Padre's Friday Valley of Death Game
- Thread starter Padre
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Padre
Lord
A possible date for The Tilea's Troubles BOYL replacement game is Saturday 15th August. Location, near Pontefract, West Yorkshire. Before I pursue any further, is this any good to the guys who were going to attend the original game? Damian? Thomas? Brother Meredith? Taliesin Kinkaid?
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Dwarven Moustache
Serf
Yes, I'd like to come. That sounds like a good time and place.
Brother Meredith
Lord
Have put the date in the family calendar! (and will go cap in hand to beg another day out).
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Padre
Lord
Huzzah! We have Mr Moustache, Brother Meredith, an almost certain from Damo, a yes from my Tom, and I bet a couple of the local Tilea's Troubles players will join us. So, with 5-7 likely, I am going to go ahead (after checking out the room and the tables) with booking the place at some point early next week.
More details to follow.
Saturday 15th August
Timings very likely to be room 9 - 6, game 10 - 5.
Venue = Ackworth Parish Council Community Centre, Bell Lane, Ackworth, Pontefract, WF7 7JH.
Parking available.
Scenario rules to be detailed and finalised.
I have to pick one of three rooms, all of which would probably work. Must remember to take my tape measure to the centre - those tables won't measure themselves.
More details to follow.
Saturday 15th August
Timings very likely to be room 9 - 6, game 10 - 5.
Venue = Ackworth Parish Council Community Centre, Bell Lane, Ackworth, Pontefract, WF7 7JH.
Parking available.
Scenario rules to be detailed and finalised.
I have to pick one of three rooms, all of which would probably work. Must remember to take my tape measure to the centre - those tables won't measure themselves.
Padre
Lord
The room is booked. We can use four 2x6 foot tables, to make a 4x12 table for the Necropolis Valley of Norochia.
Saturday 15th August 2026
Timings = Room booked, including set up and tidy up, 9 - 6. The game will run from 10 - 5.
Venue = Ackworth Parish Council Community Centre, Bell Lane, Ackworth, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF7 7JH.
Parking available - a dozen(ish) parking spaces immediately behind the venue.
Scenario rules to be detailed and finalised, and being discussed in the thread. WFB 8th ed, with scenario rules.
...
Summary of my thinking re: the scenario so far:
The undead are a loose confederation of vampires who have joined together in a dastardly plan to raise a bony horde from the valley of death. Presumably, later, they intend to conquer the world! The living will be the local(ish) force racing to the valley to prevent the evil vampires' naughty tomb raiding and grave robbery.
The undead forces will each be 600 - 900 pts, maybe more or less, and take the form of one or two vampires (using necromantic magic) and their freshly raised zombies and ghouls. All the dry bones stuff is to be raised in the valley, each vampire thus increasing the strength of their force.
The living armies, being Tileans (men, dwarves, halflings, ogre mercenaries, etc), will be 1400 – 1600 pts (possibly more or less). We have some players signed up already (see above).
I will GM, and the players will either be using their own, painted force or one of the forces I provide. I'll also provide a bunch of the undead stuff, including entry forces for those who want to use them, and umpteen skeleton and other undead units to be the newly raised stuff. Damian may provide stuff too (Damian, I need to comm' with you re: what undead you could add to the list of options, so that I can make little charts of what might be raised for each 'site' in the valley.)
We will deploy on the 12 foot edge (maybe only 10 foot if we want a bit of space for tape measures, lists, dice etc). For initial deployments and later reinforcement arrivals, units will deploy touching the table edge (or, if in column, arrive behind the front unit as the first one makes its move and creates some space). This gives more space for manoeuvres and time for the races.
The 'sites' include churches (ruined or not), a graveyard, and several crypts and tombs, 7 or 8 in number. There will also be several copses of 'spooky trees’. There will be different rules for each ‘type’ of site, favouring different kinds of summonings ...
The spooky trees might be a source of dire wolves, bat swarms or fells bats or undead monsters.
Graveyards could be a source of skeleton regiments
Crypts could favour heroes, wights and wraiths, and crypt horrors
Churches could bring forth ethereal units
(Not sure where the bony riders could come from - unless one or two of the vampires arrive with a wholly mounted force raised due to a 'need for speed'?)
Possible summoning bonuses, advantages or extra options provided by the sites:
Maybe the spell Raise Dead creates double the number of skeletons (so, 4D6 +6 instead of 2D6 +3, or more, for the first successful summoning, then perhaps reduces to 3D6 for the second, then to normal from then on.
When a vampire captures a site, maybe successful summonings get them a fully formed unit, with command, rolled from a chart? Which chart used, as mentioned above, would depend on the nature of the particular site. If whatever is rolled is already in play, and there are no such models left in the boxes, then we could either re-roll or revert to a ‘normal’ raising of skeletons. I could even make the chart for 2D6 rolls, so that the more common or likely units, are in the 5-9 range? With the weirder, rarer stuff on the extremes.
