Nice to see all the fun posts...

It s a treat indeed to see so many creative exchanges here.  Though laboring night and day with my move
in two weeks--and in between, ummm, GARYCON2--I still find time to short-read these.

Everyone please continue, Scottz, Grendlewulf, Journalizer, and company.

I will catch up soon enough.  :)

RJK

Armies of Oerth, Part VI: Wolf Nomads

The previous armies represented in these articles were all personally gathered troops, without any direct affiliation with any state or kingdom. This time, I will be delving into the greater hordes and legions gathered by the powers-that-be in the Flanaess.

To begin this study, I had to look no further than a Sorceror's Scroll article from Dragon Magazine #56. Gary Gygax gives us a look into the events in the north central Flanaess region. Specifically, the article revolves around two groups of states. In the western region, the events surround the Wolf Nomads, the Rovers of the Barrens, luz, and the Horned Society. Eastward, some interesting developments allow the Duchy of Tenh to make a strong foray into the Bandit Kingdoms.

I am continuing to use the Field of Glory wargaming rules to represent these forces. The only change I am making is to the order of scale for these armies. Previously, I used a representation of 25 men-at-arms per model base ratio. This allowed for a manageable sized army of 100 or so models.

However, some of the following armies number in the tens of thousands. This means one would need a few thousand models! So, I am using a recommendation given in the FoG rules: change the ratio of men per base. For simplicity's sake, I am changing the ratio to 250 men-at-arms per base. For battles between such overwhelming legions, this is entirely appropriate. If, for some reason, you would want to use one of the armies given in any of the previous five Armies of Oerth posts, the representations given here could be seen as representing a portion (a one-thousandths) of the greater legions.

Now, to continue...

The Wolf Nomads' Army List

At one time, the Wegwiur (Wolf Nomads) horsemen contested gladly with the Rovers of the Barrens for the rights to the lands around the Howling Hills and the Dulsi River, sometimes defeating them and sometimes being driven away. With the rebirth of Iuz, the Wolf Nomads shun the territory they once disputed, and are themselves subject to raids from humanoids and humans from Iuz. These Nomads are not daunted by these forays, however, and have given as good as they've gotten. Their banners depict one or more wolves, and their standards bear wolftails and heads.

Commander-in-Chief: Bargru, Tarkhan & Commander of
the Relentless Horde (F 14th level/MU(I) 2nd level) = 1 base

Medium Cavalry: 2000 (Guards) = 8 bases
(3 models/base; riders on horses, leather armour & moderate shields, lances)

Light Cavalry: 10000 (Regulars) = 40 bases
(2 models/base; riders on horses, no armour & small shields, hand weapons)

Light Horse Archers: 7000 (Regulars) = 28 bases
(2 models/base; riders on horses, no armour & small shields, bows)

Armored Crossbowmen: 1000 (Regulars) = 4 bases
(4 models/base; Foot, helms & chest armour & moderate shields, crossbows)

So, this totals 81 bases with 177 models on them.

NOTE: Sorcerer's Scroll, Dragon Magazine #55. Gygax has given us a brief look at the racial populations & some national dress guidelines that could be used when painting this army. He mentions the Wolf Nomads being intermixed with the Rovers of the Barons. Even though they are partially of the Baklunish strain, they racially show the darker Flan blood.

Flannae: bronze skin, black to brown hair, dark brown eyes, clothing is of solid bright hues with yellow ochre and vermillion being the favorites, and the more civilized Flan dress in the mode currently fashionable in their portion of the continent.

Now, as tempting to build this army is, the next army I want to tackle is coming up. And it's going to take a lot of building & painting.

Next up...Iuz

Ciao!
Grendelwulf

One Eye: A Short Story Co-Authored by Rob J. Kuntz

Below is the story that evolved between Lord of the Green Dragons and Journalizer in the comments field of the post Re: Creative Stirrings. What is that metallic ball that has a sponge-like substance within it?
Lord of the Green Dragons started Part 1 and explained, "anyone can add to it... or change it completely."

artwork original © JournalizeThis 2010

One Eye

January 23, 2010 6:45 PM
Lord of the Green Dragons said...

This mysterious globe, or eye, is in part the representation of the sacred ibis, revered by the Egyptians, each globe otherwise known as the "One Eye" which was so esoterically popular as a symbol among them. The fight with the birds by Hercules was in fact the beginning of the cultural myth challenging the Egyptian preeminence in knowledge and ascendancy. These were manufactured in strange ways much as their pyramids or the Labyrinth were constructed, under divine guidance, and were in turn lost after the destruction of Alexandria and the burning of the Great Library-museum there. Certain entrusted merchants took these south where they ended up at a southern island mass (modern day Madgascar, later to be referred to by Clark Ashton Smith as an island comprising part of Zothique [perhaps Ullutrol], part of a dying land reeking of ancient magic). The eyes in fact contained the knowledge of those eldest of mysteries preserved through divine intercourse and as transferred from the papyri of the Great Library, especially the over 6,000,000 scrolls detailing astrology and astronomy, and as copied from the most ancient of Babylonian texts.

