Inspired by the Black Company series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen series and the Song of Fire and Ice series…

PC’s are ‘recruited’ into the Raven Legion, a merc company, for the defense of their village (a key Northern river crossing  point) which ends up getting destroyed as well as most of the mercenaries.  The Raven Legion ‘adopts’ the PC’s and the fun begins.

Originally a large mercenary force, approx 500, the Legion will have been reduced to just a few key NPC’s after the battle at the PC’s village.

Main NPC’s:

• Captain – “Galan Dujek”, “Captain Konrad”was lost during the battle, this will be a new position for him
• Lieutenant – “Ducan Dujek”, last of the LTs, the other got promoted to Captain – standard fighter, Galan’s younger twin
• Medic (magical abilities) – “Adolphus Tristan Emenon”, goes by “Bones”
• First Sergeant – “Trymman “Griz” Graymorning”, grizzled vet, long sword and shield
• Sergeant of Arms – “Toragar “Top” Onyxfist”, dwarf, he’s a Tank/Heavy
• Corporal – “Darius “Dusk” Brand”, shadyish, rouge/scout type
• Squad member -” Twig”, no one remembers his real name, smaller halfling, good fighter, tenacious
• Squad member – “Grunt”, his true name is almost unpronounceable, half-orc, brute, very loyal to the Legion

Misc Raven Legion notes:

• Most Legionnaires are given a nickname by the First Sergeant within their first month of duty.
• The Raven Legion is an elite mercenary unit, they use squad tactics with a squad consisting of 4-6 men.
• Frequently use very unorthodox tactics and strategy.
• With the correct ingredients, alchemical skill and a little bit of magic have recipes for munitions.

Misc Campaign Notes:

• Above the Spine mountains and beyond the Northern Wastelands lies the Hoarfrost Kings’ lands – The Frozen Reaches – home to Frost Orcs and Hyperborean Barbarians who are gathering under his banner.
• The Northern Horde is descending… Winter is coming!

• Arcane, which comes from the world and universe around the caster
• Divine, which is inspired from above (or below): the realms of gods and demons.
• Primal, which is associated with the nature and the feywild.

Wizards, sorcerers and bards learn to cast arcane spells, which are typically flashy and powerful, but, often require complex movements and gestures known as somatic components, which are impeded by wearing bulky armor.

Clerics, rangers and paladins cast divine spells, which draw their power from a deity or simply the caster’s inner faith. While the casting of these spells is not impeded by heavy armor, it may require the caster to wear a holy symbol as a focus.

Druids and shamans cast primal spells, wielding the magic of the natural world and using thier connection to the primal spirits to cast their spells. These spell are impeded by non-natural armor.

A spell may exist in all three arcane, divine and primal forms — for example, summon monster VII can be cast by wizards, clerics and druids, although a cleric might use it to summon an angel, a druid would summon a wilderness ally while a wizard would feel free to summon whichever creature best fits the situation.

Using a spell point system allows casters to more freely pick and choose which spells they cast each day.

Every spellcaster has a reserve of spell points based on class and level. Characters also gain bonus spell points from a high ability score (just as a normal spellcaster would gain bonus spells from a high ability score). These spell points provide the magical power behind the caster’s spells: He spends a number of spell points appropriate to the spell’s level to cast the spell. Once spent, spell points are expended until the caster has sufficient time to rest and prepare new spells.

Abjuration
This school is focused on protective spells, as well as spells which cancel or interfere with other spells, magical effects or supernatural abilities. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Abjurers.

Alteration / Transmutation
Spells in this school alter the properties of their targets. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Transmuters.

Conjuration / Summoning
Is focused on instantaneous transportation, conjuring manifestations of creatures, energy or objects and object creation. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Conjurers.

Divination
This school is focused on acquiring information. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Diviners.

Enchantment / Charm
This school is divided into two subschools: compulsion and charm. Charm spell affect the targets’ attitudes, usually making them act more favorably toward the caster. Compulsion spells can force the targets’ to act in a certain way or avoid certain actions, affect the targets’ emotions or affect the targets’ minds in other ways. The Compulsion subschool also includes buffs. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Enchanters.

Invocation / Evocation
Evocation is focused on damaging energy-based spells, it also includes conjurations of magical energy. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Evokers.

