Securing the Raven's March Pt 1

Right under the "O"

I have started an ACKS campaign, set in the world of Proxima. I am starting the players off in Northeast Elysion.
This area has only been settled for the past 70 years or so, and the players will inhabit an area at the edge of this civilization. I imagine this area is filled with hardy woodsman villages and small farming hamlets. The players are starting in the small village of Westbrook, in an area under the control of Baron Valerio.

I have two players that each rolled up two characters each. The party consists of a Fighter (Trebor), a Mage (Osparagus the Bitter), a Cleric (Erick Celtigar), and a Bard (Korian Lightheart).

Trebor the Fighter was living with his uncle, a woodcutter, after Trebor's father had died in a military campaign. Osparagus the Bitter was trying to be a hermit as he slowly approached middle age. Eric Celtigar was apprenticing at the small parsonage under the local aging priest. And Korian Lightheart had been entertaining for his meals at the small public house.

The locals have heard of the failed excursion through the Green Pass recently. Also, in the past two days, there have been reports from Westbrook's neighbor, Applethorn, of dead and missing livestock, as well as theft and ransacked storehouses. The inhabitants of Westbrook have thus been uneasy and on edge.

May 14th Caudex Annales 71 AUP

Just before dawn, smoke and the glow of fire was seen in the direction of Datherby farm. Elder Silas, the leading authority figure in Westbrook formed a posse of the town's best combatants: Trebor, Osparagus, Erick, Korian, Silas himself, and three able-bodied peasants. Had it not been for the troubling news as of late Silas would have formed a bucket brigade instead.  The posse marched determinedly towards the farm, while Korian Lightheart bolstered their courage with an inspiring tale.  

*Only 2 feet tall

The group arrived at the farm just as the sun rose. In the dawn light, and the flickering flames they saw a gang of cavorting and shrieking kobolds. The kobold's bloodlust was at a frenzy and they charged the approaching humans. However, Osparagus immolated the lead kobold with a fiery magic missile. Seeing their comrade meet his demise stole the courage from the kobolds and they made a fighting withdraw, only to be cut down by magic and sweeping strikes from Trebor's polearm.

In the farmhouse the party found Mr. and Mrs. Datherby. Mr. Datherby had been killed instantly by the kobolds, but Erick Celtigar was able to save Mrs. Datherby by using Lay On Hands. Mrs. Datherby would eventually recover, but her wounds had left her lamed. 

Silas instructed the peasants to take Mrs. Datherby back to town, and send runners to the nearby Fort Bragendale. Meanwhile, Erick, and Korain had been moderately wounded in the exchange, and the party decided to rest at the farm for the day. During this time they burned the kobold corpses, and buried Mr. Datherby. Before nightfall, a very winded peasant arrived to say that a contingent of guards would arrive from Fort Bragendale in a day or so.

Intense life or death struggle!

In the morning, the party set out following the Kobold tracks to their source. Half a day into the wilderness the party found an abandoned campsite near a stream. Korian again bolstered the party as a bellow of challenge issued from the other side of the stream. A hulking Lizardman and several more kobolds rushed across the stream. The Lizardman nearly smashed Silas into the ground, but Silas was able to just barely survive the blow. A the kobold charge was blunted by polearm and warhammer, but the little beastmen's courage held. however, after the third magic missile, the Lizardman brute was finally slain, and with him went the kobold's taste for fighting. They were cut down as they fled, with the final kill being claimed by the mage's staff!

The party then recovered some of the raider's stolen loot, chief of which was a set of +1 Leather Armor! The party also found a note carried by the lizardman written in a language they could not decipher.

Silas recommended the party take the note to Rythey Tower, to inform Baron Valerio of what happened, as well as to seek someone capable of reading the note. With that, the party returned to Westbrook.

Overall I enjoy the ACKS system very much for skirmish level encounters. I was very worried about the mortality of my players, but the morale system for monsters and NPCs really balanced that out. The combat felt very heroic thanks to the Cleave attack rules, which let a character attack again after killing a monster. Also, charging with spears and polearms featured heavily in our two combats. Despite owning both encounters, my players felt mortal, and I like that. The ACKS system has rules for just about everything, giving the Game Master a clear idea of what should be happening. The trouble is finding those rules in a timely manner. I will be working on a GM screen of useful tables to have close at hand.