From there they later find a home in Southern Africa, whereat their history becomes obscured in the wars of petty tribes and witch-doctors who fought for their mystic knowledge. A rite partially written, partially etched in pictographs, and which was found on a petrified tree-etching near Johannesburg, notes that a very hard and glassy substance similar to ebony was used as a table to spin these upon, much in the same manner as it occurred for Rod Taylor in the adaptation of H. G. Wells, "The Time Machine," where he spins the rings shown to him by the Eloi, thus summoning a greater knowledge of the past via interaction with the Ether.

The three concentric rings found on one of the objects in fact relate to their origin, one being so inscribed to note their association with the many tripartite arrangements of gods formalized in the Labyrinth, whereat these were actually utilized in open air ceremonies...


January 23, 2010 7:27 PM
Journalizer said...

The inscriptions on the objects later led to a map being discovered that detailed the entrance and maze of the Labyrinth. By decoding the map and understanding the Labyrinth, further knowledge of ancient Egyptian wisdom was revealed. The map proved essential in decoding the knowledge of those eldest of mysteries contained in the eyes...


January 23, 2010 8:05 PM
Lord of the Green Dragons said...

As further maps were found within the Great Labyrinth, enlivening a growing reason as to why these edifices were at various times and epochs created worldwide.

A peculiar inscription, first thought to be of the hieroglyphic set, was incorrectly translated as "At Corners They Arrive." This was later debunked by Doctor I. R. Bhyz of Transvaal University. Supporting this idea of energy and matter converging at specific points in space and time within such constructions was a Conjunction Theorist from Aestaphally, Germany, Dr. Jourese Haukenlaurm. Dr, Haukenlaurm immediately departed for points south, taking with her a great store of formerly cached sacred objects that she felt sure were partial if not whole keys to the mystery...


January 24, 2010 9:39 AM
Journalizer said...

... of the Ether, because Dr. Haukenlaurm had a hunch that the sacred objects would fit perfectly into "keyhole" shaped cracks in the eyes. However, despite Dr. Bhyz's research that debunked the translation of the peculiar hieroglyphics, she could not help but wonder if there was some connection with the peculiar inscription, "At Corners They Arrive" and the sacred objects that appear close matches to the cracks in the eyes.

Upon further inspection of the eyes Dr. Haukenlaurm was amazed to discover that the cracks were actually perfect circles matching the circular shape of the sacred objects. Clearly, she would need to send them out to the lab to be professionally cleaned of the residue accumulated over the millennium. As the eyes were being restored her mind kept coming back to the debunked inscription, "At Corners They Arrive." She thought to herself, "after all, isn't there always a little truth to every conspiracy theory?"

These thoughts prompted a thorough investigation of Dr. Bhyz's research, along with the map and other images. Scientific investigations of the Ether by Carl Jung held essential information needed to decode those eldest of mysteries that would reveal the Truth. Jung's investigation read, "the entire Cosmos is filled with a hidden, flowing, geometric energy matrix commonly called “zero-point energy” or “aether” that is the source of all things, including life, and is therefore alive in its own right. With this matrix, all elements of the Cosmos are very intimately and directly connected through “synchronicity” (defined by Dr. Carl Jung, pg 9 The Science of Oneness by David Wilcock).

The statements, “Zero-point energy” and "At Corners They Arrive" kept running through Dr. Haukenlaurm's head. What was the connection to the eyes and the sacred objects and would this answer the fundamental question that science cannot explain? Would this connection be the key to understanding the Ether? She was determined to figure it out because she knew that greater knowledge of the past was available via interaction with the Ether.

But, she was stumped about the inscription. What corners is the inscription referring to: if Dr. Bhyz was in fact wrong about debunking? Then, as she flipped through past research, she came across powerful statements about ancient wisdom. She read, "There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self" by Aldous Huxley. The statement stopped her dead in her tracks. "Corner of the universe," she repeated in her head.

That's when she realized the inscription was symbolic! She realized that "At Corners They Arrive" was not referring to actual corners, but to the infinite nature of the universe. With that revelation she continued to flip through the pages of research on her desk.

Then she came across two pages paper clipped together. The large paper had a detailed drawing of symbols depicting wormholes and the space time continuum... then she read the small scrap of paper attached.


Reading this scrap is when she knew it was all about the shape of the eyes and the shape of the symbolic objects: it is all cyclical! The wisdom of the past is present today, but we are looking in the wrong places. Dr. Haukenlaurm realized, that the answer was within her, and not outside her in the artifacts. She was certain of this when she reread the scrap of paper, "'When there is no more separation between 'this' and 'that,' it is called the still-point of the Tao. At the still point in the center of the circle one can see the infinite in all things' - Chuang Tzu."

Illustrations Copyright JournalizeThis 2010:
Originals are 33” x 27” Graphite on Strathmore 400 Series Bristol Drawing sheet, framed.

Armies of Oerth, Part V: Erac's Cousin

Continuing Gary Gygax's Orders of Battle for certain renowned figures from the World of Greyhawk...

Per the Field of Glory rules, the ratio used is still 25 men-at-arms per base.

The Unnamed's Army List
(a.k.a. Erac's Cousin's Army List)

Commander-In-Chief: The Unnamed
a.k.a. Erac's Cousin (MU of at least 16th level) = 1 base
Once a servant of Good, this very malign individual now serves Hell with will and enthusiasm. Erac's Cousin is seldom seen without a red-eyed rat upon his shoulder. It is also stated that this mage is able to wield a sword with great proficiency (6th level fighting ability!).

