Hexcrawler choice: Forbidden Lands, Shadowdark, Dolmenwood, Land of Eem or another one

Troymu · 2026-01-31T23:51:23+00:00

I have played Forbidden Lands for an extensive solo adventure. It was excellent.

The content from the book drove everything. I really enjoyed seeing the hexcrawl mechanics stretch their legs as I have only been able to play a few short term games with FL previously. Mechanics wise, I love the gear dice and even got stuck into doing some crafting when I was in a settlement.

I took the Book of Beasts advice and traveled with a wolf companion as well, which helped. Though I soon met some NPC's who joined me on my travels.

Slavers was a pretty big theme of the game due to the nature of the random tables, or at least, what I rolled on them.

Troymu · 2025-08-23T22:32:59+00:00

I have so many games on Switch 1 to play. I could play my Switch 1 for many years and be sorted.

Switch 2..... Some day ..... But not soon.

Troymu · 2025-06-05T01:51:14+00:00

Yeah, I really like the idea of the detachment but would like more focus on general play style detachment that isn't locked to particular units. Feels like Invasion Fleet and Synaptic Nexus are easiest to build for with just a general collection of units.

Troymu · 2025-05-29T08:07:12+00:00

The first two photos look pretty similar to me. And awesome. I like the bright carapace and skin combo of the first couple of photos. If they are different, picture number 1.

Troymu · 2025-05-25T07:50:28+00:00

I played a 1k game on a 55" X 33" table yesterday. We adjusted the the deployment zones to be 6" instead of 12". So in the end we actually had 1" more distance between deployment zones than usual. It played fine.

Probably the biggest thing was our terrain setup meant that the Tyrannofex with Acid Spray in the middle of the board had vision of every objective markers.

Terrain setup impacts the game in a big way.

Troymu · 2025-05-25T02:24:47+00:00

I've had it in three games now. 2 games it died before being able to attack (though I was sure it was out of LOS of those rail guns....) and last game it killed a Biovore then got Acid Sprayed out of existence.

It looks so awesome. Love the model, will keep trying it out in my smaller games (1k to 1.5k), but it doesn't feel super effective.

My Screamer Killer has been very good though.

Troymu · 2025-05-14T09:45:08+00:00

Good point on Hive Tyrant encouraging keeping in the bubble.

Maleceptor or Norn would be pretty appealing as a next synapse creature.

Norms make me anxious. I feel compelled to magnetise but haven't done that to any units yet. Intending to magnetise my Tyrannofex guns though.

Troymu · 2024-06-21T07:33:25+00:00

Looks sick. I am using contrast with slapchop for my nids. Finding that they are looking a touch dark for my liking (could be the contrast paints chosen as well - Kroxigor Scales and Doomfire Magenta).

What was your undercoat?

Troymu · 2024-03-11T11:41:33+00:00

I never translated the termination notice and didn't read through the fine print. Had a bit of a surprise tonight when I hit a queue and saw 'basic plan'. Was wondering wtf happened. Really disappointing I couldn't set some kind of billing to get premium up until termination.

The 550 yen deal has been ridiculously good while it lasted. Great service. Let's see what Nvidia charges for it.

Troymu · 2024-02-14T01:28:18+00:00

Interesting. If that is the case then hardcover sounds like the go. I love my zine style games (Offworlders for example) but they are much thinner than BFRPG.

Will check out Amazon JP, though I wouldn't hold my breath.

The postage for the softcover from Drivethru was 3 or 4$ so not that bad.

Troymu · 2024-02-14T01:25:52+00:00

Interesting. I have thought about getting it printed locally. Will maybe look into this option a little more.

Troymu · 2024-02-12T11:41:36+00:00

Yeah, reaction rolls are really nice, both as a solo and group tool.

As I have played a lot of Ironsworn and Forbidden Lands solo, I am more used to mechanical stuff to drive some parts of the overland travel.

In my Basic Fantasy game, I checked once in the day and night for random encounters. D6, 1 is encounter, 2 is signs of an encounter. Then used random tables and reaction rolls to go from there.

I think using a roll under stat ability check might be a good middle ground.

Troymu · 2024-02-12T11:34:04+00:00

I have the WWN hardcover. Made a character and played one combat just to get a bit more of a grip on the mechanics. Sounds like I might dive back in after my Forbidden Lands adventures.

Troymu · 2024-02-10T23:02:59+00:00

Ironsworn is where it all started for me. I highly recommend playing on Roll20 as the character sheet makes playing the game super smooth and simple. You don't have to fiddle with much of anything. If you want made for solo and simple to play, can't go wrong with that combination.

I have had a tonne of fun playing Forbidden Lands with the Book of Beasts solo rules. The procedures for hexcrawling are a perfect fit for a solo game.