Control of the central church might give a more widespread bonus to undead magic, like +D3 magic dice to each spell cast? Maybe control of the lesser churches has a lesser, but similar, effect, like +D3 bonus to spell casting results? This would be because the churches’ capture weakens the wards and protections in the valley these blessed places of worship offer.
There could be a rolled chance (or a card drawing system) to determine if any particular undead commander ‘has a problem’ with another undead commander. Vampires are viciously proud creatures!
I will update with more solid thinking soon. But, in the meantime, please discuss if you like.
Saturday 15th August 2026
Timings = Room booked, including set up and tidy up, 9 - 6. The game will run from 10 - 5.
Venue = Ackworth Parish Council Community Centre, Bell Lane, Ackworth, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF7 7JH.
Parking available - a dozen(ish) parking spaces immediately behind the venue.
Scenario rules to be detailed and finalised, and being discussed in the thread. WFB 8th ed, with scenario rules.
...
Summary of my thinking re: the scenario so far:
The undead are a loose confederation of vampires who have joined together in a dastardly plan to raise a bony horde from the valley of death. Presumably, later, they intend to conquer the world! The living will be the local(ish) force racing to the valley to prevent the evil vampires' naughty tomb raiding and grave robbery.
The undead forces will each be 600 - 900 pts, maybe more or less, and take the form of one or two vampires (using necromantic magic) and their freshly raised zombies and ghouls. All the dry bones stuff is to be raised in the valley, each vampire thus increasing the strength of their force.
The living armies, being Tileans (men, dwarves, halflings, ogre mercenaries, etc), will be 1400 – 1600 pts (possibly more or less). We have some players signed up already (see above).
I will GM, and the players will either be using their own, painted force or one of the forces I provide. I'll also provide a bunch of the undead stuff, including entry forces for those who want to use them, and umpteen skeleton and other undead units to be the newly raised stuff. Damian may provide stuff too (Damian, I need to comm' with you re: what undead you could add to the list of options, so that I can make little charts of what might be raised for each 'site' in the valley.)
We will deploy on the 12 foot edge (maybe only 10 foot if we want a bit of space for tape measures, lists, dice etc). For initial deployments and later reinforcement arrivals, units will deploy touching the table edge (or, if in column, arrive behind the front unit as the first one makes its move and creates some space). This gives more space for manoeuvres and time for the races.
The 'sites' include churches (ruined or not), a graveyard, and several crypts and tombs, 7 or 8 in number. There will also be several copses of 'spooky trees’. There will be different rules for each ‘type’ of site, favouring different kinds of summonings ...
The spooky trees might be a source of dire wolves, bat swarms or fells bats or undead monsters.
Graveyards could be a source of skeleton regiments
Crypts could favour heroes, wights and wraiths, and crypt horrors
Churches could bring forth ethereal units
(Not sure where the bony riders could come from - unless one or two of the vampires arrive with a wholly mounted force raised due to a 'need for speed'?)
Possible summoning bonuses, advantages or extra options provided by the sites:
Maybe the spell Raise Dead creates double the number of skeletons (so, 4D6 +6 instead of 2D6 +3, or more, for the first successful summoning, then perhaps reduces to 3D6 for the second, then to normal from then on.
When a vampire captures a site, maybe successful summonings get them a fully formed unit, with command, rolled from a chart? Which chart used, as mentioned above, would depend on the nature of the particular site. If whatever is rolled is already in play, and there are no such models left in the boxes, then we could either re-roll or revert to a ‘normal’ raising of skeletons. I could even make the chart for 2D6 rolls, so that the more common or likely units, are in the 5-9 range? With the weirder, rarer stuff on the extremes.
Control of the central church might give a more widespread bonus to undead magic, like +D3 magic dice to each spell cast? Maybe control of the lesser churches has a lesser, but similar, effect, like +D3 bonus to spell casting results? This would be because the churches’ capture weakens the wards and protections in the valley these blessed places of worship offer.
There could be a rolled chance (or a card drawing system) to determine if any particular undead commander ‘has a problem’ with another undead commander. Vampires are viciously proud creatures!
I will update with more solid thinking soon. But, in the meantime, please discuss if you like.
Dwarven Moustache
Serf
That all sounds great. I managed to book my hotel in Wakefield a little earlier today.
Dwarven Moustache
Serf
Both nights. I'm coming up on the Friday and leaving on the Sunday.
Padre
Lord
We now have ...
Mr Moustache - Tilean human force
Brother Meredith - Tilean adjacent Dwarves
Damian - Undead
Thomas (my boy) - tbd, probably Tilean, halfling heavy
Warlord Paul - Undead
Jamie - tbd, probably undead
Hopefully 3 versus 3, if the 'probables' pan out as expected, or of both 'probables' do the opposite to what I expect.