Medium Cavalry: 50 (Guards) = 2 bases
(3 models/base; riders on horses, leather armour & moderate shields, hand weapons)

Light Cavalry: 50 (Regulars) = 2 bases
(2 models/base; riders on horses, no armour & small shields, hand weapons)

Light Horse Archers: 50 (Regulars) = 2 bases
(2 models/base; riders on horses, no armour & small shields, bows)

Heavy Infantry: 100 (Regulars) = 4 bases
(4 models/base; foot troops, heavy armour & substantial shields, hand weapons)

Heavy Archers: 100 (Regulars) = 4 bases
(4 models/base; foot troops, heavy armour & substantial shields, bows)

Pole Armed Infantry: 100 (Regulars) = 4 bases
(3 models/base; foot troops, leather armour & moderate shields, pole-arms)

So, this totals 19 bases with 59 models on them.

Whether or not any of the troops serving Erac's Cousin are humanoid is open to debate. Certainly, humanoid levies will join his forces in some strength if they are called.

Beware the Ides of March!

I will soon be taking a look at some of the larger state armies from the World of Greyhawk previously shown in the Dragon Magazine.

Next up: Wolf Nomads

Ciao!
Grendelwulf

Remembering...

"I would like the world to remember me as the guy who really enjoyed playing games and sharing his knowledge and his fun pastimes with everybody else." - E. Gary Gygax

I'm not eulogizing or anything to anyone. But, let's take a moment today and reflect in a positive way with respect to a man who has made such a big difference in all of our lives.

There are some good suggestions here: Jeff's Gameblog

I am finally going to build that Dragonchess board I've always wanted...

Ciao!
Grendelwulf

Armies of Oerth, Part IV: Tenser

I'd like to take a moment and thank scottsz at Old School Rant and Mike Monaco at Swords & Dorkery for spreading the word about this little project. Hopefully it will inspire others to take to the battlefield!

Continuing Gary Gygax's Orders of Battle for certain renowned figures from the World of Greyhawk...

Per the Field of Glory rules, the ratio is 25 men-at-arms per base.

Tenser's Army List

Commander-in-Chief: Tenser (MU of 19th level) = 1 base
Somewhere along the southern shares of the Nyr Dyv is the hidden fortress of Tenser. It is likely that the identity of the master of the place is kept secret. Tenser is accompanied by a high-level cleric and various other figures of relatively high level, some reported to be demi-human. Some say that the ranger, Otis, is with him. The force is Good in alignment, but its exact disposition is unknown. It is suspected that troops from the surrounding area will join with Tenser in time of need.

Heavy Cavalry: 50 (Guards) = 2 bases
(3 models/base; knights on horses, heavy armor & barding, hand weapons)

Medium Cavalry: 100 (Elite) = 4 bases
(3 models/base; riders on horses, leather armour & moderate shields, hand weapons)

Light Cavalry: 50 (Regulars) = 2 bases
(2 models/base; riders on horses, no armour & small shields, hand weapons)

Medium Horse Archers: 100 (Regulars) = 4 bases
(3 models/base; riders on horses, leather armour & moderate shields, bows)

Armored Infantry: 50 (Guards) = 2 bases
(4 models/base; foot troops, helms, chest armour & shields, hand weapons)

Heavy Infantry: 100 (Regulars) = 4 bases
(4 models/base; foot troops, heavy armour & substantial shields, hand weapons)

Light Infantry: 100 (Levied) = 4 bases
(2 models/base; foot troops, no armour & small shields, hand weapons)

Heavy Archers: 50 (Regulars) = 2 bases
(4 models/base; foot troops, heavy armour & substantial shields, bows)

Light Archers: 50 (Levied) = 2 bases
(2 models/base; foot troops, no armour & small shields, bows)

So, this totals 27 bases with 77 models on them.

Next up: Erac's Cousin

Ciao!
Grendelwulf

Brief Interruption: More Anomalous Artefacts-

Anomalous Artefacts Link

-Timeshadows

Armies of Oerth, Part III: Robilar

Using the Field of Glory wargaming rules & Dragon Magazine #37, I am continuing Gary Gygax's Orders of Battle for certain renowned figures from the World of Greyhawk. Of course, one thing to remember is this list is thirty years old. I am sure the Lord of the Green Dragons has undoubtedly updated it since this time.

Due to the composition and size of this army, I will be using the ratio of 25 men-at-arms/model base per the recommendation in the FoG rules.

Robilar's Army List

Commander-in-Chief: Robilar (Fighter of 19th level) = 1 base
Sometime over one year ago, Robilar freed a demon, and in the ensuing difficulties, forces aligned with Good sacked and destroyed his stronghold west of the City of Greyhawk. Many of the higher-level figures were slain, but Robilar still has Otto, a high-level magic-user, and Quij, an Orcish hero of high abitlity but low intelligence, as well as some relatively low-leve1 cohorts. It is reported that the following force escaped and is now somewhere in the Pomarj region.

