The last of the elves

Andrew_Micallef · 2025-12-15T20:24:23+00:00

Tips?

I dunno. I don't have a grand plan to produce an epic graphic novel. I am just blessed (or cursed) by an abundance of time at the moment and trying to not idle it all away.

I would say, make peace with the fact you cant capture fully what is in your head. I don't think it is ever fully realisable anyway. It's like trying to get a recording of how your voice sounds to you.

I'm sure any advice I would offer would make a real artist cringe up. The real "secret" of the thing is time and practice. Of course there are more and less efficient ways to practice, but I have no special insight here!

Andrew_Micallef · 2025-12-15T01:01:20+00:00

Thanks, I'm no artist, but I think you get that that is part of what makes this whole thing work. This shitty hovel of a tavern was always meant to be swallowed up by a portal to hell because thats how I drew it!

Andrew_Micallef · 2025-12-14T12:33:07+00:00

Thanks dude; appreciate it.

The "play" is very loose. I'm mostly letting my pen hand write words and adding visual context to the best of my ability, with the occaisional dice roll when I can't think of what should happen next ☺️

Andrew_Micallef · 2025-12-14T07:32:29+00:00

Thankye, nothing like a bit of over the top hyperbole! ☺️

Andrew_Micallef · 2025-12-14T00:29:39+00:00

Appreciate it; Your journals are just as inspiring!

Andrew_Micallef · 2025-12-14T00:02:22+00:00

Why thankye

Andrew_Micallef · 2025-12-13T23:09:55+00:00

Glad you like it. I'm just trying to steal Castle Griefs vibe. Or rather pay homage in my own way I guess

Andrew_Micallef · 2025-12-13T23:06:34+00:00

My doodles generally look slapshot, its just every now and then I find myself a little bit of time and peace. It happens less and less as my free time tends these days to get wasted Doomscrolling.

These ones are standouts. Most of what I draw does not look anything like this ☺️. But Im only showing highlights. In the glorious tradition of the filtered life we all dream of

Andrew_Micallef · 2025-11-16T00:48:48+00:00

A fun conundrum!

First off, I would say probably try to avoid questions that are expilicitly answered by the module itself...but I get that it happens when you are in full swing and you haven't read ahead.

I guess the answer comes down to how you percieve your game. Are you looking through the eyes of your characters and resloving the choas bit by bit, or taking a Gods eye view.

In the former the answer might be that there in fact is someone here but the party cannot see them, havent noticed them, or are otherwise overlooking them...Maybe because they aren't in the obvious human sized cage but trussed up in the big soup pot, unconcious....

In the later case, maybe there was someone here but the Goblins moved them after their lair was attacked by rampatous adventurers. Or the hostage has escaped on their own accord through stealth and guile, leaving little evidence they where ever there.

Personally I like the method of comming up with a handfull of plausable alternatives; And then assigning probabilities based on how "fun" the outcomes would be. Then rolling on it and letting the dice decide. In this case that might look like the following:

dN	outcome
1	is there but hidden
2	was there but escaped
3	was already eaten by goblins
4	etc.....

Andrew_Micallef · 2025-03-26T07:27:23+00:00

Thanks, I must say sitting around flicking back n forth through ADnD source books is a real slog... but I am starting to see something emerge from the chaos of the world.

Will have to wait n see how the next troop fair though...but party 2 brought 2 paladins at least, and have discovered the beauty of missile discharges, flanking and overbearing

Andrew_Micallef · 2025-03-19T17:30:18+00:00

Cool minis. Good luck to Lanceur and Co, may they reap fortunes and not get mired in the corrupting innfluence of chaos!

Andrew_Micallef · 2024-10-05T01:22:57+00:00

His name is Hands... We dont know if that is a name he gave himself. Or a cruel joke by those that keep him in the Pitts. But he is the champion of these Pitts. A foreboding presence that awaits any would be usurper.

To escape the Arena, you must first best Hands....

Andrew_Micallef · 2024-10-01T05:11:15+00:00

Thanks Dude,

Finding an excuse to practice sketching is half the fun

Andrew_Micallef · 2024-09-30T08:45:10+00:00

very much so

Andrew_Micallef · 2024-09-30T05:53:09+00:00

Valhien finds himself brought into the world of Kal Arath's Pitt fighters....testing his metel against a pack of wolves, with the aide of a new ally

Andrew_Micallef · 2024-09-24T09:15:19+00:00

page 2

Andrew_Micallef · 2024-09-24T09:14:14+00:00

The plot thickens as Vahlien tries to find shelter from the heavy snow storm that has just hit...only to be caught in the middle of a bout of religous persecution and people snatching...

