The Labyrinth Lord sandbox game is on! We've played twice already and it's been a lot of fun although there are some details in the game mechanics to improve. The rules are new to all the players and I've been DMing 3.x for to long. Reading Philotomy's OD&D Musings and Quick Primer for Old School Gaming over and over, as well as other articles about what a sandbox game is supposed to be, has been of great help to put me on the right path.
Session #1: After a group of caravan guards got into trouble at the local tavern (The Crooked Billet) and ended in baron Fent's dungeons, for almost killing Kragg, the tavern half-orc bouncer, Brenner, a worried merchant aproached the party for help. The party, composed by Kratos the Veteran, Vanon Acolyte of Trithereon, Scarlet the Prestidigitator (illusionist), Phillip the men-at-arms (Scarlet's hireling), Tamryn the Rogue and Brom the Ranger (NPC), agreed for a fair price to help the merchant end his journey. They were to go from Ramshorn to Glendour, the cross the Gloomfens to Broomsage abbey and finnaly to Stornawane.
Over the next days across the snow covered moors and misty fens the party fended off several attacks: an albino ape (by throwing some rations), a tiger (which was later skinned by the ranger), a pack of wolves (blinded with a color spray) and several ghouls (turned by the cleric).
This session had some roleplay to get the characters together and several encounters (a lot of 1's in the wandering monsters checks) that allowed to test the combat sequence.
Session #2: At Broomsage Abbey the cleric was to meet Morris an old friend and Cyndorian priest. The priest asked for help to recover a relic (a human sized marble statue) stolen by bandits. The abbey resorted to the baron of Stornawane for help but he dismissed the plea. It seems the baron who, as many others, uses these bandits as enforcers and mercenaries in border wars, doesn't want to act against them. Not knowing what to do he sent for his friend and now offered him a very generous reward to get the relic back before the Festival of Forever which will be held in a month. The cleric promised to help after ending his contract with the merchant.
At the end of the journey in Stornawane the merchant payed them a bonus and also offered them to get bonded with the Merchant's Guild. All but the cleric accepted to bond. After that the cleric, fighter and man-at-arms went looking for some action so I decided to use Chgowiz's post about ladies (or dudes) of the night. At the last minute Scarlet's player decided her hireling to head back. The other two rolled a d100 to see what kind of company they find and I rolled a d20 to see the consequences. On the d100 the cleric rolled a 15 (brazen strumpet) and the fighter an 81 (expensive doxy), and on the d20 I rolled an 8 (disease) both times! They'll start felling the symptoms soon...
Back to the tavern (The Leather Exchange) from the fun, the celric told the rest of the party about the stolen relic and all agreed to accompany him back to the abbey. At the abbey they asked for several supplies (horses, a cart, arrows, rations, a longword and a dagger) before leaving for the hills where the bandits were supposed to have their hideout. To reach the hills they crossed a forest where they were attacked by a pack of dire wolves. After dealing with the wolves, they encountered another party (they were in fact bandits patrolling) composed by 4 men and 3 orcs. When questioned about what they were doing in the forest, both groups lied to each other. The party said they were looking for wolves and the bandits said they were bounty hunters after a half-orc wanted for murder. After bidding farewell they both continued their way, the bandits double backed to follow the party and the party sent the ranger to see if they were being followed. The dices said the ranger was not seen and that allowed the party to set up an ambush.
They made a campsite on elevated ground and hid in the surroundings: the thief climbed a tree, the cleric and fighter in the cart, the illusionist and her man-at-arm in a ground depresion and the ranger in the bushes. The illusionist made an image of the fighter as being the only on watch. They were to wait the ranger's attack to spring the trap. The bandits approached the camp in a wide arc with the 3 orcs in the center and the 4 humans split 2 to left and 2 to the right. When the orc charged uphill to attack the lonely guard one of them fell dead with an arrow in the chest. The fighter and cleric jumped from the cart attacking the remaining orcs who belived the illusion and were then outnumbered 3 to 2. The thief unhung herself onto one human (I ruled it counted as a backstabbing) killing him on the spot but leaving her face to face with the leader. With the surprise lost the bandits put up a fierce fight, but fell one by one, until only the leader remained and, after being severly wounded, surrendered.
This session had a lot more roleplay and big encounter that allowed the party to hone their skills working together as a group.
Until next session!
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