Heavy Cavalry: 50 (Regulars) = 2 bases
(3 models/base; knights on horses, heavy armour & barding, hand weapons)

Medium Cavalry: 100 (Regulars) = 4 bases
(3 models/base; riders on horses, leather armour & moderate shields, hand weapons)

Light Cavalry: 50 (Regulars) = 2 bases
(2 models/base; riders on horses, no armour & small shields, hand weapons)

Light Horse Crossbowmen: 50 (Regulars) = 2 bases
(2 models/base; riders on horses, no armour & small shields, crossbows)

Heavy Infantry: 100 (Elite Orcish) = 4 bases
(4 models/base; foot troops, heavy armour & substantial shields, hand weapons)

Light Infantry: 100 (Levied) = 4 bases
(2 models/base; foot troops, no armour & small shields, hand weapons)

Heavy Archers: 50 (Elite Orcish) = 2 bases
(4 models/base; foot troops, heavy armour & substantial shields, bows)

Light Crossbowmen: 50 (Regulars) = 2 bases
(2 models/base; foot troops, no armour & small shields, crossbows)

Pole Armed Infantry: 100 (Regular Orcish) = 4 bases
(2 models/base; foot troops, leather armour & moderate shields, pole arms)

This is 27 bases with 71 models on them.

This force is known to be Lawful Evil, but even the minions of Hell eye the army with suspicion due to its chaotic actions.

Next up: Tenser

Ciao!
Grendelwulf

Armies of Oerth, Part II: Mordenkainen

Using the Field of Glory wargaming rules & Dragon Magazine #37 for inspiration, I shall continue to represent Gary Gygax's Orders of Battle for certain renowned figures from the World of Greyhawk.

NOTE: As I explained in my first "Armies" post, the FoG rules state that each base of models could normally represent 250 men-at-arms. I had chosen a 25 men-at-arms ratio per base because it allowed an average sized army full of models to be placed on the game table. Now using this ratio, four of the first five armies range in size from 19 to 35 bases. Mordenkainen's Army comes in at a whopping 161 bases with 341 models (that's 682 counting the horses!). If this were the only army I was ever going to build, maybe I would go for it. To keep it more manageable, and comparable to the other four character armies, I will bump the ratio to 100 men-at-arms per base. This keeps it from being too unwieldy and will only require doubling up its size later.

An army this size is more in league with the larger state armies which I plan to represent later on. I will be using the standard ratio of 250 men-at-arms per base. Yes, the state armies will be THAT huge. For anyone feeling ambitious to build one of these armies in either scale, I will list the number of bases in both ratios. The number of actual models per base will be the same for both.

100 men/base will be listed in BLUE.
250 men/base will be listed in GREEN

So, here is...

Mordenkainen's Army List

Commander-in-Chief: Mordenkainen: (MU of 20th level)
= 1 base / 1 base

Medium Cavalry: 500 (Regulars) = 5 bases / 2 bases
(3 models/base; riders on horses, leather armour & moderate shields, hand weapons)

Light Cavalry: 500 (Regulars) = 5 bases / 2 bases
(2 models/base; riders on horses, no armour & small shields, hand weapons)

Light Horse Archers: 1,000 (Regulars), = 10 bases / 4 bases
(2 models/base; riders on horses, no armour & small shields, bows)

Light Horse Archers: 2,000 (Levied) = 20 bases / 8 bases
(2 models/base; riders on horses, no armour & small shields, bows)

This totals 41 bases with 86 models on them.
This totals 17 bases with 35 models on them.

This force was known to be Chaotic, possibly Neutral, with an absolute zero-tolerance policy towards Evil clerics.

If anyone else builds any of these forces, please let us hear about it. I would love to see your army. It might just be for nostalgia's sake, but I would love to see some of these legendary armies from the World of Greyhawk causing havoc on wargaming tables somewhere in the world...

Next up: Robilar

Ciao!
Grendelwulf

Armies of Oerth, Part 0: Field of Glory

Admittedly, I put the cart before the horse by presenting army lists adapted for a system that I hadn't taken the time to explain. Let me make ammends for this...

Field of Glory is a set of historical miniatures rules for ancient and medieval tabletop battles. The rules cover the ancient and medieval period (3000 BC – 1500 AD) from the rise of the earliest known armies through to the introduction of effective gunpowder weapons. The game scale is flexible and the movement and range distances are the same regardless of scale.

FoG is designed to play a battle with 10 – 15 battle groups in a 3 to 4 hour game. Each battle group is made up of variable number of bases, usually between 2 – 12 each, and are maneuvered by commanders as independent units which remain as a single cohesive block for the game. These battle groups move as a unit but the combat system allows the shooting and melee combats to be fought by those bases exposed or in contact. Battle groups are rated by type (cavalry, heavy foot etc) training, protection level, weapons and morale.

A standard turn consists of a set sequence of phases; an Impact Phase (charging and combat) a Movement Phase, Shooting, Combat Phase (in addition to the charge combat) and a final Administrative Phase which deals with a range of command and morale issues. The sequence is logical and straightforward to follow.

The command and control system rates commanders by levels of competence and applies the simple mechanic of distance from the commander to model the efficiency of the army command and control. Commanders can assist battle groups to maneuver, fight and rally. Under some circumstances a commander can provide benefit to a “group” of battle groups which is called a battle line. This simple technique seems to model the efficiencies of a traditional ancient battle-line quite well.