Illusion / Phantasm
This school is divided into five subschools: figment, glamer, pattern, phantasm and shadow. Figment spells create artificial sensations with no physical substance. Glamer spells alter the target’s sensory properties, and can cause invisibility. Pattern spells create insubstantial images which affect the minds of the viewers, pattern spells can inflict harm. Phantasm spells create hallucinations which can be harmful. Shadow spells use magical shadows to create things with physical substance. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Illusionists.

Necromancy
Necromancy spells involve death, undeath and the manipulation of life energy. Necromancy can usually be divided into three or four categories: spells that help or create the Undead; spells that hurt the Undead; spells that hurt other people; and spells that manipulate life in order to heal. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Necromancers.

Universal
Universal spells have effects too broad to place into one class, or too useful for any specialist to consider forsaking. They often can perform multiple effects, or perform a very specific effect that does not fit into another category. The most famous of these spells is “wish”, the most powerful spell within the game, which can duplicate spells from all schools. As universal spells are not a school, per se, no one can specialize in them.

Basic Alignment Chart

Sixteen-point Alignment Chart

• Fire
• Air
• Earth
• Water
• Positive
• Negative
• Fire-Air: Smoke
• Fire Positive: Radiance
• Fire-Earth: Magma
• Fire-Negative: Ash
• Air-Water: Ice
• Air-Positive: Lightning
• Air-Negative: Vacuum
• Water-Earth: Ooze
• Water-positive: Steam
• Water-Negative: Salt
• Earth-Positive: Mineral
• Earth-Negative: Dust

Click on image for larger version

Basic Idea:
A remote coastal logging community, using a logging barge as their base, has survived the apocolypse and transformed into a heirarchial canibalistic, axe wielding tribe who raid other communities up and down the coast they inhabit – for food, women, and what ever else they can get their hands on.

Introduction:
This adventure can be placed in any protected coastal location in an area that, pre-war, had logging as a common occupation.  It can be used as a one time encounter or as a more in-depth addition to your on-going campaign.

Logging was a part of life in this area, the first logging camps opened in the late 1800′s and these paved the way for a series of logging communities that dotted the shores of the Coast for much of the 20th century.  These camps were home for the hardy men working the forests.

Situation Pre-War:
The barge was home to a crew of 50 loggers working for a local logging company.

Situation War:
Due to the sheltered and remote location of the logging barge it was mostly unaffected, although they did feel the ‘earthquakes’ and noticed some larger than normal waves they didn’t think it anything more than a ‘normal’ earthquake.  It wasn’t until the crew didn’t receive any radio transmission from the main office for awhile that they figured something ‘bigger’ had happened and sent out someone to investigate.

Situation Post-War:
The original crew of 50 dwindled in the first few years after the war due to starvation, the effects of the nuclear winter and nuclear summer and the occasional accident.  After their fuel supply was exhausted they had to rely on human powered propulsion for their vehicles and they eventually resorted to looting to get the supplies they needed to survive.  It’s now 150+ years after the war and the crew has distorted into a group of axe wielding cannibals that use their ‘Boomboats’ to raid settlements up and down the Coast for food, goods and women.

Equipment:
The original crew had 6 logging boomboats, a helicopter (which was lost when they sent men to investigate the loss of contact with the main office), and 1 larger boat that was used to transport gear and personnel to and from the main office.

Most of the original logging boomboats have been scavenged for parts over the years and are no longer working but the Ax Men have pieced together one that runs on the very small supply of fuel that they have and they have made three ‘Boomboats’ (think Viking style longboats) from supplies they have collected during raids and they also have a few canoes.  The canoes are their primary day to day mode of transportation around the barge and the ‘Boomboats’ are used during their longer hunting and raiding journeys.

Weapons:
Each Ax Man has his own Ox-Head Double Bit Felling Axe, plus about 1/2 to 3/4 have some type of firearm which they have either inherited or ‘collected’ during a raid.  Ammo for these firearms will be limited; the Ax Men will use them sparingly unless they are in serious distress.  The Boom Master wields the ‘Petunk’.

