What better time to break out a Warhammer Fantasy Battles campaign supplement from 2001 than right now in 2024 with the Old World rules? Well we’re doing it!
Campaign Details: Whether by tunnel or by ship, various forces have found their way to the misty aisle of Albion. They will be playing out a series of campaign games that affect one to the next in story fashion, using the full Dark Shadows rules (see below).
Participants
Faction
Andrew
Lizardmen
Dave F
Tomb Kings
Dave L
Chaos
Enrico
Dwarfs
Ryan
Trolls and Goblins
Steve
High Elves
Truthsayers, Dark Emissaries, & Fen Beasts
Stats, Abilities, and Wargear are the same as the original Dark Shadows Campaign. The Truthsayer and Dark Emissary spell list has been adjusted to put in line with Old World casting values (generally adding 2 to the difficulty, tho matching spell casting values with matching spells, such as Light of Battle matching Elementalism’s Earthen Rampart). The Campaign will determine when these characters are added to players’ forces.
Winds of Magic
The winds of magic are always swirling in Albion, and as they are channeled by spellcasters the magical might of different lores waxes and wanes depending on their triumphs and mishaps. The following chart shows the current standing (start of campaign 2/13/25) of the lores of magic, and the effect of that standing. As the campaign progresses, the lores will shift in position due to game results–but the same structure of rank holds for whatever lore occupies it at the time.
Lore
Rank
Effect
Waaagh! Magic (plus Gork and Mork)
One
+3 to the casting total of each spell, but any double rolled (except a double 6) is a Miscast
Illusion
Two
+2 to the casting total of each spell
Saphestry, Naggaroth, and Athel Loren
Three
+1 to the casting total of each spell
Elementalism (plus Lustria and Troll)
Four
+1 to the casting total of each spell
Dark Emissary
Five
Normal rules apply
Truthsayer
Six
Normal rules apply
Necromancy (plus Undeath and Nehekhara)
Seven
Normal rules apply
Battle Magic (plus the Lady, Hashut, and Great Maw)
Eight
-1 to the casting total of each spell
Dark Magic (plus Beasts)
Nine
-1 to the casting total of each spell
High Magic
Ten
-2 to the casting total of each spell
Daemonology (plus Daemons, Horned Rat, and Chaos)
Eleven
-3 to the casting total of each spell, but there is so little magical energy here you cannot Miscast or cast a Perfect Invocation
Albion Weather
Whether because it is an island or because of the specific wards of the Old Ones, the weather on Albion tends to be worse than elsewhere in the Old World. Not only that, but it’s changing constantly. These rules determine the effects of the weather on each battle.
At the start of each game round, roll a d6 to determine the Outlook: whether things are getting better or worse. On a 1-2 apply a -1 to the current weather on the weather table. On a 3-4 there is no change. On a 5-6 add a +1 to the weather table. The weather for each game day of the campaign may be pre-set or players may be instructed to randomly generate. Without any other guidance the weather begins at Number 5 – Light Drizzle.
Number
Weather
Effect
1
Hail Storm
Flying models must use their ground movement speed . Effects of Driving Rain and Gales and Showers also apply. -1 results on the Outlook roll have no effect.
2
Driving Rain and Gales
Units take the worst result of the two dice rolled when charging, falling back, fleeing, or pursuing. All missile fire is -1 to hit. War machines that do not use BS to hit need to roll a 3+ on a d6 to fire this round. Effects of Showers also apply.
3
Showers
Treat Forests and Roads as Swamps (dangerous terrain, impassible to war machines and chariots).
4
Light Drizzle and Fog
At the start of a Game Round with this weather roll an artillery dice and multiply by three. That is the distance in inches that models can see. Models cannot declare a target of a charge or attack if they cannot see the target. A misfire means a momentary lifting of the mists and line of sight is treated as normal.
5
Light Drizzle
Everyone expects drizzle in Albion, so no effect.
6
Cloudy Puddles
Pretty nice, but the pooling effects of recent rain treat Forests and Roads as Swamps (dangerous terrain, impassible to war machines and chariots).
7
Ominous Clouds
The clouds hang dark and low in the sky and gather for an imminent cloud burst. Hills and other tall features lose the Vantage Point special rule. Effects of Cloudy Puddles also apply.
8
Lightning Storm
Rain is imminent, and lightning strikes begin to scatter the battlefield. At the start of a round roll a d6 for every unit that is on Open Ground more than 3” away from a piece of terrain taller than them. Add a +1 to that roll if the unit is judged to have significant metal gear. On a 6, that unit is struck by lighting and suffers d6 Str 3 hits with no armor save permitted. Effects of Cloudy Puddles and Ominous Clouds also apply. Also, if an Outlook result of +1 is rolled after a turn of Lighting Storm, the storm truly breaks loose, and the Weather is immediately set to level 1: Hail Storm.
Further updates on campaign specifics, teams, and more will follow as we flesh things out.
It’s time. Another round of one of the best events at Drawbridge Games: Knight Night Fight Night! The game where people bring some of the big baddies of the game to slug it out for glory and to be added to the Knight Night Fight Night Trophy! This is the 4th incarnation, and this time we’re going extra BIG with it! It will be taking place on Thursday, January 30th, 2025 with setup at 6:30pm and first dice thrown at 7:00pm sharp. As always, we’ll have a door prize drawing, so just participating gives you a chance to win!
This time year it’s time for Tag Teams again, where everyone gets a paired team of two Knight-class models. Players can either field two models themselves, or two players can team up as a Tag Team. We also are going to let players “go big” this year if they wish. While it’s Knight Night, this is a good chance for people to field a bigger titan if they so wish to–the point is to keep us modeling, of course! So if you’ve got that Warhound, Ta’unar, or something else massive you’re tinkering with, know it can be included–the one caveat is that you don’t get a Tag Team partner if you field anything larger than Knight class.
Event Rules
Teams of two Knights (can be a single player who brings two, or pairs of players who each have one) will be placed in a central, circular Royal Rumble arena. The goal is to be the last model standing–knocking all of other competitors “out of the ring”–and that last standing model wins the event for their team.
To start the event, all teams will have the points of the two models in their team calculated. The highest two PL total teams will have their models start in the ring. After each round, the next two teams in PL are added to the ring (making their grand entrances, with entrance music if so desired).