The move system is reasonably simple and intuitive. Move distances, formations and maneuvers (such as wheels and formation changes) are logical and well explained. One clever touch is the Complex Maneuver Test (CMT) which forces battle groups in close proximity to the enemy and who are performing a complex move to roll dice to complete the move. This makes you think twice about performing formation changes within charge range of the enemy! There is some complexity in the move sequence, fighting in two directions and the ability to feed parts of a battle group into an existing melee but the rules do cover these circumstances in sufficient detail to allow an understanding by the second or third game.

The combat system appears complicated but is actually quite straight forward and is well supported by a set of good charts and tables. There are more units able to shoot and skirmishers now take on the important function of forcing the heavy units to take Cohesion Tests from a trickle of shooting casualties inflicted over a long period of time. Melees now take many turns and the disintegration of battle groups is gradual and the effects are more subtle than one would normally observe in a game where each unit fights to the last man. For example the initial clash between an elite Roman Legion and a Gallic warrior band might see the legionaries “disrupted” and even lose some elements but often their better armour, better morale and close quarter training will allow them to (over 4 or 5 turns) whittle down the Gauls and cause them to break and run.

Morale rules are also important in determining the outcome of a battle. Supporting units, location of Generals, routing units, rallying units, “bolstering” (improving a unit’s morale) and the “Cohesion Test” are some of the techniques the game applies to model the impact of morale on an ancient battle.

The game is supported by a detailed set of annexes and a comprehensive glossary which is very useful for new players to this system. There is a range of 13 supplemental books containing specific Army Lists, such as Republican & Imperial Rome, Ancient Greeks, Late Medieval Europe, Byzantium, and the Far East. These books are not necessary for using the main rulebook, but they are well presented and illustrated and provide detailed lists of a broad range of historical armies.

In summary, Field of Glory is a well written and well explained system with lots of clear and colourful diagrams which will ease the pain of learning a new set of rules. The rules have a formed-unit approach that represents many of the aspects of ancient warfare with simple ease. The morale rules add a significant element to the game and are simple to understand and straightforward to apply. The combat rules are not complex, but they do require a methodical and measured approach. New players who rush will either make fundamental errors or become confused about who did what to whom. The rules have been assembled by a group of long-standing wargamers and several of the contributors are classical or history scholars in their own right.

From the designers:
In Field of Glory our most important objective is to make the game fun to play whilst retaining a strong historical feel. So whether you fancy being Alexander the Great or Ghengis Khan, it's up to you, happy gaming and may your dice roll high!

Ciao!
Grendelwulf

Armies of Oerth, Part I: Bigby

Over the last year, I have been bitten again by the bug of wargaming. I confess to being an on-again/off-again “Armchair General” for many years. Sitting with my morning cup of coffee, evaluating military actions of the past…it smells like victory! Sure, it is Monday morning quarterbacking from the safe distance of the 21st century, but there is something satisfyingly tangibly three-dimensional about battles with miniatures. Moving through real space and time; recreating scenarios from Hannibal, Caesar, etc… it can be a lot of fun. Now, combine this with a love for fantasy role-playing games and the urge becomes almost irresistible.

I recently found a new wargame system to play called Field of Glory from Osprey Publishing. It drew me in with its nicely compact rulebook and supplements and offers a wide variety of armies and time periods to playout scenarios. About this same time, I was going through some early Dragon Magazines and digging up information on Gary Gygax’s World of Greyhawk. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across some information regarding the armies of Oerth.

One of the earliest gems I found was in Dragon #37. It has a great Sorcerer's Scroll article by Gygax on Greyhawk's evolution, and (at the time) its intended future. At the end of the article, he gave us an added bonus: Orders of Battle for certain renowned figures from the Greyhawk world - Bigby, Mordenkainen, Robilar, Tenser & "Erac's Cousin". Earlier in the same article, Gary spoke of having a set of rules to set forth the orders of battle of the various governing states of the Flanaess. Players would be able to fight the major battles which could affect the course of history in the World of Greyhawk. Knowing of his roots in wargaming and interest in military history, I would hypothesize the orders of battle given are entirely playable (with probably a few adjustments) for whichever wargaming system one was to use.

As I am currently experimenting with Field of Glory, I intend to represent these armies accordingly. Each base of models can normally represent 250 men-at-arms, but the rules quickly suggest to ignore this (I suppose a player should unless one has an incredibly large battle-table and lots of toy soldiers to fill it with!). The player is advised to treat an army as a coherant whole, representing whatever full-sized army its prototype usually fielded. It aims for reaching the correct shape and feel of the army for a more realistic representation of how it fought. Since this system was not designed with fantasy games in mind, it eliminates the use of magic. Still I think it will be a good system to experiment with. So, looking over the army lists, I have decided each model base should represent approximately 25 men-at-arms each. The reason for the smaller ratio is to allow more bases/models on the board to properly play with.

I would love to build and test all of these armies. But until I can collect sufficient models and have the available time, I am limited to using proxy bases marked for the appropriate troop types. Besides, there are several more related articles from other Dragon Magazines giving additional battle forces for some of the greater state armies. So, to help inspire any other "Armchair Generals" out there with some time on their hands, I will keep it simple and focus on these initial five lists. The first one to look at is:

Bigby's Army List

This army is actually centered in a very good area related to the City of Greyhawk and its surrounding Lands of Oerik, specifically somewhere between the Shield Lands & Bandit Kingdoms. Battlewise, this can bring them into oppostion with the Horned Society, Iuz, or even the Kingdom of Furyondy depending on which way this neutral-alligned force may wish to involve itself.