The logging barge:
The barge is 45’ wide x 165′ long.  The barge is a two story, stick built, vinyl clad, aluminum roofed structure.  The upper floor contains the living quarters, the kitchen, and a dining area.  The lower floor had a workshop, gear storage area and offices.  The steel hull was used to store diesel fuel, along with the diesel generators, sewage system, fresh water storage, and heat system.  Heat was recovered from generators and re-used for heating the living quarters.  It could accommodate a maximum of 50 persons.

Ax Men slang:

• Beaver: a woman.  The women at camp are ‘used’ as cooks, maids, nannies and playthings – sometimes the Ax Men will have fights over who gets to play with which ‘Beaver’
• Boom Master:  the Boss who directs ‘operations’ barge
• Boomboat: Ax Men’s longboats
• Boomscooter: any motorized boat
• Spud: a child
• Petunk: a large splitting maul

Class: Fighter, dual wield specialist
Race: Dwarf, Male
Alignment: Chaotic (Good)

Str:
Dex:
Con:
Int:
Wis:
Chr:

Wergrim’s name roughly translates into Battle Eternal Orc Slayer

Wergrim is a devout follower of the Luckmaiden, Haela Brightaxe.  He wades into each battle sending a short prayer to the Lady of the Fray.  He bases his life through Haela’s Dogma:
Through battle there is validation, liberation, and exultation. Trust in Haela to see you through the fray, and the monsters of the world shall fall to the sharp blades of your axes, regardless of their apparent strength and numbers. The Luckmaiden blesses those dwarves who believe in her beneficence, and she, through her faithful, will always be there for the beleaguered and the besieged. Rejoice the power of your swing in battle, the sound of your weapon smiting a worthy foe, and the challenge of the fray. If asked, show mercy on a noble foe who abides by a code of honor, but hold not your hand against the treacherous, the liars, and the honorless.

Wergrim is a dual wield specialist, always engaging with a battle axe in each hand and a deafening war cry to let his foes know he’s coming.

Height: 4’10″
Weight: 150lbs
General Appearance: Wergrim is well kept and has a neat and tidy appearance which contradicts his free flowing and whirlwind fighting style.  He wears polished armor and wears his hair in braids.
Sanity: Normal
Tendencies: ?
Personality: Average – Friendly
Disposition: Regimented, very devoted to his ‘religion’
Nature: Straight forward and brutally honest, just wants to fight monsters
Honesty: Very
Energy: Energetic
Morals: Devoted
Intellect: Ponderous
Materialism: Normal
Bravery: Fearless
Thrift: Average
Piety: Extreme
Interests: Battle

Class: Fighter/Thief
Race: Halfling, Male
Alignment: Chaotic (Good)

• Str: 14
• Dex: 18
• Con: 12
• Int: 9
• Wis: 10
• Chr: 7

Theadric Goodbarrel is a Brewer’s son and was born in a tightly-knit Halfling community.  Even for a Halfling he is very short (2’6″, weighing 40lbs) and was picked on terribly from a very early age about his height and his name.  Because of the abuse he stuck to himself mostly and discovered his Father’s dagger as a young boy while working at the brewery.  He has practiced and is astonishingly skilled at handling daggers; twirling, tricks, throwing and is constantly playing with them.  He is incredibly embarrassed by his real name and ever since leaving home for adventure has gone by the name “Dagger”.  “Dagger” enjoys a good fight but he has a bit of an inferiority complex and thinks he can take on anyone.  He often dresses in dark, nondescript clothing and has 6 or more daggers squirreled about his body.  “Dagger” is a quiet fella, friendly but sensitive about his height, he can be quite mischievous and loves all things lizardy; dragons, geckos, kobolds, etc…

Height: 2’6″
Weight: 40lbs
General Appearance: Often dresses in dark, nondescript clothing and has 6 or more daggers squirreled about his body
Sanity: Normal (with some chaotic episodes)
Tendencies: Capricious/mischievous – “Dagger” has some chaotic tendencies.
Personality: Average – Friendly
Disposition: Easy going but sensitive about his height
Nature: Can be vengeful if picked on but otherwise is very forgiving
Honesty: Average
Energy: Energetic
Morals: Normal
Intellect: Ponderous
Materialism: Covetous (he likes shiny things)
Bravery: Fearless and leaning towards foolhardy
Thrift: Average
Piety: Average
Interests: All thing lizardy; dragons, geckos, kobolds, etc…