Every round of combat all participant Knights in the ring are dealt a playing card, and play turns will run in that order: lowest numbers first, with suit order high-to-low in reverse-alpha to break numerical ties, so Spades > Hearts > Diamonds > Clubs, with Aces low. The active Knight will move, shoot, can charge and fight. Note that models attacked won’t swing back (there’s no ordinary combat phase). The goal is to incapacitate opposing Knight models by taking all of their wounds, which represents knocking them out of the ring (over the top rope). There are a few different special rules we’ll be using that will both help this happen, and give Knights a chance to keep fighting in the ring.
“Recover In the Corner” action: Declare at the start of your turn. Roll 1d6 and recover that many wounds. Can move (including advancing) but cannot fire any weapons, charge, or make any melee attacks until the start of its next turn.
“Re-roll Chip”: Every Knight gets one re-roll chip. Every Tag Team who put up a promo (posted on the Drawbridge Events Facebook page and/or Discord) gets a second re-roll chip per player participating in that promo. The player with the best promo (judged by Enrico) gets a third re-roll chip. Re-roll chips can be exchanged or traded as you wish during the game with other players. They can be spent to re-roll any one d6 roll (including the “Out of the Ring” table or the result of a “Recover in the Corner” action). They can also be spent to get rid of the card you’re dealt at any point for turn order, and be dealt a new random card from the deck. Note that no one will have CP’s to keep things simple, this is a sort of replacement for that.
“Out of the Ring” chart: Whenever a model is reduced to 0 wounds, they immediately must roll on the following chart (any model rules that might trigger on “when reduced to zero wounds” such as exploding are ignored). Conceptually a Battle Royale is about throwing your opponent out of the ring and their feet hitting the ground (indicating they’re out). While we don’t have an actual ring to be thrown out of, these are the results when the participants take those devastating finishing attacks.
Roll
Result
1 “I’ll get you back”
Both feet hit the ground and this model loses. However, they’re not quite ready to accept that. They immediately get a single turn of shooting to try and take an opponent with them (using lowest profile), and then are removed from the board.
2 “Ouch, he’ll feel that one”
Both feet hit the ground and this model loses. It is removed from the board.
3 “Thats a tough break, J.R.”
Both feet hit the ground and this model loses. It is removed from the board.
4 “Hanging on the ropes”
The Knight hangs on, just barely. It is restored to 1 remaining wound, and cannot be targeted any further this round until it acts or until the start of the next round if it has already acted this round.
5 “Push thru the pain”
This model grits its teeth and keeps on fighting. Immediately roll a d6 and restore that many wounds to the model. This model cannot be targeted/damaged any further during the current opponent’s activation.
6 “You just made me angry”
This model channels the punishment into newfound strength. Immediately restore the model to 12 wounds. This model cannot be targeted/damaged any further during the current opponent’s activation.
Painting Requirements: All models participating in Knight Night must be painted to a tabletop standard and based. Part of this hobby is, well, the hobby, so I want to encourage people to paint and get models finished for events. There will be additional chances at prizes for those who paint up a new Knight model for the event.
Tag Team: Players can choose to field two Knights from the following lists, or bring one Knight and team up with another player. You can choose and coordinate teams in advance, and we can also pair up likely allies on the day of the event–so don’t let having just a single Knight limit you. Come and have fun and game with new and old folks in the community alike. Activations are separate by Knight model, but victory goes to the team (even if one of the team member Knights has been eliminated). And we’ll have an extra Knight model with rules on hand in case we have uneven numbers to make certain all who show up can join in the fun.
Knight Options and Choices
Knight Options: Players can choose any non-character Knight from the Imperial Knights or Chaos Knights codex with gear allowable from the data sheet (no relics or warlord traits). No army rules, detachment rules, or upgrades that aren’t part of the basic datasheet entry for the Knight will be used. These are vanilla versions of the data sheets folks. I
When is a Knight not a Knight: We’re not able to allow in every Xenos and Chaos faction, but applications to field other types are allowable if they’re comparable in stature to a Knight (note they may not be comparable in points).
Stormsurge
Wraithknight
Gorkanaut
Morkanaut
Stompa
Lord of Skulls
Seraptek Heavy Construct
Trygon
Mawloc
Go Big: The following is a list of allowed “go big” options. These are “wrestlers” so big that they can be expected to take on a tag team just solo (think Andre the Giant, the Big Show, or Happy Humphrey).
DRAFT VERSION – CHANGES PENDING FROM DRAWBRIDGE NUFFLE HQ
DRAFT VERSION – CHANGES PENDING FROM DRAWBRIDGE NUFFLE HQ
“Welcome back sports fans to another season of Blood Bowl, projected to your home crystal ball live from Cabalvision’s Drawbridge studios. I’m Sir Walter Waffleiron, here as always with my fellow a announcer Snazza “Da Skar”. Snazza, we’ve got a big announcement: the Spooky Skull Cup is coming up, and our participating teams have all been signed!”
“That’s right Walter. And while it’s a big announcement, there sure are some small players amongst the teams this year. It seems like all the cabinets, cupboards, and caves emptied out onto the pitch with all the Snotlings, Gnoblars, Goblins, and Halflings I’m seeing on the rosters.”
“Hey! Halflings live in burrows, thank you kindly. But let’s look at the teams!”
“Snazza, you’ve won the Chaos Cup twice during your time with the Stampa Bay Bucks-n-Steers, and been recognized as an all-career-best Sneaky Stabba by your sponsor: Fozzler & Fozzler, Ettin Attorney at Law. What can fans expect from these line-ups?”
“Well Walter, I expect this chase for the cup to be especially bloody. Ogres, Trolls, Treemen, and Bloaters will be making a mess of the little ones all season. Fans can definitely expect the Bloodweiser Babes to be distributing drinks liberally. Their slogan this season is “Every Kill, Time to Swill”.
“Sounds like a great time!! The winning team will not only take home the glory of cheers from hometown fans and our Sylvanian hosts, but also the Spooky Skull Cup itself.”
“Not only that, but some big money is behind the Spooky Skull Cup this year, which has mean a lot of Star Players flocking to these teams. Expect to see some big names hit the pitch soon!”