Commander-in-Chief: Bigby (MU of 18th level) = 1 base

One piece of triviaI found was "His personal symbol is an open palm behind a large, stylized bumblebee". I do not know if this is from his original beginnings when run by Gary Gygax, or if it was simply added to the character's history at some point later by others. Due to the thematic nature of many spells bearing his name, the 'open palm' is certainly a safe symbol to go with for now.

Heavy Cavalry: 50 (Elite) = 2 bases
(3 models/base; knights on horses, heavy armour & barding, hand weapons)

Medium Cavalry: 100 (Regulars) = 4 bases
(3 models/base; riders on horses, leather armour & moderate shields, hand weapons)

Light Cavalry: 100 (Regulars) = 4 bases
(2 models/base; riders on horses, no armour, small shields, hand weapons)

Light Horse Archers: 100 (Levied) = 4 bases
(2 models/base; riders on horses, no armour, small shields, bows)

Armored Infantry: 50 (Elite) = 2 base
(4 models/base; foot troops, helm, chest armour & substantial shields, hand weapons)

Heavy Infantry: 180 (Regulars) = 8 bases
(4 models/base; foot troops, heavy armour & substantial shields, hand weapons)

Light Crossbowmen: 100 (Regulars) = 4 bases
(2 models/base; foot troops, no armour, small shields, crossbows)

Heavy Crossbowmen: 50 (Regulars) = 2 bases
(4 models/base; foot troops, heavy armour & substantial shields, crossbows)

Pikemen: 100 (Elite) = 4 bases
(3 models/base; foot troops, leather armour & moderate shields, pikes)

So, this totals 35 bases with 103 models on them.

It is mentioned this force has been occasionally allied with:

Elven Infantry: 200 = 8 bases
(3 models/base; foot troops, leather armour & moderate shields, swords/hand weapons)

Kron Hills Dwarven Infantry: 150 = 6 bases
(3 models/base; foot troops, leather armour & moderate shields, axes/hand weapons)

With another 14 bases and 42 models among them, these two additions lend themselves as a nice expansion with more modeling opportunities.

Next time: Mordenkainen

Ciao!
Grendelwulf

From The Desk Top: Hither, Tither and Yon

From the Desktop:  Hither, Tither & Yon

Just a smattering of things, updates, thoughts, links and think...

I will be moving very soon, so PPP is not committing to any new release because of that until after I am settled in the new homestead.   I am working on getting most projects into publishable form up and until then.  This includes:

*Castle El Raja Key:  Levels 1-3 (@11,000 words)

*Dungeon Trappings #1 (editing/layout)

*Drystaff the Wizard:  Four Fabulous Tales (proofing/layout)

*Citadel of the Fire Lord (outlined with maps finished and intro written)

*The Boreal Level (Map finished, Intro written, extensive outline and appendix designs complete)

LOTGD blog will probably see less posting during the move time, so I encourage all authors here to take their stab at posting something of creative interest.  If not, then please enjoy the sound of silence until I get back online and situated.  If you wish to become an author here, please email me with what you have in mind:  rjk@pied-piper-publishing.com  I will be announcing the exact move time in the next two weeks.

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GaryCon2:  I will be running Castle El Raja Key during the Con, March 19-21.  I am looking forward to reconnecting with the Gygax family, Flint Dille,Tom Wham, Mike Carr and a host of peers, fans and gamers.  I will be acting as an airport shuttle for my friend Allan Grohe, and no doubt he and I will  have a great discussion during the ride to the con in Lake Geneva.

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NTRPGCon Event:  I am designing a 4th-6th level dungeon based on Ramsey Dow's Dungeon Sets maps for North Texas RPGCon in June, entitled, "DUNGEON of DEATH".  Yeah.  Happy times ahead for adventurers in that... ;)

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OUT OF THE BOX:  I will be doing some supplementary design work for Kyrinn's upcoming Urutsk World of Mystery RPG, specifically adventure material related to that as well as some editing and consulting work.  More on that as it develops.  The main idea is to provide some extra polish if and when needed to what Kyrinn has already accomplished through her hard work and devotion to this highly creative project, her baby.  It is an honor to do so.  Kyrinn's moniker here & there is Timeshadows, and this die-hard designer has been working hard and long to do justice to the idea of not only a new world constructed from top to bottom like my own World of Kalibruhn, but she has made solid strides in fashioning game rules which mesh with that world in a cohesive way, thus, and in my estimation, furthering such holistic design bases as revealed in predecessors like Empire of the Petal Throne. I will also be posting updates here on my participation within such projects and have invited Timeshadows to author here on this or other related subjects when she has time to do so.

