Start of a Rangers of Shadow Deep Campaign

Rangers of Shadow Deep is a solo/cooperative game by Frostgrave author Joseph McCullough.  It uses a slightly modified version of the very versatile Frostgrave system.  The concept is that small groups of Rangers, think Aragorn-type heroes, serving the fantasy Kingdom of Alladore battle an encroaching negation called the Shadow Deep, think the Nothing from The Neverending Story.  The rules contain a number of programmed scenario that are linked into larger narrative missions.  A campaign system allows you to further develop the characters.  I decided to try a few adventures solo.

Here's my part of rangers - Sir Osmer of rey, a younger son serving with the Alladorian Rangers in hopes of making a name for himself.  His father at least provided him with some mercenaries to keep him alive: a pair of Lygoshi barbarians, Kyra the Red and Bogdan the Black (this latter is an homage to my very first D&D character that I ran for too many years to count), and Hanali the Wood Elf.  Sir Osmer was actually created as an NPC "companion" in game terms while I created the other three as player characters.  The three main heroes are from Hero Forge while Sir Osmer is from the Dracula's America line of figures from North Star.

I started with the basic scenarios in the rule book.  The first mission, "The Missing," consisted of two scenarios. The first is the "Deserted Village."  Our heroes had to investigate an now abandoned village which has been overrun by zombies, as well as a few giant rats.

 There were several clue markers around the village.  After dispatching the few visible zombies and rats, the party split into two teams up to investigate the buildings in the village.  The buildings are from a Russian company called Umbum and are wonderfully detailed, very easy to build, and pretty reasonable price-wise.

This led to the toughest part of the game when Bogdan and Hanali found themselves surrounded by four zombies and rat swarm (the scenario called for giant rats but I only had rat swarm pieces.)

With no small amount of luck, including a judicious use of a reroll special ability, the pair proved victorious.  Although it was a win for the party with only minor wounds suffered, the experience and treasure gained were only moderate.  They did discover strange tracks which led them to the second scenario in the mission:

The "Infected Trees" scenario, wherein our heroes discover that the village had been destroyed by a nest of giant spiders.  The heroes had to destroy the nest, including the four (later five) trees infected by the spiders, as well as free any villagers who might still be alive after being ensnared in the spiders' cocoons.

 The game opened with Hanali getting a lucky shot in, killing the closest spider.  This set the tone for the rest of what proved to be quick game.  Hanali would shoot at a distance and the rest of the party would move up to kill each spider in turn.  Luck with the random events draw helped a great deal with the party having plenty of time to dispatch the individual spiders.  Freeing three villagers from the cocoons also gave a boost in numbers for ganging up on the spiders.

In no time, all of the spiders were killed, the infected trees set a flame and three grateful villagers saved.  This ended the introductory mission on a high note and allowed the heroes to advance an experience level. 

The next mission in the book is "The Beacon Tower," in which the rangers must discovery what has happened at Tor Varden, a beacon tower on the kingdom's border with which contact has been lost.  I only had time to play the first scenario of the three-part mission.  On the way to Tor Varden, the heroes find their way blocked at a bridge occupied by a force of evil Gnolls, servants of the Shadow Deep.

The bridge was heavily guarded and several archers patrolled the closer bank of a rushing torrent.

Our heroes managed to sneak up on the bridge and positioned themselves to ambush the Gnolls.

Hanali uncharacteristically misses her bow shot.

Bogdan is luckier with his throwing axe.  A nearby Gnoll archer comes to investigate and is struck down as well.

 However this alerts the rest of the Gnolls who swarm our heroes.

In the ensuing melee, Kyra the Red is struck down.

Hanali and Sir Omser, having killed anothe Gnoll archer, rush to Bogdan's aid.  On the way, Hanali spots a flock of messenger crows, likely sending a warning to the new occupiers of Tor Varden.  She manages to knock them from the sky.  (The scenario calls for a vulture but I only had a crows available - the rules themselves suggest being flexible about using substitute figures.)

Bogdan duels with the Gnoll Sergeant who with great difficulty is overcome.

Unexpected help arrives.  A survivor from Tor Varden's garrison has escaped and appears on the farther shore.  He attacks the two Gnolls left in camp and with great luck manages to slay both of them.

Hanali, who has a Heal spell revives Kyra and the reunited party defeat the remaining Gnolls.

The last surviving Gnoll attempts to retreat across a nearby ford but is intercepted by Sir Osmer and the Tor Varden survivor, a man-at-arms named Helmer.

With the river crossing secured, the party prepares to set off for the tower itself.

This was where I had to stop but I hope to be returning to this adventure soon.