So every year Drawbridge Games helps support the Extra Life charity: a window of 24 hours of gaming and fund-raising fun. This year I’m running an event as part of Extra Life, which will be the Eternal Battle at Drawbridge Gulf. It’s a bring-and-play event, and we’re hoping to get as many total points having hit the table as possible during the course of the very long day, to clash in one big 40k game.
Date and Time: November 2nd through 3rd is when the Extra Life game day happens in 2024. At Drawbridge we’ll be running the Eternal Battle 40k game from 8am on the 2nd to 3am on the 3rd. Not the full 24 hours but we’re old. Players can show up at any timing that is convenient to them: I’d love to have folks there for the whole stretch with me, but if you can only show for an hour, that’s of course welcome too.
Game Flow: The game will be one continuous game of Warhammer 40k, where each side’s turn is one hour exactly. We’ll stick to the clock on this pretty strongly, and there are times for a break for both lunch and dinner.
This will use the logic that the Mordian Glory Youtube channel uses for their mega battles: where there may be more points on the table than get used in any given turn, but it represents the units closest to the fighting getting involved. We’ll also have a lot of roadways that can allow models to cover more distance on a turn to place them close to the action for the following turn’s engagement. Each side will have a set of objectives they’re trying to accomplish during the day, and those objectives can change as the game progresses depending on what terrain features the sides decide to explore (to ensure that one side is not immediately just “oh we lost”).
Armies and “Eternal”: There will be two broad sides for this battle, and as players step in and out they can join the appropriate side. That might mean that at times there may be disparities in numbers between the sides, and that’s just fine. As part of the trick to this is that units are all eternal. Once they are destroyed, in their player’s next movement phase the models can be deployed again on the battlefield–and count toward our points totals for the full event. That means that players can join in and have fun whether they are bringing a huge force or just a Combat Patrol worth of models. When players arrive they’ll be placed on a side given the faction they brought and/or the balance of play. Ideally we’ll have the forces line up as follows (note the groups that can be for either side).
We encourage players to bring as many points as they wish to in order to make this a pretty damn epic game, but try to stay within one faction (with some flexibility for units from a closely-allied faction, like a couple of Imperial Knights joining with a larger Blood Angels force). We do ask that people play things as close to WYSIWYG as is possible just to keep confusion at a minimum across so many players and a long day of play. Legends models are allowed as long as they are the GW sculpts of those models.
Extra Life Effects: One of the fun things about Extra Life is that players can make donations to gain extra game benefits. As it’s about the fund-raising ultimately we wanted these to be useful in game.
Other Miscellaneous Notes: All models utilized must be painted to at least three colors, and based is strongly encouraged. Command Points are not used just to keep the battle flowing smooth as we can, so donations are the only way to use Strategems. Please have a roster sheet handy (even if on scratch paper), so when units join the battle or re-join the battle I can update the total participating points total. Also make sure you’ve got a durable source of rules (or a charger if you’re using an electronic source). If you’ve got one-use model rules those things reset if the unit is destroyed and brought back. If you have one-use army-wide rules (like Waaagh) then you can use that rule twice during the game (once in rounds one through four, and once in rounds five through eight).
So it’s already July, which means it’s the perfect time to look forward to Orktober at Drawbridge Games in Pittsburgh, PA. Previous Octobers we’ve done different Ork-themed events at the game store: wacky races, mega-battles, and even a “how many Grots can your vehicle or monster kill” game.
Thursday, October 24th we’ll do a mega-battle game we’re calling Survive the Green Tide: players will bring a smaller-sized force and see how long they can survive and what they can take down against a massive (and recycling) horde of Orks that rush forward and fire indiscriminately… which is no different than usual.
Survive the Green Tide
Players can choose to be on the Ork side and join us GM’s (if they bring Orks) or the player side (anything else). For player-side players, they will each bring a small force of 750 points*, chosen as normal. The Orks will deploy on one side of a massive table, the players on the other side. The goal of the game is to see how long the players survive against the relentless Ork push, as well as what all they manage to take down in the process.
A prize pool will exist for this one, and draws will be added for number of rounds survived, as well as for eliminating the biggest and most units. That means entries for things like most points killed, biggest models killed, most Ork boyz killed, etc. The full list will be provided at the event–players will get kill count tracking sheets for that purpose. Balanced forces may be able to score lots of points, but also specialized boyz killers or tank killers could ensure they win specific things. And survivable units may also be the key. Enter and find out.
As a bonus, players on the non-Ork side can loot their own vehicle for the Orks to includd in their throng. It will use all the rules for the vehicle as normal, except it’s Ballistic Skill will be a 5+ for all weapons (regardless of modifiers like Heavy or other special rules). Players will also get a bonus draw in this big game if they manage to kill the model they made (run by their Ork opponents of course).
Ork players should contact Andrew and Rico to register their interest, and get a sense of how we’ll be handling the battle on the Orks side.
All models must be painted (meaningful attempt) and based to be utilized.
* Note that depending on total amount of Orks available and anticipated number of players, that number may grow or shrink. Our best estimate is that all will be able to field 750 and it’ll work out. But keep in mind we might adjust when we get closer to the timing!
Welcome those who I’ve invited to my newest Dungeons and Dragons campaign! Here is the info you need before we start.
Background
The player characters in this game are all Halflings (pg. 26-28 of Player’s Handbook, Lightfoot subrace, tho using the “Hairfoot” descriptor). You have recently reached adulthood in your community—which is a vast set of small Halfling villages all crowded across a hilly province called The Moot. This is the image of the Moot and Halfling society you should have in your mind (which should be pretty familiar): https://youtu.be/-PcUnqlPA8A?si=uXlWRX2Lp1LCV2QU&t=59.
Part of growing up in the Moot includes a coming-of-age ceremony of sorts—escorting the Fall Harvest wagon of goods to supply the tavern of the most legendary Halfling Paladin, Sir Walter Waffleiron, which is located a few days’ travel beyond The Moot. You and the other young halflings will need to travel a road that transits a dangerous Gnarlthorn Forest for three days to reach the Human settlement where the Tavern is located. This is a moment when Halflings who have always been sheltered in the Moot get to see the outside world, and learn to cope with a bit of danger (but not too much danger). The three worst incidents in recent memory: 1) a journeyer got his leg bit off by a Wolf, 2) a journeyer got a patch of skin on her shoulder necrotized from a bad large spider bite, and 3) an entire group got lost, ran out of rations, and had to eat and drink most of the delivery for the Tavern (until they were found by Sir Walter who came looking for them).