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Dan of Goblinoid Games furnished me with review copies of LABYRINTH LORD, ADVANCED EDITION COMPANION and MUTANT FUTURE.  I was most excited about seeing Mutant Future, as it takes a step towards something else besides another OD&D clone and associated adventures, which IMO are beyond their saturation point.  Now, having read major portions of it, I give it a thumbs up, particularly for that reason--it's different, just like MA was different to D&D back in 1976 when we play-tested it (my PC sawed itself in half with a vibro-blade, and I still don't like those flow-charts that Ward invented and would never use them myself, but it was funny in a grim sort of way...).  Honestly, though, and as I have stressed time and time again here, at PPP's forums, and elsewhere, I feel that more innovation is needed with these types of products.  What I mean by this is "uniqueness."  Whereas MF shows some of this I will single out the monsters, not all of them, but some; and of course the monsters/critters are sculptable by adding in the mutations, I really feel that there's a lack when a black pudding comes at us again.  Now some of us may love black puddings, and of course I was exposed to my first back in 1972--but isn't this just a way bit beyond being passe? My nicely put challenge to GG and anyone else stuck in coming up with this stuff is to wait rather than fill in designs with concepts that have already been done. If the author gets stuck, hey, contact some imaginative whiz like E. G. Palmer, or someone else.  E.G. creates these things for a living at his blog. I think he does it in his dreams and then wakes up and writes them down.  Anyway... Make use of the creative talent out there and bring some imagination to bear on the concept of endless fantasy.  My two cents.  I like the quality of GG's products, btw, and appreciate Dan's overall great attitude and above-board communication standards.  There are sparks in MF, and I hope that these sparks lead to a great roaring fire of imaginative products for it in the future. Quite honestly, attitude has everything to do with proper direction, so GG already has a step up in that category.  It feels good because it is presented with no pretense, and as I noted, it is of very good physical quality and has some good to superb interior art.  Given some extra creative design flourishes, heck, I might even be tempted to add a gaggle of creative mutations myself, such as an assemblage of interesting spider-like creatures that I have in mind. 

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Behind-the-Scenes Cooperative Project:  I can finally hint at this... This has been in the works for the last 6 months and is finally coming forward. It went from my desktop, to Andy Taylor, back to me, and then on to Journalizer (Lauren Hawkins).  I cannot  say much about it for now other than this is being worked on in concert with NTRPGCon's host and co-founder, Douglas Rhea and with further involvement at the primary level by a prominent ex-TSR artist.  There will be an official announcement on this soon.  I will tell you that it does involve a dragon and some castles...  Much more in a couple of months.  

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Black Festival & Drystaff:  The Cimmerian nicely noted our recent fiction release of Black Festival in an encouraging article which also mentioned my intentions for publishing the Drystaff cycle of fiction.  I am very appreciative for this exposure and will not disappoint. Their website is professionally at the TOP, by the way. Great content.

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A New Wolfar Story in the Works:  After an email exchange with Timeshadows I was encouraged to start outlining a new Wolfar story, "A Blight of Wolves."  Thanks for the inspiration TS!  It's funny where one can derive inspiration from if you remain open to it.  I have proceeded to write it, as one must strike when the iron is hot!

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Two friends/fans (an artist and a major businessman) have recently encouraged me to consider publishing my Supplement V (see original MS here). As well, in an email discussion with another designer, the subject of my SAVING THROW system outlined in that supplement came up.  My question to the fans, followers and designers here: would there be any interest in this?  

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Back to packing and cleaning and other.  I will be silent posting for the next 2-4 days unless it is to answer posts/emails.  Ciao!

RJK

One of my Top 3 Favorite Movies

It should be required viewing for all future directors and screenwriters.  With an ensemble cast and Henry Fonda in the only evil role of his acting career and making Darth Vader look like a Boy Scout by comparison.

This is part of the opening sequence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW-jSa9_k3M

Kings & Things to be Released in 2010

(New Cover, 2010)

(Old Cover Art, sans lettering, 1985)

[Original Design as KoTT from The Dragon Magazine #77, Tom Wham and Rob Kuntz, with Illustrations by David Trampier (see at BoardGameGeek) ]

For those who keep up on my board game designs you will be pleased to know that this year ZMAN Games will be re-releasing Kings & Things.  Note the link at BoardGame Geek.

It has been OOP for too long a time, IMO.  As it was an award winner, that makes it a double treat to see.  :)

The Significs of Harewood Fragment

The Significs of Harewood

©2010. Robert J. Kuntz

... The notion appealed to Drystaff, though he wondered what a ‘roost’ was, and he said, “Agreed! My need for a real drink has been too long postponed.”

The old man smiled hugely and his teal blue eyes twinkled with youthful delight. He clapped his grimed hands twice while saying, “Start to Finish, Done and Well!* I will meet you at yonder red building,” he directed, pointing down the street at the appropriately colored structure. “Order the hen toddies. Tell Buerthwigh that Sorsyp will take his with a sprig of mynch and a side of plum things.” The man walked briskly into his house, whistling merrily. 

Drystaff strode to a building that many costumed people were entering. He queued behind a person with black plumage, a wooden beak tinted yellow, and a red feather bonnet. The doorman dealt with the pecking order in turn, issuing small bags to those who requested these and accepting coinage in return. 

It became Drystaff’s turn and the man said, “Roost or non-roost?” He emphasized the latter option by an offhand look at the wizard’s attire.

“Non-roost…for now,” answered Drystaff. The man nodded and issued him in.

The building’s interior offered a rectangular room with a service bar and crates for stools. Drystaff stopped to view its most interesting feature: projecting from the ceiling was a pylon from which were suspended twelve wooden seats by as many stout cords. Several costumed patrons were mounting to different seats, into which an attendant strapped them. Soon half the seats were filled. This satisfied the portly barkeep and he nodded to the attendant, who responded by thrusting forward a nearby lever. There was a loud grating noise and the pylon, obviously part of some greater mechanism, slowly revolved upwards above head level. Three musicians began a shrill piping with recorders as it gathered speed, carrying its screaming and jeering riders into harnessed flight. 

