so I'm vacationing in Tampa, FL this week. Of course I have to find any gaming stores I can so I can compare to the metro Atlanta region - where I am from. Imagine my pleasant surprise to find the gaming product shelves at The Comics Club in Brandon, FL to contain the Monsters & Treasures hardbound as well as the 2005 module Shadows of the Halfling Hall.

I already own the M&T book, so I grabbed up the module and a new set of dice (marbelized black/grey with gold numbers). The mod seems pretty well written with an interesting story. The NPCs are lively and believable, and there are some scary new monsters. So I am looking forward to using this as my introductory module as I start trying to recruit new players for C&C.

I'll report back in here after I'm able to run Shadows of the Halfling Hall. I plan to run some pre-gen characters through a few sessions of C&C at various RPG Meetups in metro Atlanta to introduce potential players to the game.

~Hoyt.

Yes on the story. That was my first C&C game. I'll be interested in seeing your after-action reports.

Hoyt, you've been on fire since GaryCon. I played Shadows of Halfling Hall with TLG's art director, Peter Bradley. Maybe at DieCon or Archon. Anyway, glad you're still enjoying the game.

That IS a great adventure. Recently got to play in it (My first C&C game!) and it was a delight.

Wow, thanks guys. I'm glad to hear that Shadows was so enjoyable. Please let us know Blackmote how it goes?

<heh> and people say nothing interesting ever happens in a Halfling shire.

Mike Stewart

Some pretty amazing things began in a certain halfling shire...

looks like we'll see how this goes sooner than expected. My regular AD&D 2E UnderMountain group will be missing their elven wizard this Saturday due to a previous engagement. Instead of continuing for a session without him, I've convinced them to give C&C a try.

I'll report back after the weekend.

Cool! I look forward to the report...

Mike

Make it count, Hoyt. No pressure.

*sigh*

well crap, sometimes the best laid plans - even those revised from original plans - simply go to waste. As I was setting up for the game, the second of my four players just informed me he cannot make it out today. So we'll have to postpone SotHH until another time. Ah well. Their loss.

I still plan to take my C&C books and the SotHH to a couple of nearby game stores throughout weekends in May. I'll let you know how those sessions go once they happen.

Stay tuned!

Ack! Well, what can you do...? ;

Again, keep us posted, and here's hoping the game gets off the ground in May!

Mike

This is one of my all time favorite modules and I'm not just talking C&C modules. I've run it a couple of times and the groups have had a blast with it each time. Verdant rage is hella cool too.

Still want more Sieg modules.

Thanks DD; in fact Steve has been bugging me about some as well. As soon as Victorious is on the roster along with the first V module, and my thesis is finished, I plan to finish two other modules I've got 1/2 done. One of which is referred to by the treasure map in the sunken ship inside the "Blue Hole" of U3 Verdant Rage.

Mike, who really needs more free time. Or so it seems.

Hell yeah! Sounds damned good to me.

After a gaming hiatus I'm getting ready to kick start a new C&C game with a group who's never played some Crusadery goodness. In fact I'm sketching out a map of the region we'll be using as I sit at the desk right now. Expanding upon the rough U3 map and placed Newbriar down the road from Camraye. Camraye will be the core of the campaign area to begin so some U1 and U3 will be seeing more love out this way very soon.

ok - it's ON! this Saturday, come Hell, Highwater, or Halfling Ghouls!

Atlanta Gamers Guild Meetup - Shadows of the Halfling Hall

Sweet! Keep us posted...

Re: DD campaign;
I wonder if Steve ever managed to get that map put into future copies of U3?

DM (good at being optimistic) Mike

Not sure about the map. I'm sure I have the old version for my personal copy. I'll look at my convention stock and see if the new printing of VR has added this map you refer to. Which reminds me, I need to talk to Stephen about those new printings of the U-series. I'll let you know what I find out.

Mike, I'm looking through my old 2006 copy of Verdant Rage, and one of my stock copies of the latest printing. The older printing has a much larger two-page map of Camraye and nearby environs, whereas the new printing has the map on one page, and is much smaller. The map is still serviceable, however. The new printing has a map(not in the original)that features a trade road, The Great Oak, The Glade of Serenity, and Mistlebark's Cave. Hope that helps.

Yes, that was the map I was concerned about. Glad it made it in!

Mike

*grumble* once again, real life has shot me down in flames and I am not able to run the game today as I had scheduled. Oh well, perhaps I should stop posting until after I actually run this module. Maybe then I won't jinx it.

Oh well, as they say the best laid plans of mice and gamers...."Aft Gang Aroogie" or something like that. I hate Welsh! LOL

Just give up a report when you can...and here's hoping the luck turns soonly.

DM Mike

I have read this module and decided this is going to be the opening plot to my C&C campaign.

This module is tight. I love the storyline and openings it can lead to for the creative CK.

I have been DM'n modules since 1ed in the mid early 80's and this ranks up their for low level adventures. I'd rank it up there with The Keep on the BorderLands.

This module can easily be worked into any campaign scenario.I started my campaign intro and our group of heroes have just entered "The third Shire" called NewBriar.


Great job and thanks.

Right up there with KOTBL? I'm sure the author will be pleased to hear that. I've owned it for years, but only got to play some of it at a convention.

Budazoa, you flatter me sir!

I'm glad it works so well for you...I was aiming it as an intro-level adventure not just for new characters but new players as well. There's a bit of everything in there; mystery, NPC interaction, Wilderness, dungeon stomp, puzzles, etc. Depending on what the new players seem to like, the CK can then tailor future adventures based on their preferred styles.