Your character has been training in an adventuring profession alongside their work for the family, but they’re still very much novices in that area. You’ll be starting as a level 1 character.
For purposes of character introductions in our first session, you’ll be giving them as if one of your Halfling parents was talking about you in the local market or pub in The Moot. Think about the way parents talk about their kids when they’re just launching their lives and you’ll be in the right spot for it.
Before the session, come up with your character’s first name. At the start of session one we’ll roll up your two families (each parent’s side) from the chart below. You can choose to take one of them, or hyphenate, but you should record both so you know your family origin (and what families are closer relatives).
1
Banks (related to Puddifoots)
11
Hogg (related to Bolgers)
2
Boffin (related to Bunces)
12
Lightfoot (related to Tüks)
3
Bolger (related to Hoggs)
13
Longhole (related to Grubbs)
4
Burrows (related to Tunnellys)
14
Proudfoot (related to Rumbles)
5
Bunce (related to Boffins)
15
Puddifoot (related to Banks)
6
Chubb (related to Underfoots)
16
Rumble (related to Proudfoots)
7
Cotton (related to Greenhands)
17
Stoor (related to Harfoots)
8
Greenhand (related to Cottons)
18
Tük (related to Lightfoots)
9
Grubb (related to Longholes)
19
Tunnelly (related to Burrowses)
10
Harfoot (related to Stoors)
20
Underfoot (related to Chubbs)
Family Work and Starting Gear
Instead of using the starting equipment rules in the Player’s Handbook, the following determines what your character is carrying when they set out on their journey.
Every character starts with the following gear to be ready for their journey: Bedroll, Backpack, Waterskin, Mess Kit, five days Rations, Flint and Steel, extra pair of clothes (rolled in bedroll or tucked in backpack).
If your class is a spellcaster you get the stuff you need for doing so (spellbook, spell component pouch, holy symbol, focus, etc.).
If your class can wear armor, you can be wearing a suit of Leather Armor.
You may choose one “diversion” choice from the following list, and are carrying that item or set of items: Dice set, Dragonchess set, Playing Card set, Drum, Flute, Lute, Lyre, Horn, Pan Flute, Shawm, Viol, Thieves’ Tools and a practice Lock, Book (novel), Disguise Kit, Calligrapher’s Supplies, Painter’s Supplies, Woodcarver’s Tools, Pipe w/ Pouch of Pipeweed.
In addition, you will have a bit of gear depending on your family’s background. It includes the weapon option that your parent(s) give you to defend yourself on your journey though the forest (pick ONE from the Heirloom weapon list). If your chosen character class cannot normally wield that weapon you get to add it to your list of weapon proficiencies for free as you grew up training with it.
Farmers
Additional three days rations, Pony with Pack Saddle, Pouch with 2gp Heirloom Weapon: Sickle, Trident, or Whip
Blacksmiths
Shield, Steel Mirror, Smith’s Tools, Heavy Apron, Pouch with 10gp Heirloom Weapon: Light hammer or Warhammer
Butchers
Additional three days rations, Iron Pot, Flask of Oil, Apron, Pouch with 3gp Heirloom Weapon: Handaxe or Dagger
Carpenters
Pole, Carpenter’s Tools, Pouch with 3gp Heirloom Weapon: Greatclub or Quarterstaff
Weavers
Chalk (x2), Bar of Soap, Weaver’s Tools, Pouch with 3gp Heirloom Weapon: Dagger or Net
Barbers
Healer’s Kit, Magnifying Glass, Potion of Healing, Pouch with 5gp Heirloom Weapon: Dagger or Darts (x5)
Apothecaries
Vial of Antitoxin, Healer’s Kit, Flask of Alchemist’s Fire, Vial of Perfume, Pouch with 5gp Heirloom Weapon: Sling or Blowgun w/ 5 Needles
Bakers
Additional three days rations, Apron, Pouch with 3gp Heirloom Weapon: Quarterstaff or Greatsword
Millers
Merchant’s Scale, Hooded Lantern, Pouch with 3gp Heirloom Weapon: Sickle or Mace
Clergy
Flask of Holy Water (x2), Pouch with 1gp Heirloom Weapon: Flail or Club
Candlemakers
Candles (x10), Hourglass, Sealing Wax (x2), Pouch with 5gp Heirloom Weapon: Longsword or Battleaxe
Fisherfolk
Additional three days rations, Fishing Tackle, 50 ft Hempen Rope, Pouch with 2gp Heirloom Weapon: Spear, Javelin (x3), or Shortbow w/ 10 arrows in a Quiver
Merchants
Vial of Ink, Ink Pen, Scroll case with 3 pages of Parchment, Vial of Perfume, Pouch with 50gp Heirloom Weapon: Crossbow (light or heavy) w/ 10 bolts in a Quiver or Rapier
Brewers
1 Liter Barrel Keg, Tankard (x2), Brewer’s Supplies, Pouch with 10gp Heirloom Weapon: Club or Quarterstaff
I ask that players coordinate with each other and everyone comes from a different background of family work (e.g. only one Brewer).
Other Miscellaneous Game-Rule Stuff
Ability Scores will be determined by the Variant: Customizing Ability Scores rules on pg 13 of the Player’s Handbook. It’s a point-buy system, and you’ll have 27 points to spend as indicated.
Alignment: Please play characters who care and are concerned with some others in the world. Don’t start as evil characters please (but that can change through your actions).
Character Classes: You’re welcome to take any character classes that appear in the Player’s Handbook, with the following notes. If you’re inclined to take anything from other sources, just send me a link to it first so I can confirm if it’s workable in the campaign.
Bard, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, or Sorcerer: All options fine.
Cleric: Available Deities will be the Greyhawk Deities (pg. 295 of Player’s Handbook) plus Yondalla the Halfling goddess (pg. 296) and Brandobaris, a Halfling God of Stealth and Thievery (not in the Player’s Handbook but a long-time Greyhawk option). Note that Brandobaris followers all claim to worship Yondalla (and her holy symbol works for his followers too). Brandobaris’ suggested domain is Trickery.
