10 – With Magnetic Force

After escaping the subterranean deluge, our warbands met again in a set of ruins that emanated a sporadic magnetic field. We played the With Magnetic Force scenario from the Sellsword expansion (included in the Frostgrave Folio). During this scenario, any roll of a 19-20 would toggle whether the magnetic field was active. When it becomes active, unattended treasures all move a few inches in a random direction, and while it is on heavy armor, shooting attacks, and spellcasting are all penalized.

Before the game, we each attempted some spellcasting. My druid successfully brewed my third dose of the Elixir of the Beastcrafter, but didn’t manage to brew a second potion. My wife’s trickster and her apprentice both failed to cast Awareness.

During initiative for the very first round, the magnets turned on. That round and the next had both our warbands advancing toward the treasures while my spellcasters boosted my soldiers with Strength and my wife’s spellcasters used a mix of Strength and Fleet Feet.

Then on the third round, we started to claim treasures. My thief and tracker both grabbed treasure while my apprentice created a fog cloud to keep them out of sight. My wife’s thief and her woman-at-arms also picked up treasure. Only a single zombie was attracted to the battle, but it appeared on my board edge, so my barbarian had to deal with it to keep the way clear for my treasure carriers.

The central treasure was far more contested. My druid, bear, demon hunter, and apothecary headed for it while my archer overlooked the area to assist. They were opposed by my wife’s apprentice, ranger, assassin, and man-at-arms. My wizard blinded her ranger, but her assassin made grabbed the treasure first. My demon hunter ran forward to strike her down, but wasn’t able to pick up the treasure before my wife’s man-at-arms and knight closed in. The next round went well for me, my bear took out the knight, my demon hunter took out the man-at-arms, and my archer got a critical hit on my wife’s blind ranger. Unfortunately, my wife’s trickster pulled the treasure away to her apprentice’s feet before I could pick it up. Then the next round, my wife’s wizard successfully hid the apprentice with Invisibility securing the treasure for herself.

At the end of the battle, my warband was in far better shape, but the trickster had secured three treasures to my druid’s two. My wife had to make six injury rolls after the game. Her archer died from his bear-inflicted wounds, and her ranger was badly wounded from the critical hit she took while blinded. My entire warband walked off the battlefield in good health.

Neither of us were particularly excited about our treasure hauls this game. I got a grimoire of Bridge and a dagger with +2 damage. My wife found a grimoire of Animate Skull, scrolls of Leap and Transpose, and a wand of power. Both of her spellcasters already have staves of power, so the wand was sold. The grimoires will at least be useful as new spells to learn as we gain xp, but they aren’t spells we’d have chosen.

The Druid’s Warband

• Audric Silverbeard the Druid (+4 levels: +1 Fight, improved Plague of Insects, learned Crumble, gained Beastcrafter III trait)
• Roslin the Apprentice
• Jormund the Barbarian
• Nils the Tracker
• Dimitri the Archer
• Red the Demon Hunter
• Rhane the Thief
• Raven the Apothecary
• Jarl the Bear
• Jaeger the Snow Leopard

The Trickster’s Warband

• Freya the Trickster (+3 levels: +1 Fight, improved Telekinesis, learned Elemental Shield)
• Ophelia the Apprentice
• Kate the Knight
• Emilia the Ranger (badly wounded)
• Ronald the Ranger
• Jamie the Archer (dead)
• Draco the Man-at-Arms
• Dany the Woman-at-Arms
• Scarlet the Assassin
• Annabelle the Thief
• Keima the Mystic Warrior (new hire)