Let us know how it goes after you've had a run with it?

Mike

*deep breath*

alright... after a long 8+ month delay, and after battling that 7-headed hydra we call 'real life', and during the month that I claim as my 30th anniversary of being introduced to the Basic D&D (red box) game, I have returned!

I have four players - with possibly more drop-ins - ready to play Castles & Crusades 'Shadows of the Halfling Hall' this Saturday. I have 27(!) pre-gens for them to choose from; equipment lists for each core class; spell books for each arcane and divine class; and will make use of D&D Dungeon Tiles.

All is right in the world again as I return to tabletop fantasy roleplaying in 2013 after a (mostly) several year drought. And to top things off, a new Game Store has opened in recent months less than 10 miles from my house! Life couldn't get much better! woot!

Expect a full report early next week.

~Hoyt.

Sweet! I look forward to reading the exploits of your group. Just make sure they have a cleric...

Mike

I didn't think to write the 3rd level characters' names down myself, so I'll have to come back and edit this post later...

Mohan, Dwarf Paladin of Clanggedin
Hanzi Hammerfall, Dwarf Cleric of Helm
Dru-H'ai, Half-Elf Rogue
Valdirr, Elf Wizard & Alchemist

and since I have yet to invest in any of the C&C official campaign setting I placed this scenario in the Forgotten Realms; specifically in the vicinity of the Bargewright Inn (about 50 miles east/NE of Waterdeep). I have placed the Canton of Newbriar within the Larch Hills* just north of the Bargewright Inn.



The party of four had been staying around the Bargewright Inn for a couple of days waiting for a chance for adventure when they were asked by Ruldarr, owner of Ruldarr's fine Tobacco, Padlocks, and Furniture, to check on his business partners in the halfling Canton of Newbriar to the north. They were at least a tenday late on visiting him to discuss this year's tobacco crops. And he already had regular customers wanting to place orders. So with a payment of a parcel of Ruldarr's finest tobacco and a writ giving the party room & board at the Portly Partridge in Newbriar, they set off on foot to deliver the message to Crim Alebrook (who gave up on wheat farming a few years before in favor of the much more lucrative tobacco crops).

The relunctant party set out on foot for the day-long walk to Newbriar. Half way there they met up with a halfling wagon that was loaded down with household materials pulled by a stout pony and followed by two small cows. The somewhat nervous-looking hin family on board had little to say to the party besides the fact that they were leaving Newbriar before illness or bad fortune fell upon them. The adventurers asked what 'bad fortune' they were referring to. All they did was shake their heads and mention disappearances of neighbor folk as they drove their wagon on to the Bargewright Inn. After a quick conversation among themselves, the rogue - hidden and moving silently - followed the wagon for a half-mile trying to pick up on any conversation. All he could make out was some mumblings about strange sightings, hauntings, and... bloodshed.

The party pressed on to make it to Newbriar by sunset. There were a few folk going about their end-of-the-day business as usual: sweeping their porches, closing their shudders (early spring; rather chilly at night), and lighting street lamps. A few were heading into the largest building in town - the Portly Partridge Tavern and Inn. So the party headed in there as well to find a dozen or more tables of pairs and groups of hin having dinner and drinks for the evening. Obviously the chatter of conversation died down considerably as the four strangers entered the building and took a seat. The Paladin made his way to the bar, introducing himself and offering the writ of room & board to the barkeep, Redd Softfoot.

During dinner the party tried to listen out to some of the conversation at nearby tables (after the odd encounter with the fleeing hin family on the road). Most of the gossip seemed to center around a fellow named Willic and strange occurences at his residence. After a few conversations with Redd and his daughter/barmaid Juna, the party gained the trust of the Innkeeper who relayed what he knew of what has happened around Newbriar since the party a tenday ago at the Willic Brambletoe Estate.

...

NOTE: I don't want to post any spoilers, but will come back later to add to this review and explain what the party has found so far (we like 5 rooms finishing the Barrow)

Suffice to say the players have enjoyed the scenario and the game system so far. This was their first time playing Castles & Crusades, but they were each adamant about learning the system vs. playing an AD&D 2E game - which we are all very fond of. They each appear interested in continuing this game in a couple of weeks. And there's talk about purchasing the core rule books.

after an 8+ month delay - mission accomplished!

I'll be running this same scenario for a different group on Jan 26th. Without going into as great a detail, I'll certainly post their reviews of the module and the C&C system.

~Hoyt.



*I'll be placing the halfling community of Greenshire in this region, probably across the Dessarin River. Greenshire is the setting for the 'In Search of Adventure' Free RPG Day Module from 2012. I'll likely use it as a follow up to this introductory scenario.

Welcome back, Hoyt. Sounds like an awesome game. I'd actually like to PLAY instead of ck'ing all of the time. Glad you have been hard at it since last year's Gary Con.

Thanks Tyler. And I always tell people stories about the great time I had at Gary Con - especially with the C&C games I was able to play in.

Unfortunately I cannot make it to this year's convention due to the inevitable lack of funding. So I'll have to hold out and try to make a triumphant return in 2014.

A good time was had by all. Filling in for the Trolls was an unexpected one time treat. Other than being around all of those TSR luminaries, introducing newbies to C&C was the highlight of the weekend. Thanks for passing it on to others. I look forward to more updates.