Rolling Solo. Knaves in the Woods
Rolling Solo New School Revolution

Rolling Solo. Knaves in the Woods

Duncan Thomson

The solo adventures of the Green Cave Comrades continues with Knave

Regrouping

After the first session, Marge was the only survivor of a novice group and then lead the Green Cave Comrades to more deaths in the woods.

Back at the keep, Marge talked it over with Alonso and Synnal. Marge looked at her debts and was determined to continue. They decided their best options was to investigate the ruins the hermit had told them about

Finding Milo who had fled the caves before, he agreed to join them with if his cousin could also come. As he could cook Lais was accepted straight away. Synnal hired a couple of locals to serve him and Marge deciding to splash out on a standard bearer.

Asking around, Marge found someone wanting a small box taken to the Ruins of Pozstone. All they had for details was someone called Elise who would have payment for them. Shrugging Marge took the box and hoped for the best. Gathering supplies they headed out

(Card - Unexpected Journey, sense of adventure, another Laketown, part of a larger quest)

Going to Knave

Basic was the first thing I worked with but I'm moving onto Knave

A classless system using osr (old school rules) ,game principles, Knave mixes in modern ideas, which fits on 7 pages. It's a brutal system for an older style of play. It's small enough to run on a few printed out pages.

I've also built a small Character Gen for it.

The characters converted over are

Marge Greenfingers - leader of the Green Cave Comrades

Str +3 Dex +1 Con +1 Int +2 Wis +1 Cha +1, HP 6, Level 1, neutral

Sinewy, narrow face, rosy skin, ponytail, patched clothes, ambitious, vengeful, blunt speech, herbalist, replaced. Likes gardening, obsessive about certain foods

Gear - Gambeson, silver dagger, bow, rope, 2 large sacks, sword, poor clothes quiver of 20 arrows

Alonso - scout and founding member of GCC

Str +2 Dex +4 Con +2 Int +1 Wis +1 Cha +1, HP 8, level 1, neutral, halfling

Impish face, sunburned skin, curly hair, oversized clothing, generous, deceitful, booming voice, cleric, condemned Inherited a few servants he looks after (outlawed sect)

Gear - Gambeson, shortbow and arrows, shortsword, lockpicks

Synnal - scholar and founding member of GCC

Str +1 Dex +1 Con +1 Int +4 Wis +1 Cha +2, HP 6, level 1, neutral

Scrawny, delicate face, sallow skin perfumed clothing, idealistic, irascible, formal speech, charlatan, pursued Elven blood, sweet tooth, meals of sweets

Gear - Book with detect magic, silver dagger, pulleys, 5 candles, tongs, cook pots

Milo - mercenary Level 1 neutral male.

Str +3 Dex +3 Con +3 Int +1 Wis +2 Cha +1, HP 6, level 1, neutral

Sinewy, burnt round face, sallow skin, eccentric clothes, wispy hair, righteous but deceitful, stuttering speech, mutilated ears. Was hired by group who died at the Caves of Chaos. Was hired by group who died at the Caves of Chaos

Gear - Brigandine armor, tent, 5 torches, pick, spyglass, halberd

Lais - cook

Str +2 Dex +1 Con +1 Int +1 Wis +2 Cha +1, HP 6, Level 1, Lawful

Gaunt, ratlike face, weathered skin, mohawk, elegant clothing, righteous but flippant, quaint speech, cook, demoted. Cousin of Milo

Gear - Shield, spear, 5 spikes, waterskin, pick, trumpet

Encounter Rolls

As they are travelling through the wilderness we'll be using the random tables created in Worldbuilding with Random Tables

For each day of travel I'm rolling a d20, with an encounter on or above the activity number for the terrain (a 16 or more most of the time). A 20 is an encounter at night.

Following Forest Trails

The first day was quiet but on the second are Forest Encounters table gave results of Herd and Preparing Defences. Being unsure I drew a card and got "Attempted Murder".

The card indicated a miserable noble hiding out here after someone tried to poison them in an inn. They are a competent hunter and can survive on their own.

Ahead was a watch tower and a herd of water buffalo.

Alonso spooked the buffalo and retreat from a warning crossbow bolt from the tower and a shout in Common to come no further.

Marge sets them to wait. Lais suggests killing one for food. As supplies were low they agreed.

Scatter buffalo on first try, succeed on 2nd attempt, kill buffalo in ranged and hand to hand, but not before it tramples Milo. Lais claims Milo's equipment and butchers the cow. They built a pyre for Milo. Send Synnal with meat to noble and gets a 20. Female noble is smitten with him.

A Competent Guide

Tiberia joins them for food and chats with them around campfire. Tells of guards from keep who let her use the tower.

Tiberia - noble tracker

Str +1 Dex +1 Con +4 Int +2 Wis +4 Cha +2, HP 8, Level 1, lawful

Rugged physique, square face, tattoo (noble), topknot, patched clothing, merciful, rude, tracker, demoted, paranoid about being poisoned, smitten with Synnal

Gear - Brigandine, grappling hook, 50 ft rope, saw, soap, crossbow and bolts

In the morning they burn Milo and send him off. His cousin Lais says words and plays a tune on the trumpet. Set off late, Tiberia finds them food and the next day they reach Ruins of Pozstone at dusk. Tiberia finds somewhere safer to rest in hull of a ship.

Preparing for the next part I drew a card (like Sheep like Shepherd) And rolled some Story Dice - A Map of the World, Magnifying Glass, Bridge

Finishing Up

If you have your own advice or solo gaming suggestions, leave them in the comments or on my Discord server