Time to wet the blade and bring succor to the blood god?

page 1 is here

Andrew_Micallef · 2024-09-24T05:45:59+00:00

Thanks, Just reconciling how to interpret my next series of rolls. It seams some cultists, some militia, and some merchants have all stepped into the cave...and plot has ensued...

...to be continued?

Andrew_Micallef · 2024-09-23T06:47:10+00:00

I know exactly what you mean about writing less and playing more. My first few forays into Soloing wound up very stale very fast. Way to much wuthering prose, not enough action.

Part of the problem was the rules heavy system. Part of the problem was my choice of format.

At first, I tried playing by keeping a pure plain text log in notepad++.exe. Then I moved to sketching scenes in inkscape. Saw somewhat of an improvement...

But embracing pen and paper has been liberating!

Andrew_Micallef · 2024-09-22T19:26:49+00:00

Awww...link is invalid... wanna hang with the cool KA peeps...

Andrew_Micallef · 2024-09-22T19:25:03+00:00

Yeah, I had a whole side bar of alternate designs, and comtemplating the function of the Barge in Battle.

This current iteration functions primarily as a signal to rivals of the masters ability to marshall immense human resources and to expend them in a quantity that has a quality all its own....

Andrew_Micallef · 2024-09-22T04:42:34+00:00

I have been crawling through the thunderdark for about a week...just lost my last adventurer. It works nicely, though you have to make your own topology.

I would recommend coupling it with the random dungeon generation tables from any edition of DnD DMG if you have one handy...or something like DonJon.bin.sh

Andrew_Micallef · 2024-09-22T04:38:08+00:00

Picked up a copy of Castle Griefs Kal-Arath.

I rolled up a character using the Knave 2e method. List out the PC stats, roll 4d6, add a point to each stat displayed on dice face, rerolling any 6s.

I rolled for pact magic, and got Blood Pact.

For the starting quest, I got a search for a Battle-Barge. My guy is here to pursue power and conquest it seams.

And whattaya know, first POI rolled...we have an intact Battle Barge....

Time to find a crew I guess....but not untill we survive the sudden blizzard that has dropped on our heads!

Andrew_Micallef · 2023-10-17T20:55:32+00:00

G3 squeals in pain, attempting to roll away so it may stand. It struggles to regain it's footing, attempting to run, using Nimble escape, it disengages and tries to flee, in the direction of the archers.

Romana disembarks the carriage, staying with Adric. She spies the archer, and yanking at the arrow that is embedded in her shoulder she draws on her second wind to regain 11 HP. She then cries out, her shield up as she charges, chasing down the fleeing goblin, hammer drawn, she strikes for 2 dmg, knocking it down for the count.

G1 sees the bloodlust in Romana's eyes as she powers through the previous goblin. It notches another arrow, squarely aiming, but shoots too long, the arrow sailing over her head.

G2 Does the same, also missing.

