Trading
The warband is able to replenish some of its items including lead shot, superior black powder and healing potions. Some anti-venom is also procured and Tommy Skump invests in a mage’s focus.

New Warband Rating: 100

The Chosen

Burton, Mortus, Hugo and Bob have all been taken out of action by the Hired Paw.
Burton has sustained a chest wound (gained Delicate) but Mortus and Hugo escape any permanent injury.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Bob Brassbludd who expires as a result of the injuries he suffered at the paws of Rufus Grimspike. It’s another devastating blow for the Chosen but it makes the warband more determined than ever to put an end to the dubious activities of the Hired Paw.

Off Duty
The members of the warband that are able, go wandering in search of any extra advantage they can gain for their ongoing struggle.
Hettie is blessed at the local chapel (gains 8 Fate Points). Roger Rumbottle is tipped off on a recent shipwreck not too far up the coast. He manages to salvage 39 pennies worth of goods from the wreck.
Nifty meets with a gunsmith looking for potential weapon enhancements but there is little the smith can do for the warband.

The Chosen’s gambling turns in a decent profit and the Alchemy lab produces some useful potions for the warband, as usual.

Experience
Hugo has become an expert at evading combat (gains the Slippery skill).

Trading
The warband recruits another squirrel ranged, Gulliver Swift, and equips their new member with a bow and some poison with which to lace his arrows.
Burton also obtains a relic that he deems a necessary investment to boost morale in the somewhat beleaguered warband.

New Warband Rating: 98

Next scenario: The Cover-up

Get the Message Out

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Mr G. Goblin under Burrows and Badgers, Reports, Skirmish Reports

The Warren Percy Affair: Part 9

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Rufus Grimspike moves rapidly through the woodland and scrub surrounding the village of Warren Percy. He is intent on getting word out to his employer, Abelard Snook, about the latest attack by the Chosen gang that has resulted in the death of two of his warband. Reinforcements are required if the Hired Paw is to have any chance of holding out against the constant attacks of the rogue warband.
It is true that his beasts have succeeded in holding off the intruders up to now but his warband are getting weary and the deaths of Fanny and Bartle have further weakened morale.
Suddenly the fox halts. There is a beast ahead of him – maybe more than one. Rufus considers his options but only briefly. He knows he has to continue his mission and get the message out!

Setup

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The Chosen player selects 3 models to try and prevent the Hired Paw’s leader getting to the opposite side of the play area.
My playing area is smaller than the one suggested in the scenario description so I have tried to use plenty of terrain to slow progress and hopefully better balance the contest.

Warbands

The Hired Paw (Royalists)
Rufus Grimspike, fox (Leader)

Warband rating: 19

The Chosen (Rogues)
Burton Coggles, starling (Leader)
Hugo Blackriver, otter (Second)
Roger Rumbottle, weasel

Warband rating: 54

Turn 1

Rufus dashes across to an old tree stump to conceal himself from the approaching rogues.

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Roger Rumbottle surveys the territory looking for any sign of the messenger but the wily fox manages to stay out of sight.
Burton Coggles, the starling and leader of the Chosen, takes to the air to see if he can scout out the fox. He flies close to the fox’s hiding place* and Rufus resists the temptation to break cover and ambush the bird.

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Hugo Blackriver moves forwards to the centre ground to close down the escape options of the enemy fox. The otter leaps over a hedge and stands guard, ready for action.

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* House rule: Models can’t move into contact with enemies that are hidden.

Turn 2

Burton Coggles, now in an excellent position to scout out the area, conducts a search but by extreme fortune or cunning, the fox somehow remains undetected.

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Not wanting to take another chance on being discovered, Rufus breaks cover and sprints across the open ground and vaults effortlessly over the hedge. He covers a good distance and, looking over his shoulder, is sure that he has evaded capture.

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However, the fox has not reckoned on Roger Rumbottle, who is capable of putting on a burst of speed. The weasel bounds across the marshy ground to intercept the messenger. The ferocious rogue makes a good strike against the fox but Rufus manages to deflect the worst of the blow.

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Hugo Blackriver hurries towards the fox and weasel but is slowed down as he struggles to find a way through the hedge.

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Turn 3

Rufus, not wanting to get embroiled in a fight with Roger Rumbottle attempts to evade the weasel and make a break for it. Rufus is nimble enough to get free from his adversary without injury but unfortunately another hedge, blocking his path, slows him down and frustrates his efforts to make good his escape.