Drystaff moved to the bar and motioned to the barkeep. “You are Buerthwigh? Good! I’d like to order drinks, but a question, first.”

“Of course. For you are a stranger and find the entertainment indecipherable, correct?”

“You strip away the nonessentials and expose my point exactly.”

“The explanation is simple. Haras is located far in the wilderness. Most of our customers are farmers who lack any diversion except drink. Times being hard and clientele light, we have made this a theme inn. This month’s spectacle is by the horologist Quimkwok, who created the circling device especial. It is our best show to date.”

“And the costumes fit the theme,” said Drystaff.

“Yes. Now, what would you order, sir?”

“I order for two: a pair of your best hen toddies, a sprig of mynch in one, and a side order of plum things.”

Buerthwigh gave Drystaff a serious look. “You order for Sorsyp?”

“Yes. Is there a problem? I have coin.”

“Sorsyp is not always welcome here.”

“What has he done? Is he a scoundrel?”

“No, not in that sense. His wife, Hareengu, leads the other wives in a consortium against such merrymaking,” said Buerthwigh. “She often gathers the hens when her rooster flies the coop. Excuse the jargon, but the theme does imbue one so.” Buerthwigh mused aloud, “I hope she keeps distant today. The patrons are many and lively.” He then prepared the order and set it before Drystaff. 

Drystaff watched the circling show for a time, noting that each rider’s bag contained feathers that were gleefully showered upon the area below them. 

While Drystaff was removing a feather from his toddy, Sorsyp appeared. The man had changed his grey work clothes for a costume of black and red feathers interwoven with silver thread and pinned with many brass-like eggs. His purple bonnet represented a rooster in a nest, eyes crossed in confusion. Sorsyp favored his tail feathers as he sat next to the wizard. Drystaff noted that these were partially burnt – probably the result of some practical joke, but thoughts of an irritated wife with flaming brands soon came to mind.

As Sorsyp munched plums stuffed with minced juk fruit and pine-meat, Drystaff questioned him. “What of the wise man?”

Sorsyp slurped his toddy through a reed straw and, nodding his headdress vigorously, said, “Yes, much returns after a single sip. The man you describe always appeared during Harfest. He purchased herbs I gathered at that time.”

“And his name?”

“Never was it given.”

“Did he indicate his dwelling place?”

“Not directly.” Sorsyp grimaced in thought and leaned forward. Drystaff avoided the rooster headdress, which almost pecked his own hat. 

“Phaustwood! That’s it.” Sorsyp shivered. “But the Phausts brought evil to that place.”

“Where is this wood? And what are Phausts?”

“It lies southwest. A short walk for the stout-legged, but the only water available for many leagues thereafter is in the woods. The Phausts,” said Sorsyp between slurps, “were a band of brigands who based their raids from its depths. One day they attacked Duke Caffalafha’s royal carriage as it passed near the forest and the archducal wizard, Xommph, blasted them with a curse.”

“Of what type?” queried Drystaff.

“As I recall, the brigands were magically impelled to a riddle game. Failure brought mayhem upon the participants – it is believed they strangled one another. The brigands dispersed but the curse is thought to be timely still, attending all those who enter Phaustwood.”

Drystaff was about to elicit more information when the inn was beset with a commotion. Many women armed with clubs, rolling pins, brooms, and other bludgeoning devices burst through the front door, trampling Buerthwigh as he attempted to stop them. Leading the group was a large, grey-haired woman armed with a wooden mace and ugly features. 

There was no time for argument as the women separated to their spouses and started an almost idle routine of shouts in between clouts. Many feathered frolickers fled with wives in pursuit, and soon the inn was cleared except for several rigid-faced women, Drystaff, Sorsyp, and the remaining patrons still circling above. The latter squealed as their mates struck at them with brooms and poles, but they were soon lowered and went screeching from the inn as well.

Hareengu approached Sorsyp. “You lout! There are roots to be pulled! You promised that by week’s end our coin total would be enough for my hair dye! And here you sit, swapping profits for stupor!” Sorsyp merely cringed, rejoinderless.

“And who is this?” she said, eyeing Drystaff with equal vehemence. “Another of your costumed cabal, or I’m a princess! See here,” she exclaimed, while repeatedly patting the head of her mace in one open hand, “your jubilations interfere with my man’s work!”

Drystaff stood and addressed the woman. “I am but a wayfarer seeking information about a sage. And having found that he dwells in Phaustwood, I will be about my adventure.” Drystaff turned to issue Sorsyp a farewell but managed only to say, “Sorsyp…” before Hareengu, having misinterpreted the moment, shouted, “You’ll not take my man away on some devil’s quest, you toddy swiller!” 

Drystaff ducked and dodged mace blows as he was chased from the inn. As he ran before the mad woman, other women, still returning home with their mates in tow, became re-enraged--no doubt in answer to a renewed boredom attendant upon their completed raid--and supportively fell in behind Hareengu. Drystaff reached the outskirts of Haras and ran onto the plain beyond it. Behind him, a mass of screaming women offered a variety of curses and brandished weapons to properly energize his flight. ...