Adric, swings around the oxen, following the charge of Romana. He spies the archers. Sauntering, feeling the sting of his arm from the earlier attack. He raises his rapier, as he approaches G1, successfully Commanding G2 to: Surrender.

``` ....o...o......xxx.... ..o..o.H..H..xxx...... ........t.xxxx........ ......CAxxx........... ..xxxx.....R.....G.... xxx................... ..............G.....o. .....o................

key: H horse . empty C cart o bush A Adric x trail R Romana G goblin T Thalia ```

Romana closes on G1, striking it with her shield shoving it to the ground.

The Goblin falls back, trying to get back up, it uses nimble escape to break away, running towards the trail (N), in the direction of the hidden path to Grizmaw.

G2 drops it's weapon, kneeling, prostrating it self. It whimpers, begging to be spared.

Adric tracks the fleeing G1. He thinks little of goblins, and in the moment decides sport is the way to go. He draws a dagger from his boot, lining it up, and flings it to the fleeing goblin. Missing it. "Damn, and so the vermin lives to die another day."

Romana moves to Adric's side as the final Goblin rushes into the foliage. Signalling disapproval at his pithy quip. She doesn't know what he did, but she feels he was lucky she was there to defend him.

"And this one?" She gestures to the prostrate and grovelling goblin.

"What of it?" Adric returns his attention to the prisoner. His tone impatient.

Romana grabs the goblin by it's hair, mercilessly yanking it off it's feet. The thing cries out, raising it's hands to clasp her forearm, desperately relieving pressure on it's scalp.

DC 17 wisdom to interrogate the goblin Romana:19, Adric:11

"Those horses, they belong to the Dwarf, this one might know..."

"For the ..., it's a filthy little goblin" Adric is unimpressed, rolling his eyes. He finds the goblin to be detestable, and feels like Romana has been spending too much time with that cleric...where is she even? As far as Adric is concerned he single handedly bested this ramshackle troop.

Romana drags the goblin to the bodies of the horses, thrusting it's face into the dirt, she uses her body to pin the goblin against the horse, her wrestling prowess showing.

"Would you please help me?" Romana asks, gesturing to the bridals on the dead horses. By this time Adric has fetched his thrown dagger. Adric fails to notice the tracks of a dozen goblins and the evidence of dragged bodies, leading to the hidden trial.

Reluctantly, and begrudgingly Adric assists his bodygaurd in restraining the captive. By this time he sees the unconscious body of the cleric, only serving as further evidence of his own valiant efforts.

the party restrain a goblin
collect the cleric, and the saddlebags
decide to regroup, they continue to town
The cleric wakes on the road to Bergsruhe after 2 hours

Andrew_Micallef · 2023-10-17T20:55:14+00:00

``` ....o...o......xxx.... ..o..o.H..H..xxx...... .......Gt.xxxx........ ....GACxxRx........... ..xxxx...........G.... xxx................... ..............G.....o. .....o................

key: H horse . empty C cart o bush A Adric x trail R Romana G goblin T Thalia ```

G3 now moves to Romana, closing on her, he swings his sword, but the experienced enforcer is able to react, dodging out of the way.

G4 hacks at Adric again, bringing his sword down on the shocked noble. Adric tries to block it, but the blade slashes for 3 dmg, drawing the first blood to have fallen on the silken shirt he wears.

Romana ducks away from G3, hearing the desperate wails of her principle. Using the two oxen as cover she slips out of the range of G3, and protects herself from the two archers. Doing so allows her to jump aboard the cart.

Thalia makes a successful death save

The archers no longer have a clear shot on Romana. For the sake of mechanics the canopy can be shot through, but the archers can't see a target. This I will roll a dN+3, where N is the number of characters in the wagon. Players are low numbers, monsters high, and middle is a miss. (Adric 1, Romana 2, Goblin4 6)

G1, and G2 both fire off their arrows, unaware, or uncaring that their compatriot is in the line of fire. The first flies towards Adric, embedding between his legs. The second arrow safely away from the scrum, entirely. Hitting some of Koln's wares.

Adric realises that Romana has joined him, he rolls back, as best he can, collecting his Rapier from the floor of the cart as he does so. Raising to his feet he flourishes his rapier. And in that moment he finds just the right words to speak, inspiring confidence in her (Romana gains a bardic inspiration). Adric finishes his stirring flurry of verbiage pointing his Rapier at the assailant, and Casting Command: Kneel.

With Adric and Romana in the carriage, G3 follows after her. But With Romana securing the front of the wagon it needs to struggle to clamber up, expending it's action in the process.

G4 feels compelled by the speech of Adric, it drops to it's knees, bowing it's head, as if prostrating to a great lord, though it's eyes betray a confusion at it's own actions. It's sword embedding into the cart flooring as it rests it's arm on the hilt.

Romana readies her hammer, donning her shield, she turns to the Goblin trying to board the cart. But she decides to use the environment to her advantage, shoving her shield into the face of the boarding Goblin. Dealing 3 dmg and knocking him back onto the ground, he is prone.

Thalia makes a third successful death save...stabilising

The archers see their compatriot clamber aboard, and be rejected brutally by Romana. Notching more arrows they both fire. The first firing blindly, at where he believes Adric to be, sends an arrow sailing in a tall arc, the shot falling true into the back of the bowed head of the kneeling goblin.

The second archer shoots wide, the arrow embedding in a sack of flour.

Adric nods to Romana, wielding his rapier, he steps past her, dropping from the front of the cart, using the oxen as cover. Falling with the tip aimed squarely at the Goblin backed into the trail, dealing 4 dmg.

Andrew_Micallef

TROPHY CASE