A Close Escape

Famed explorer, Sir Archibald Stanpipe, had recently recovered an ancient tablet in Outer Mongolia
and was on his return trip when his dirigible, Lady Dora, mysteriously crashed on small island in the North Sea.
Earlier telegrams hinted this tablet might give the location of great amounts of Quantonium, the newly
discovered element that allowed heavier-than-air ships to fly, and enhanced steam technology to its
new heights.
The scenario pitted five pplayers from five nations (including the nefarious Prof. Nightshade) trying to
1) Find Sir Archibald
2) Get the location of the tablet, hidden after the crash.
Germany got off to a good start as Rokkittruppen dropped preciselt onto the village and quickly found
Sir Archibald. But things went sour when the vaunted Killenkanner, dreaded killing machine of past adventures, was
quickly dispatch by L’Roue (which has had a very lackluster history).
Then, a bombing run by the German Wespe ended in a miss and failed “Sustain Roll” which led to landing
in the ruined church.

A Close Escape, cont'd

During this time, Nightshade’s Masked Minions advanced to the village. The Germans ahd found Sir Archibald
and got the location of the tablet from him (not the real location, he wouldn’t give up the secret to some
flying Hun!). Nightshade’s minions caught up with Sir Archibald bought lost half their number to French gunfire.
Most were quickly repaired by Nightshade and sent back into battle.
Meanwhile, the British and Russians steadily advanced. The British reached the village and scuffled with the remaining
minions. The French joined the fray, and only a few brave Brits escaped with the true location of the tablet.In the fight,
Sir Archibald was wounded and captured by the French.
The surviving British officer would have to pass through the Russians to get to the building the tablet
was hidden in. The Turtle (a British steam tankette) blew the Russian flame carrier up with one shot.
In the end, the Brits escaped with the tablet, the Germans were slaughtered, and the rest had to leave empty handed.

The Legion in Mexico, by GASLIGHT

In the timeline of the real world, the French were expelled form Mexico in 1867. In this world they held out a bit longer. When the Franco-Prussian war begins in 1870, part of the German plan involves a small invasion of the French holding in Mexico...
Prussian spies have landed ahead of time and rallied some of the nationalist locals to bolster the ranks of the invaders with promises of Mexican independence. Airships have dropped troops outside the small village of Pocoloco. The plan is to capture the Governor, who's vacationing from heat of the interior, and the payroll. Guarding both is a small contingent on Legionnaires. What should be an easy operation, soon turns out to be anything but.
Unbeknownst to the Prussians, the village is guarded not only by the Legion, but by a group of Zoauves, a unit of French Regulars, and team of Marines. Backing them up are the Spyder, and the Wheel, two nasty steam powered contraptions.
The Prussians have troubles right off. They can't get their contraptions started. The Wespe (a flier), the jaguar (a volicepede) and the vaunted killenkanner spend the first couple of turns just trying to get started.
Meanwhile the Rokkittruppen land scattered all over. They isolated ones are quickly picked off by fire from the governor's house. This forces a morale checked which they fail and are forced to retreat.
The French wait as the Prusso-Mexican force enters town. The Spyder and the Wheel spring to life and begin to lob shells and electro-galvanic lightning into there midst. The half the Mexicans flee, never to return. But, in a bright spot, the Mexican contraption, begins an end run around the French left flank. It manages to pepper the windows of the governor's house, killing a few Legionnaires. In true legion fashion, the ignore the casualties and fight on!
The Prusso-Mexican forces have now got within charge distance of both the church and governor's house. With the Wespe finally flying, it begins dropping bombs on the church yard. During the mayhem, the Prussian regulars assault the church. In vicious hand-to-hand fighting, the Prussians win, and force the French out. The French quickly rally and retake the church.
Meanwhile, on the French left, the Spyder's constant bombardment has taken it's toll. All of the Mexican allies have routed, their contraption a burning hulk. The Rokkitruppen try one last charge and are cut to ribbons. The survivors leave the battlefield.
It was a good fight. We (the Prussians) should have been more cautious advancing. We had some terrible morale rolls and the French did some darn fine shootin'.