Druid: All options fine. For purposes of Wild Shape as you level up, so far in your life you have seen the following animals: Hawk, Owl, Songbird, Sheep, Goat, Rat, Mouse, Pony, Snake, Pig, Dog, Cat, Freshwater Fish, Badger, Deer, Bat, Hedgehog, Mole, and Frog.
Warlock: Most options fine. For your Otherworldly patron, I would strongly advise Archfey. Pick Fiend or Great Old One at your peril.
Wizard: Most options fine. Halfling wizarding training in The Moot is a bit more hedge-magic than formal wizarding, so that limits some options. The schools of magic that you can choose as your Arcane Tradition are limited to: Abjuration, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, and Transmutation. Divination, Conjuration, and Necromancy are not taught in-depth (you can certainly have and use those school’s spells, but cannot select those schools as your Arcane Tradition).
No Barbarians, no Monks, and no Paladins. Sorry, they just don’t fit the vision of this campaign. They may appear in NPC format, but cannot be PCs.
Ravenloft Basics
Okay, so this is info that you as players can know but your characters do not know (“yet” in some cases). I just want to set expectations. There will be segments of this campaign that take place in Ravenloft, a Dungeons and Dragons demiplane that is best described as “Gothic Horror”. We’ll be going for a horror feel to the game—keeping the party as young and naïve Halflings will allow for some fun amidst that.
Things to know about Ravenloft and rules:
Ravenloft is a set of connected Domains, each ruled by a powerful ruler that controls the domain. They can seal their Domain’s borders in a variety of ways (confusing mists, walls of impenetrable thorns, poisons that manifest inside the body of those trying to leave, etc.). In Ravenloft, the land itself is the monster: it’s cursed, evil, and dark… and the populace that reside there lives in various sorts of nervousness and fear (and even the rulers of the domains are prisoners themselves in certain a sense). The commonfolk can be superstitious and suspicious of outsiders, particularly to those that may display physical aspects or magical talents that might be viewed as signs of “evil”.
I’ll be using some of the 2nd Edition (AD&D for the real nerds) rules for the Ravenloft setting, modified to fit with the current 5th Edition (and adapt to 6th if it’s released while we’re playing and we decide to convert). And I’ll be using the 2nd edition fluff, which includes some very cool stuff (like specific Tarot Cards that will be used in the game).
Critical for your player knowledge, that means the following:
Fear Checks and Horror Checks. There will be times when something might scare or unsettle your character, and there will be rules for what check you make and how your character responds if they fail.
Influence of the Land. Ravenloft can have its own influences on those that tread its lands. There may be moments when the demiplane itself seems to speak to your characters—you can choose to listen or not.
Curses. These exist in a way that usual D&D Geas or Bestow Curse spells don’t capture. Curses can happen in Ravenloft, and they will have specific rules for how they manifest. They’re not spell-based, but linked more to the people’s interactions with the land itself. Anyone in Ravenloft can call down a curse if the conditions are right (and they’re not doing so lightly).
Spell Changes: Certain spells behave differently in Ravenloft. Spellcasters should run their potential spell lists past me before selecting any to ensure you know how they’ll be effected. In particular spells that rely on detecting/affecting “Evil” alignment do not work the same way in Ravenloft (they only give Lawful vs Chaotic). And travel spells such as Teleport can be affected as well. Short version: Spellcasters just check with me as you progress, and we can discuss any options you’re thinking of and how they might be affected.
Enter the Mists
That’s it! That should be all you need to draw up your characters, but let me know if you need more info or have any questions. I’m looking forward to guiding adventures in the mists with you all. Oh, and I’ll get a custom mini printed/made for each character once they’re established, and you can either paint them or I’m happy to paint them for you if you like.
Heya Drawbridge Games (Pittsburgh PA) players and hobbyists. I’ve conferred with Enrico and we’re going to do a version of the Games Workshop “Armies on Parade” hobby modeling, terrain, and painting competition. It’s called “Armies Across the Drawbridge”, and it’s a chance to show off a force of painted models on a custom-modeled display base. Judging will take place on September 29th, when the Games Workshop competition is also happening. And entrants must register their participation by signing up in the store by June 30th. Entry fee is $10 and participants must be Gatecrasher Members.
Participants will be invited to bring their board and set it up for the Sunday, September 29th judging session. Judges will do careful consideration (they will do the Best Army, Terrain/Display, and Judge’s Choice), and at the same time visitors to the store will be permitted to cast their votes for the Drawbridge’s Choice winner. And the Judge’s Choice/Best Overall winner will be awarded one Combat Patrol or Vanguard box of the winner’s choice (based on availability).
The Army award will be focused on painting of the models and the Terrain on the actual display board. Judge’s Choice / Best Overall will be for the overall combo of model painting and display creativity. And the Drawbridge’s Choice will be the one that wins the public’s vote.
The display must fit within a board with base dimensions of 2’x2’ (61cm x 61cm). The board and models must be painted to a minimum standard (three colors and based miniatures), but it can certainly be simple. Even just a 2’x2′ piece of chipboard with textured paint and a drybrush will make the army on it pop! And I’m sure people will do even more creative things.
The army must be between 1,000 and 2,000 points for Warhammer 40k, Horus Heresy, Age of Sigmar, or Old World. Models must be a majority Games Workshop models (70%) tho conversions and custom models to enhance your armies are certainly welcome.
Board and miniatures must both be constructed and painted by the participant themselves.
We’ll host some hobby nights where folks can sit and paint and discuss plans/materials/painting/theme. So start getting your force ready to march out!
Forge the story of your own 40k character, and have them enshrined in Drawbridge Games lore. The Legends of Drawbridge campaign is beginning.
This campaign is a set of simple rules to motivate games amongst all 40k players at Drawbridge, and allow us to record our conquests, reward our army HQ’s and players alike, and generate a “Hall of Heroes” to commemorate the campaign. All Drawbridge members are welcome to join in the fun and story-building together.
The campaign focuses on character models, in particular the “generic” character models that each army has, where players can put their own specific spin on them. Could be just naming them and developing a story through games played, tho also conversions and fun modeling projects are welcome. The sections below will detail the campaign rules and the “hall of heroes” rules.