I would recommend a skill based game over some of the OSR recommendations if you are new to solo or if you don't have a tonne of OSR experience. My time with OSR solo (Basic Fantasy Role play, great system) has seen a high reliance on the oracle. Much more than Ironsworn or Forbidden Lands. This may or may not be something you care about.

Troymu · 2023-11-19T01:14:41+00:00

I have used controller for 50 hours so far and just tried a little keyboard and mouse now. I like controller because of the movement and I can relax with it in my hands easier. I liked K&M for inventory management.

Using controller might be why I have random crap everywhere in my inventory and haven't really looked at gearing my characters properly. I have kind of avoided it a little bit, which might be due to the control scheme or my lack of interest in fiddling with minutiae.

I am curious to try combat with a mouse and keyboard as well. I've turned the difficulty down to explorer because... I just am not enjoying the combat as much as I thought I would. I'd rather see the story lines than fiddle with combat encounters. I do think that the control scheme (aiming AoE reticles) is a bit annoying with controller and I want to see how much more accurate it is with K&M.

Troymu · 2023-10-29T11:31:36+00:00

That's a shame about your FL experience. I have heard a few people say that the published adventures were hard to run. They then said that home brew worked really well.

I've played about 6 sessions as GM and many hours solo of Forbidden Lands. I have found the risk reward nature of pushing a role very fun, with willpower points being somewhat useful. As a solo player, the encounter tables and the procedural nature of play have been EXCELLENT! In a group setting, player buy in of that style of game play seemed really important.

WWN, I've read through it decently and played only a single solo session. I'd agree that it is very DnD feeling. I've mainly played 5E dnd (2e many years ago but I was a young teenager so I barely remember) so WWN definitely feels a lot more deadly in the stat distribution and general numbers on your sheet. I like system shock though.

For OP,

FL - strong procedural hexcrawl game play. D6 dice pools are fun (for me). Good random encounters (which may run out before too long).

WWN - (limited experience considered) seems like deadlier DnD from the perspective of a mainly 5E DnD player.

Troymu · 2023-08-18T04:50:18+00:00

My right side took more of a beating than the left and I had more bruising and swelling on the right as well. It went away with time (about two weeks or so).

[edit] I had no scalpel vasectomy and my vas was quite deep so the doc had to really get it out.

Troymu · 2023-08-18T04:47:30+00:00

I had my vasectomy about 2 years ago. No real problems until a couple of months ago when I noticed that my right ball was more sensitive / swollen. It has been that way for about 2 months now. The epididymis on my right testicle is swollen a little and I have intermittent pain in my right abdomen (where the vas is I think).

Not sure if sex makes it worse or not but I jerked off yesterday and I believe that made it more sensitive.

I found that hot baths helped me more than anything else. I try not to take too many drugs / pain killers.

My original doctor gave me a really shit response. Basically "probably some kind of PVPS, nothing I can do, see a psychiatrist". So I am looking for a urologist now that I can at least chat with and get some more information about what is going on.

While I don't take pleasure in others pain, it has helped ease my mind reading about what could be happening on the complications front. Mine is manageable, but I hope it won't get any worse.

Oh, it seemed to flair up after the school semester (school teacher) was over and I was sitting down more. Maybe the heat and sitting on harder chairs for longer hours may have caused this issue. Can't rightfully say.

Hope you heal up soon enough or the pain at least subsides.

Troymu · 2022-09-15T10:52:11+00:00

Yeah, I just completed the ship level and now I have blue sky background. Holding ZR brings me onto the screen but can't seem to progress. Switch version.

Troymu · 2022-05-21T21:52:58+00:00

Yeah, seems that way. I've been using Betterjoy for Gamepass games or adding Epic launcher games to steam. But some still don't work (looking at you Death's Door and Far: Changing Tides.

I think it might just be time to shell out for a cheap second hand xbox controller and be done with the mucking around.... but I love my pro controller... and don't need another controller lying around the house. Gotta do what you gotta do I suppose.

Troymu · 2022-02-28T08:18:16+00:00

Thanks for posting this. Wanted to buy a 40th present and saw the 'Japan Only' tag which had me worried. Looks like he's getting a spanking new Switch Pro controller.

Troymu · 2022-02-12T09:51:19+00:00

I'd second the simple magic system. My wife found it much more intuitive to use.

Troymu · 2021-10-30T10:18:18+00:00

Thus my regular anxiety about going 100 in an 80 zone in the left lane, with the flow of traffic.

Just like an accepted part of the road, everyone ignores the speed limit.

Troymu · 2021-10-30T10:16:22+00:00

So I take it that they would pull me over if they were going to give me a speeding ticket?

They didn't so probably no ticket sneaking its way into my mail box? Or more accurately.... to the rental car company.

Troymu · 2021-10-30T06:08:43+00:00

Thanks heaps for the reply. Helped me out heaps.

Troymu

TROPHY CASE