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Burton Coggles seizes the opportunity to fly ahead of the fox and block his path.

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Roger Rumbottle clambers over the hedge and is able to make another strike against Rufus. The fox, although not intimidated by the fearsome weasel, does take some damage from the attack.
Hugo Blackriver sprints in to help surround the cornered the fox.

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Turn 4

Rufus knows he has only one opportunity to make a break for it before he is brought down by his opponents. As he turns, Burton strikes at him with his poison-laced blade. The fox’s parrying skill is not enough to deflect the strike and he is immediately struck with searing and debilitating pain. Rufus quickly makes use of his healing potion to counter his injuries but it is not enough to prevent Hugo stopping the fox in his tracks with a blow from his double-handed sword.

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The fox is out of action and the Chosen have succeeded in preventing the leader of the Hired Paw reporting to his employer.

Victory to the Chosen!

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Rufus has failed to get the message to Abelard Snook and his warband will now have to make its own arrangements in finding reinforcements.

After the battle

The Hired Paw

Rufus was taken Out of Action. As a result he suffers an arm wound that will make it impossible for him to use double-handed weapons from now on.

Off Duty
Barnabus gets busy in the workshop manufacturing more traps.
Nigel Nimblepaw does some combat training to improve his chances in the next confrontation with the Chosen.
Bogen and Samuel devote their time to worship and their efforts are rewarded with a blessing from the gods of Divine Wrath which is granted to their leader.
Tommy Skump, the rat mage, spends some time practicing his magical skills.

Experience
Rufus’ newly gained experience as a messenger has improved his movement ability thanks to his efforts in attempting to evade his pursuers.

Hiring
Although the Hired Paw has been unable to get reinforcements from their employers (as the message was intercepted by the Chosen), a wandering sword-for-hire shrew has been recruited to bulk up the group’s numbers.

Trading
The Hired Paw purchase a single-handed weapon for their new recruit.

New Warband Rating: 91

The Chosen

None of the Chosen Warband were taken Out of Action.

Off Duty
All of the Chosen warband member go wandering in search of resources and assistance for their struggle against the Hired Paw.
Burton discovers an old mine and manages to scavenge some materials from it.
Mortus makes some pennies through some farm-labouring work, mostly by keeping vermin at bay.
Bob and Hugo meet up with a cooperative gunsmith who enhances Hugo’s firearm at no cost.
Hettie obtains some black powder from a friendly alchemist and Roger receives a windfall which he attributes to his recent acts of penitence at a nearby chapel.
Nifty Burns, the newly recruited squirrel, makes contact with a black marketeer who is able to give some hefty discounts on some rare items.
The Gambling den makes a nice profit, without incident, and the Alchemy lab produces a Pain Poison and some healing potions.

Experience
Burton Coggles, thanks to his recent experience in tackling the Hired Paw’s leader, has improved his striking ability.

Trading
The Warband does some brisk trading and by buying items from the black marketeer and selling them on for a profit they are able to procure a magical double-handed weapon and some mastersmithed extra heavy armour.

New Warband Rating: 98

Next scenario: Take Control (4)

Book Design

Illustration

Rules

Warbands

Magic

Mechanics

Actions

Conditions

Objectives

Post-Battle Phase

Experience

Off-Duty

Recovery

Hire

Trade

Quests

Appendix

Roster Sheets

Conclusions

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INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Conclusion

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Initiative Phase

Action Phase

MOVE

Examples and Explanations

CLIMB

Examples and Explanations

JUMP

Examples and Explanations

ATTACK

Examples and Explanations

SHOOT

Examples and Explanations

CAST SPELL

Examples and Explanations

SEARCH

Examples and Explanations

HIDE (Go to Ground*)

Examples and Explanations

ACT (Interact*)

Examples and Explanations

READY

Examples and Explanations

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Set-up

The Black Maggot Gang (defenders)

The Rusty Hook Slayers (attackers)

Turn 1

Turn 2

Turn 3

Turn 4

Victory for the Black Maggot Gang

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Welcome to the Pawsworth EggHunt!

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The Warren Percy Affair: Part 12

Set-up

Warbands

Turn 1

Turn 2

Turn 3

Turn 4

Turn 5

Victory to the Hired Paw!

Conclusion

After the campaign

The Hired Paw

The Chosen

The End

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The Warren Percy Affair: Part 11