Campaign
The campaign focuses on battles for control of a nebula that divides some Imperial worlds, nicknamed “the Drawbridge Gulf” after the defensive technology on Terra in ages past. Imperial settlements founded the sector: a clustered set of planets composed of two Hive worlds, a Shrine world, a Forge World, and then an Agri-planet across the gulf. But all the other factions have converged fighting forces in the area to try and wrest control of the Drawbridge Gulf. May be out of spite (Chaos), conquest (Tyranids), Lootin’ (Orks), freedom (a Genestealer Cult on one of the Hive Worlds), safety (Aeldari and Drukhari joint raids from a Craftworld), peace (T’au), knowledge (Votann), or just the simple quiet of all life being destroyed (Necrons).
This map will be used to represent the flow of battles between the varied factions. Players can play battles against any other factions, tho we generally encourage only fluff-appropriate clashes (tho even then, rival branches of hive fleets clash and sometimes disagreements happen between Space Marine chapters). As the campaign goes, wins by faction will increase the size of their influence, and loss by faction will decrease the size of their influence. That will determine who is dominating the system–and set up the sides for the culminating mega battle we’ll do to cap the campaign this summer.
Players can connect with each other through the Drawbridge social media connections and chats, the discord server, or just plain saying “hey” at the store (Wednesday and Thursday nights and weekend days tend to be most popular for 40k).
Battles should be generated using the Leviathan mission deck, and can be any points level the players agree upon.
After players have finished a game, each can submit a report using this link (https://forms.gle/vBKm4p3Gm7cNfnx18) with the info about the results to help track the progress overall, and to the track the successes and failures of their Rising Legend character from the force (see below).
Hall of Heroes
The main “campaign” element of this is the advancement of the heroes who lead your forces. These must be characters of your own invention, having a specific name you’ve given them (tell their story!). If you want to use a “named character” from 40k that you’ve heavily converted to be your own, that’s allowable as long as the model is converted somewhat for that purpose. If the characters come with a unit (e.g. Astra Militarum Command Squad or a Votann Grimnyr) then the player can choose to name and add the story of the entire unit. These characters will be referred to as “Rising Legends”.
Each time you play a battle where your Rising Legend is fielded, keep track of the following: whether their force wins or loses, whether they were removed from play as a casualty or ended the battle still on the table, and what all units they engaged in combat with (shot at, was shot by, melee’d with, or otherwise faced off in dramatic way). You can then report this in the reporting link shared above.
Once a Rising Legend has participated in three battles, we’ll arrange to take a good photo of the model and they will be included in the “Hall of Heroes” for the campaign. Hall of Heroes characters need to be painted and based for this reason, but it can be whatever level of painting (no judgement, we just want to commemorate them!). For every two subsequent battles where the character takes the field, they will then unlock a Special Leader Ability to affect games representing their mastery of the battlefield. These are designed to be fun and fluffy abilities, that have a bit of an effect on the battlefield but more represent ways to challenge modification and storytelling about the character.
We’ll have a dedicated page on this blog detailing the Hall of Heroes, all the Legends of Drawbridge, including: a short backstory and in-campaign history, attribution to you as a player, and notes about what their special abilities are for our campaign games so it’s all visible to players. My hope is that this system gives us good incentives for playing the games and telling the tales of our battles together, and building a shared narrative for the Drawbridge community about some of the most notable Legends to walk these tables.
And when we’re done, if people really put time and effort into this one, I’ll be making a big high-quality poster with photos of all the Hall of Heroes Legends and your names to hang on the walls of Drawbridge to commemorate them and their battles.
Special Leader Abilities
This list will be growing as we go, so if there is something you think would be cool to add you can let me know and I’ll see about including it. These things should be characterful and flavorful, but not game-breaking. The idea is a fun way to enhance the “way” that your character leads their forces. Do they form the tip of the spear or lead from the back? Have they suffered a number of defeats and doggedly fight on with scars, or do they move across battlefields with un-touched destructive grace?
Master Tactician
This character knows how to command a battlefield, and keep the battle flowing in an advantageous direction.
Once per game, upon drawing a secondary mission card, if this character is not yet removed as a casualty then that secondary mission card can be discarded and a new one drawn immediately to replace it.
Signature Transport
This character always arrives at the battle in their signature vehicle, which their warriors recognize and respect.
When this model is embarked in a dedicated transport vehicle, that vehicle counts as them for purposes of conveying rules to other models (e.g. if they buff nearby models, that buff works from the vehicle) or rules that work if they are on the battlefield.
Advanced Senses
Whether via a scanning device or heightened senses (biomorph, daemonic), this character can spot the weak points of opposing forces
Once per game, when nominated to shoot or fight in melee, this model can declare it’s using its advanced senses. For that phase’s attacks the model can ignore any modifiers to dice rolls that they wish.
Advanced Armoring
A variety of sources (better equipment, defensive plating, new chitinous growths), but they all function the same: this character is more difficult to kill.
Once per game this model may re-roll one failed Armor or Invulnerable saving throw
Assistant, Lackey, Adjutant, or Crony
This character gains a companion to assist it on the battlefield. Assistants help with logistics and medical treatments. Lackeys bear useful equipment and extra ammo. Adjutants support their command. Cronies do their dirty work.
This model gains an additional companion model. The model is treated like other “marker” models (e.g. bomb squigs). They confer a once-per-game effect and are removed from the game when they are used. They must be on the battlefield to use the ability, and they are removed from play if the Leader they are attached to is killed. They have the following effect based around their type: Assistant: Restore one lost wound to the character (cannot be used on a model reduced to zero wounds) Lackey: Re-roll either one to-hit or one to-wound roll with a ranged weapon Adjutant: Immediately remove the Battle-Shocked condition from a unit within 24” of the leader Crony: At the start of the combat phase, immediately inflict one mortal wound on an opposing unit within 1” of the leader model Note: This must be represented by a model custom-built to be this add-on for this character.
Operational Protection
Whether interference fields or air support, this character is able to prevent enemies from surprising them and the core of their force
Enemy models arriving from reserve, deep strike, or any other placement method, cannot be placed within 12” of this character (rather than the usual 9”, and this also means models that normally could deploy closer also cannot).
Favored Terrain
This character has a knack for picking good spots for a fight
After terrain has been set up, deployment zones decided, and objective markers placed, but before armies are deployed, if this character is on the battlefield the player controlling it can change the location of one piece of terrain. Roll 2d6 and move the piece in any direction up to that many inches.
