5 Leagues from the Borderland - Bat Report 01 - Battle at Kettleford Farm

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First game of my 5 Leagues from the Borderland Campaign.

Video below for those who prefer to watch:

Cinematic battle report:

The crew of heroes approached the silent Kettleford Farm under cover of dawn, responding to villagers' concerns about the family's unexplained absence from market. What began as a welfare check quickly transformed into a deadly encounter when they discovered the grisly remains of the farm family scattered across the property. Ghouls had claimed the farmstead as their feeding ground, and the crew found themselves facing these regenerating undead creatures in a brutal battle for survival.

The murky pre-dawn light provided perfect cover for their initial approach, allowing the crew to position themselves strategically around the farm buildings. However, once Wolfrick Thorne was spotted by the feasting ghouls, the element of surprise vanished, and the creatures turned their hunger toward fresh prey. The battle that followed saw heroic moments and devastating losses: Tobin Quickpen's deadly accuracy with his bow eliminated two ghouls with precise headshots, while Kessa Ironvow's warhammer proved devastatingly effective against the undead flesh. Yet the crew paid a heavy price when Garvin Windle, their local guide, fell beneath the claws of a ghoul lieutenant, his screams echoing across the blood-soaked farmyard.

Despite the loss, the crew ultimately prevailed, driving off the remaining ghouls and securing the farmstead. Their investigation uncovered valuable intelligence about the region's threats, along with salvageable goods and a mysterious map that may prove useful in future endeavours. The victory came at a cost that would see Garvin requiring extensive recovery time from his grievous wounds.

Campaign Turn 2

Battle Report Set up details:

  • Mission details: Contract from villagers to investigate the Kettleford Farm family's prolonged absence from market. Deployment began in sneak-up phase with crew starting one inch from table edge. Objective was to investigate the farm and deal with discovered threats.

  • Enemy details: Ghoul pack consisting of multiple ghouls and two ghoul lieutenants. Ghouls possessed regeneration ability, armour rating of 2, and toughness. Lieutenants were more resilient with enhanced combat capabilities.

  • Pre-game events: Sneak-up phase allowed 4-inch movement regardless of speed. Detection rolls of 2d6 required to beat distance to nearest enemy, with modifiers for cover (-1) and invisibility (-2). Crew received one automatic reaction roll of 1 for successfully sneaking up.

Deployment:



Turn 1

The crew initiated combat after Wolfrick Thorne was detected, with Rassik Claw missing his opening crossbow shot while the ghouls charged forward from their feeding positions.

Initiative Phase: No dice resulted in fast actions, other than assigning the bonus reaction roll of 1 to Rassik Claw.

Fast Action Phase: Rassik Claw moved closer and fired his crossbow at the nearest ghoul, missing the shot (needed 5, failed to achieve).

Enemy Phase: Ghouls advanced toward the crew's positions, with several moving behind cover and others climbing over terrain obstacles to close distance.

Slow Phase: Tobin Quickpen shot at close range with his bow, hitting and killing one ghoul lieutenant with a headshot. Wolfrick Thorne charged and engaged a ghoul in melee combat, wounding and stunning it. Kessa Ironvow charged another ghoul, defeating it and killing it outright with her warhammer. Andrean Northwatch moved to cover behind a rock, while Garvin Windle repositioned to stay out of enemy range.

Tracking Phase: Morale checks conducted - neither remaining ghoul fled the battlefield.

Turn 2

The crew faced retaliation as the remaining ghouls pressed their attack, resulting in the tragic loss of Garvin Windle.

Initiative Phase: Only one fast reaction roll achieved, assigned to Rassik Claw.

Fast Action Phase: Rassik Claw fired his crossbow at the lead ghoul, hitting and stunning but not killing it.

Enemy Phase: Ghouls moved to engage in melee combat, with one reaching Garvin Windle's position.

Slow Phase: Tobin Quickpen shot and killed another ghoul with his bow. Garvin Windle charged the stunned ghoul but lost the combat and was taken out by the creature. Wolfrick Thorne engaged and killed the remaining lieutenant in melee combat. Kessa Ironvow and Andrean Northwatch moved to better positions.

Tracking Phase: One ghoul fled the battlefield due to casualties sustained.

Turn 3

The final turn saw the crew eliminate the last threats despite initial setbacks in combat.

Initiative Phase: 2 Fast rolls recieved (on 2s)

Fast Action Phase: Rassik Claw shot at the ghoul in the open, hitting and wounding but only stunning it. Andrean Northwatch charged the wounded ghoul but failed to defeat it decisively in multiple rounds of combat.

Enemy Phase: Two ghouls charged - one engaging Wolfrick Thorne and another attacking Andrean Northwatch for no effect.

Slow Phase: Tobin Quickpen missed his bow shot. Kessa Ironvow charged and killed one ghoul with her warhammer.

Tracking Phase: The surviving wounded ghoul regenerated its wound, but both remaining ghouls fled the battlefield rather than continue fighting as they had met their threshold for leaving.

The Resolution Phase

Category Details
Adventure Points 2 points total - 1 for completing contract + 1 for killing lieutenant
Resolve Injuries Garvin Windle: Injured, requiring 6 turns to recover
Advancement Heroes gained 1 XP for surviving + 1 for holding field.
Andrean Northwatch: 4 total XP, gained combat skill increase.
Rassik Claw: 4 total XP, gained combat skill increase.
Kessa Ironvow: 4 total XP, gained skill selection.
Tobin Quickpen: 3 total XP, no advancement roll.
Wolfrick Thorne (follower): No advancement gained.
Roll for Loot Tools and Strange Map obtained. Strange map allows adding one unexplored location to campaign map.
Roll for Unusual Finds Valuable goods: Precious metals worth 2 gold marks
Settle In Crew return to village.
News Travels Caravan reported coming to main city over next two turns