Fistful of Lead Yahoo Group

I'm finally going to support this GAME!!!

Some Characters/NPCs

Here's some drawings of people populating the campaign.

The WFRP campaign

After a long absence from straight up RPGs we started a Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay campaign. I always liked these rules, but hated the setting, so I made my own. Our characters to this story consist of an elf outlaw, a hedge wizard, a halfling fieldwarden, a squire, a hunter and an elf wizard's apprentice.
One of the more interetsing parts of a campaign is how it starts. The standard is to have everybody meet in an in. I had them all meet as inmates of the same dungeon in a backwater kingdom.
Most of the charges were misunderstandings or trumped up charges, but their fate was the same: "we'll release you if you take on this expedition".
The leader of the expedition to "find an artifact that will unite the border kingdoms", is Rulf, brother of the monkish king.
Each PC was given amulet that will give them safe passage through the kingdom. Almost immediately a peasant from a distant village begs them for help with some missing livestock. "Have your magistrate deal with it", was Rulf's answer a the PCs left.
The first night was spent in the shadow of Storm Mountain where the PCs watch two storm giants duel in the clouds.
The second day found them at a crossroads where the saw a gibbet with a corpse in it, and sign "wizard" on it. Birger, our hefty halfling quickly spotted a ring on his skeletal finger and snatched it. The group also found they were being followed. After a tense few minutes, it turned out only to be the earlier peasant still begging for help. Rulf gave the PCs 2 days to help the peasant and meet him at the ford for the River Rittenroch.
By nightfall, the PCs were at the horribly impoverished village. Soon after, cries went up about a missing sheep and the culprits getting away. Our PCs followed the giggling offenders to the Grey Fenns, an imposing swamp.
Several pit traps and grey bathes in the muck later, the PCs found a crumbled tower. Birger managed to set of a trip wire and alert the 2 goblins within. After a killing one, the other woke "Aunite Meg", a female Troll who was glad to have new visitors.
The PCs looked like they were done for till Dullwin, their Elven Wizard's apprentice manage to put a sleep spell on her. A quick chop from Squire Corbin's sword detached her head, and into the fire she went.
The grateful villagers offered the few coins they had, but the pCs decided the gold they captured from the tower (and the local magistrate's armor) was enough.
The PCs met up with Rulf and his men at the ferry. The ferry itself was too small to carry everyone across at once so Rulf, his men, and the horses went first, followed by the PCs. Halfway across, Armed men appeared on the far side bearing the colors of a rival kingdom. In a heated exchange Rulf killed the captain, the group was forced to ride hard across the Battleplain, a haunted place normally avoided. After a hard ride the PCs spent the night on the farside of the plain. Our two magicians were very uncomfortable in this place. Soon they were visited by an ancient wight and an entourage of 5 skeletons. Squire Corbin dispatched the wight with a mounted charge and PCs left soon after, hounded by enemy troops.
The group managed to lose their pursuers in the Fellreev forest only to encounter a kithband of Elves. The elves escorted the PCs (much to Rulf's chagrin) to the eastern edge of the forest with the ominous warning that war was coming.
The PCs headed into Blood Pass, site of an ancient battle between the forces of good and evil. They spent the night in a ruined watch tower, where they discovered a battle had taken place. They also found amulets similar to the ones they were wearing. Rulf admitted 2 such expeditions had gone before, never to return.
The next day went uneventful til they were ambushed by a loathesome Bugbear and his goblin henchmen. Several were wounded and one of Rulf's men killed. Again, a mounted charge by Squire Corbin finished the affair.
Next stop, the Sundered Valley!

Trolls...

The use of non-human mercenaries (particularly those of goblin blood; trolls, ogres, etc.) was forbidden by the treaty of Volstagg in 1298. Despite this, some rulers have continued to use them in their campaigns. Let us hope our current troubles in the Kingdom aren't made worse by their appearance on the battlefield.