Fleet Command
This character has close connections to the air assets available to it.
Aircraft models in this character’s army can deploy on the board during deployment (rather than being forced to be in reserves).
Grudge Against ____
This character bears a grudge against an opposing faction commander it has faced multiple times.
This character gains the “Precision” key word for all attacks that target a specific opposing Rising Leader’s unit. In addition, it can re-reroll one to-hit roll against that Rising Leader once per game. And it can also re-roll one to-wound roll against that Rising Leader once per game. Note: This can only be selected if you’ve faced the same opponent’s Rising Leader twice, and it gets affixed to that specific Rising Leader for the rest of the campaign.
Make Way for the Real Boss
This character has been just a lieutenant, or their force has only been a feint that allows the real threat to emerge. The real commander is about to hit the battlefields of the Drawbridge Gulf sector.
This one is a bit more meta to the campaign than the others. It allows a Rising Legend to be retired and replaced with a different model. When selecting, this model is removed from the Hall of Heroes. A new Rising Leader is conveyed to the campaign organizers, and they are treated as if they have participated in three games and thus get added to the Hall of Heroes. This is so that people who change their minds amidst a campaign or want to bring a different sort of model later on when they develop a larger force (or just decide on a cool conversion) can do so. It’s a way of trading a Rising Legend with more battles played for a new model to be one’s inclusion in the Hall of Heroes.
NOTE: If any of these end up being broken or abusable, we reserve the right to adjust them accordingly (and the Rising Legend can choose a different ability or the revised version in that case).
Hi Drawbridge gamers! So my last post teased that at Drawbridge Games in Pittsburgh, PA we’re doing a big map campaign to re-fight the Siege of Terra, and that I was recruiting “Leads” to organize the various factions. This post has the first battles that we’ll arrange, as well as the guidelines for what makes this a campaign not just for the store (the progress over the map), but for each participant. Get ready to forge your own Legend of the Siege of Terra: whether one of the Emperor’s staunchest allies, or one of Chaos’ most deadly warriors.
First Phase Battles
Given the Factions that we have represented and the Chaos plan to take at least one Space Port to begin landings of forces in earnest, the following types battle sites are up for conflict in the first window of play. Players can arrange games using any of the types of forces present as listed in each conflict during this point of the campaign (and you’ll see it’s a pretty wide array in most cases). When players submit results that will affect the overall progress in each zone based mostly around what they are fielding in the game–this represents the fact that battles were flowing all over Himalaysia and the varied sites of the palace in the Chaos (pun intended) of Horus’ first landings. The results will affect the first advances on the map. There are some special mission parameters you’ll note as part of these first games, based around some of the initial battles of the Siege of Terra: wave attacks under bombardment cover against air defenses, drop groups of assault troops trying to take Space Ports, and conflict over the Third Wall trench emplacements at the very edge of the Imperial Aegis. Players should choose one of the three types of encounters, and build their scenario based around the very loose requirements as listed below. If anyone is interested in including a game of Aeronautica Imperialis let me know and I’ll do up missions for those (and play them with ya).
Rushing Air Defenses: Can be 40k, 30k, or Legions Imperialis. Chaos are engaging in massed assault and wave attacks to try and strike under cover of their bombardments (orbital and artillery) to take out even just one air defense emplacement to help them gain a better foothold.
For games of 40k, use the Leviathan deck with the following set-up:
The primary mission is Purge the Foe, but only the “In Every Battle Round” portion–there are no primary vp scored for objective control in this battle. The Mission Rules of Scrambler Fields applies to both forces in this battle, and the Minefields Mission rule applies to the Chaos side. The Chaos Attacker uses the Fixed Secondaries rule and must take Behind Enemy Lines and Storm Hostile Objective. The Imperial Defender uses the Fixed Secondaries rule and uses Assassination and the Defend Stronghold (yes, Defend Stronghold is not normally a fixed objective.. and in this case it scores 3vp at the end of each opponent’s turn after the first battle round–ignore the “or at the end of the battle” line). For deployment use the following layout. The two buildings in the Defender’s deployment zone each should have one objective marker placed at the center of them (for purposes of the Attacker scoring Storm Hostile Objective and the Defender scoring Defend Stronghold).
For games of 30k or Imperialis, do your best to replicate these sort of conditions for the battle using the rules for those systems.
Drop Group Assault: Kill Team. Peturabo’s careful calculations revealed a weakness in the Aegis shields covering the grounds of the Palace, and found ways to overload sections–and deploy aircraft into that space in the moment when it was lifted. This mission represents a group of Chaos attackers who were dropped off by their force landers to cause havoc, and in particular interfere with Imperial command-and-control signals.
This battle should be done with regular industrial Kill Team terrain (representing the access area alongside a relatively open site where the Chaos transport could have landed to drop off the force). It should use Mission 3.3 Master the Terminals from the Core book.
Third Wall Trench Fight: Can be 40k, 30k, Legions Imperialis, or Kill Team. Chaos are engaging the outermost defenses of the Imperial Palace fortifications and are fighting amidst a battlefield tangled with trench lines–trying to grab just as much terrain as they can from each other. The board for this mission should include as much trench-like terrain as can be managed, including lots of line-of-sight blocking elements to simulate attackers making their way through damaged areas.
For games of 40k, use the Leviathan deck with the following set-up:
The Primary Mission is Priority Targets. Both Chaos Attacker and Imperial Defender have the Fixed Secondaries rule, and both use the Engage on All Fronts and Behind Enemy Lines objectives. The Deployment card is Dawn of War.
There is no Mission Rule, but there is the special condition that units with any version of a “sticky objectives” rule (retaining control of an objective after the unit has moved away) do not have that rule for purposes of this battle. You’ve got to cling to the terrain you’re capturing in the trenches.
Again, 30k or Imperialis games should be made similar to the above as best you can with those system rules.
Kill Team battles should be done with the Into the Dark rules (tunnels amidst the trench works). Play mission 2.3 Maze Breakout, with Chaos as the Attacker (they’re trying to break thru the lines).
When you’ve completed one of these battles
Please take a minute to fill out the Drawbridge Siege of Terra results form (I’ll circulate the link on all our channels we communicate with, or just text me and I’ll send it). That will list which mission was played, which factions were involved, which side won, and then any Legends of the Siege information… which if you’re interested in what that is read onward!
“Legend of the Siege” System
The Siege of Terra focuses on the characters at the core of the story, from greats like the Primarchs, Fafnir Rann, and Ezekyle Abaddon, to the most humble or low warriors who yet make a difference, such as Katsuhiro the Guardsman or Azmedi the Beastman. In addition to the battles affecting the map, you can select up to three models that you are seeking to create as Legends of the Siege. They can be named characters (including Primarchs on either side) from the lore or characters of your own invention: in which case they need to have a specific name you’ve given them for your own story purposes. Each player can have at least one of their “characters” be a squad as well to tell that sort of story. Each time you play a battle where that rising Legend is represented (only one per game can be “present”), keep track of the following: whether their force wins or loses, whether they were removed from play as a casualty or ended the battle still on the table, and what all units they engaged in combat with (shot at, was shot by, melee’d with, or otherwise faced off in dramatic way). I’ll be circulating the link to all players to use for submitting battles (as listed above), and at the bottom you will see the spot to record these details. Once a rising Legend has participated in three battles, we’ll arrange to take a good photo of the model and they join the Legends of the Siege proper. For every two subsequent battles where they have a notable moment (group gets to decide if so) they will then unlock a special ability to affect games representing their mastery of the battlefield. There will also be special missions to have the dramatic personae of our stories face off. We’ll have a dedicated page on this blog detailing every Legend of the Siege, a little backstory and in-campaign history, attribution to you as a player, and notes about what their special abilities are for our campaign games. I’d strongly encourage doing up one for each Faction you’re playing in the campaign, and seriously–they can be anything from Primarch to Skitarii Team #294C21.
My hope is that this system gives us good incentives for playing the games and telling the tales of our battles together, and building a shared narrative for the Drawbridge community about some of the most notable Legends to walk these tables. If we like this system, after the Siege of Terra concludes in September/October, I’ll cook up a similar galaxy wide thing where we use a Rising Legends system for all factions writ large (to allow our Xenos fun too!).
And when we’re done, if people really put time and effort into this one, we’ll get a big printed poster made to display at Drawbridge with all the details of the Legends of the Siege to commemorate them there too!
This is the vision for a big set of narratively-driven games between Drawbridge Games players designed to culminate in a couple set-piece mega battles near the end of the year. The campaign will make use of the Horus Heresy board game from Games Workshop (an absolute classic), with the twist that results of battles will determine the outcome of the conflicts on the board. Players can include games of Warhammer 40k, Horus Heresy, Legions Imperialis, Kill Team, and even Aeronautica to affect the outcome of each round of conflicts. Players can also take multiple sides and fill multiple forces (e.g. I may usually fight with my Astra Militarium, but I can also contribute my Nurgle Daemons to a different battle). There will be a “Lead” for each major grouping present in the war, which will be discussed below–their role will be to confer with players to get games played, encouraging painting of forces for their faction, and choosing the movements on the map each round. The goal is to fight a number of games and track them here as the Drawbridge community together builds a heap of forces that all re-fight this most classic story in 40k together. Then we’ll hold (likely in August or September) a huge mega-battle to finish things up with the final massed assault on the walls–followed by a special event where the Emperor and his chosen few do a teleport attack onto Horus’ battle barge to end things once-and-for-all.
Siege of Terra – Initial Landing Location
That’s the initial map of where the Imperial Forces set up (rounded corners and blue borders) and where the Chaos initial invasion forces landed (pointed corners and red borders) plus spots where Imperial Guard Regiments turned traitor and an initial surge of Cultists as well (Chaos’ initial stratagem card played). Here’s the legend:
And lest you think that the Chaos forces have only a few attacking units, don’t forget that they’re trying to create a landing zone to bring down their overwhelming numbers in Orbit. As well as weaken the Emperor’s aegis that prevents a full-scale demonic incursion from the warp.
And yes the close-eyed amongst you: Leagues of Votann will have a role in this too due to the Chaos Squats amidst the Khorne and Nurgle forces.
Faction Leads and Initial Battles
You’ll notice that despite being able to do so, we didn’t start any of the Chaos in spots with Imperial Forces–which would force an immediate battle there. Instead, we’ll round up interested players and put together the database of info of who is playing what, then allow those player numbers decide where the first attacks are launched. Do we have a lot of Death Guard players or Traitor Guard folk? This story will start with the factions present but be ours to tell with what we the players focus on making, painting, and fielding. Players will be assigned specific missions to play with each round and game style, so that everyone can be a part of the telling of this grand tale.
Imperial Faction
Lead
Players
Imperial Guard
Andrew
Dave F., Sean, Tony, MegaBlazeiken
Imperial Fists
Tony
Brian (Imp Fists Templar Brethren)
Blood Angels
Gwen
White Scars
Adeptus Mechanicus
Sean
Loyalist Titan Legions and Knights
Sean
Andrew
Custodes
Colton
Alex, Tony
Arbites
Fortifications and Terrain
Andrew
That’s the Loyalists, now here’s the Chaos Leads:
Chaos Faction
Lead
Players
Sons of Horus
World Eaters
Alex
Enrico
Emperor’s Children
Dave F., Philip (?)
Death Guard
Ron
Thousand Sons
Mike T.
Iron Warriors
Alex
Night Lords
Word Bearers
Ray
Alpha Legion
Alex
Dark Mechanicum
Amos
Traitor Guard and Beastmen
Dave F., Andrew
Chaos Squats (Votann)
Ron
Khorne Daemons
Slaanesh Daemons
Philip (?)
Nurgle Daemons
Andrew
Tzeentch Daemons
Chaos Titan Legions and Knights
Dave F.
Ray
Siege Terrain and Oddities
So first things first. Reach out to me. Let me know what you’d like to field, what you’re willing to field, and what you’d like to work on. This is the perfect opportunity to build a small force for a new faction, or go hog wild on a faction you’ve always wanted to do. As the battles unfold we’ll have special rules, immortalize commanders who distinguish themselves, and just plan have fun sets of games together re-telling the Siege of Terra with our own forces! Even a single unit is welcome to paint up and pair up and be part of the chaos (pun intended). From small forces to massive clashes, we’ll tell some great tales.
Red Ones Go Faster 