Mr Moustache - Tilean human force
Brother Meredith - Tilean adjacent Dwarves
Damian - Undead
Thomas (my boy) - tbd, probably Tilean, halfling heavy
Warlord Paul - Undead
Jamie - tbd, probably undead
Hopefully 3 versus 3, if the 'probables' pan out as expected, or of both 'probables' do the opposite to what I expect.
Dwarven Moustache
Serf
I'm looking forward to this. I have he hotel in Wakefield booked for the night before and the night after, so potentially, if anyone wants to meet the night before for a drink or two as well as stay on the day, I'll be available.
Dwarven Moustache
Serf
Hi, yes, its the Wakefield north Premier Inn. Its on Herriot Way, near the island with the A650 and Paragon Avenue.
Padre
Lord
For anyone on here both interested and able to get there (proximity and timetable permitting) Mr Dwarven Moustache (Thomas) and I will be at The Black Rock in the middle of Wakefield for a few early evening, pre battle-day, drinks next Friday (14th Aug) at about 4.15pm up to around 7.30ish or later perhaps, as his train gets in at 3.45 and we thought we could get a few pints in before he goes to his hotel.
Brother Meredith
Lord
Have fun see you on the day! 🍻
Padre
Lord
I am getting closer now to completion. The scenery almost done (just a few skulls to add to the large cairn) and a last little handful of figures to paint.
Here is the (almost) final draft of the rules:
Necropolis Valley Scenario Rules
The undead will be attempting to work together to raise enough forces to defeat the living and drive them from the valley. The living will be working together to defeat the undead – by killing them, as well as preventing their access to the special scenery sites, etc.
Deployment
We will deploy on the long edges. For initial deployments and later reinforcement arrivals, units deploy touching the table edge (or, if two units are in column, they are placed behind the front unit as the first one makes its move and thus creates sufficient space). This gives more space for manoeuvres and time for the races.
Magic in the Necropolis Valley
Power Dice: The many dead present there have an effect on the winds of magic, stirring them. Many restless spirits want to ‘return’ to the world! When the undead roll their 2D6 for Power Dice, if they choose, they can re-roll. The second roll stands.
(This is to balance out the fact that the understrength undead are reliant of magical success to have much of a chance.)
Raise Dead: The spell ‘Raise Dead’ counts as the Signature Spell as well as Invocation of Nehek. Other spells can be swapped for either of these two spells.
(The vampires and necromancers have prepared themselves for what they need to do in the valley.)
Dispel Scrolls: Also, to account for the fact that there are multiple armies here, only one dispel scroll can be employed in a magic phase. The first works as usual. The second one used works on 3+ on a D6. The third and subsequent one used only work on 5+ on a D6.
Scenery
There are two types of scenery on the tabletop - normal and special.
The Normal Scenery
These include the hills, some stone ruins, some leafless woods & the Castle Tower of Norochia (possibly special?)
Note: I am not sure yet whether there to have special rules for the tower. I am awaiting inspiration. They might even be rules that could favour the living! I reckon the tower housed a garrison who patrolled and guarded the valley, killing or chasing off ghouls and grave-robbers and the like, but that they have been dispatched in some way (Magic? Lured away? Poisoned? Retired? Mutinied?) Or maybe there is a little group of missile-weapon armed guards left in the tower?
The Special Scenery Items
Successful casting of the spell Raise Dead, when in contact with or within one of the special scenery pieces, has special results, mostly rolling on a 2D6 chart to ascertain what is summoned. IF they result has already been summoned, and there are none left ‘on the shelf’ to become another version, then the player can choose whichever result from the ones immediately before of after that particular result.
2 Graveyards, 2D6
2 10 zombies
3 - 4 20 zombies
5 - 6 30 Zombies, with standard & musician
7-8 20 Skeletons
9-10 30 Skeletons, with full command
11-12 6D6 Grave Guard, with full command
2 Lesser Graveyards
Raise Dead raises 4D6+6 skeletons when first used on each of these. Then 3D6 +3 on the second successful casting, then normally normally subsequently.
3 Mausolea, 2D6
2-3 1 Spirit Host
4-5 Wight King
6-7 3 Crypt Horrors
8-9 D3 Spirit Hosts
10-12 Tomb Banshee
3 Spooky Woods
2-3 D2+1 Bat Swarms
4-5 D2+1 Fell Bats
6-7 2D6 Dire Wolves (minimum 5)
8-9 2D3 Bat Swarms
10-11 2D3 Fell Bats
12 Rotting Leviathon (old Luthor Harkon list rules)
Cairn
2-3 Terrorgheist
4 D3 Cairn Wraiths
5 5 Black Knights
6 2D3 Cairn Wraiths
7-8 2D6 Black Knights (minimum 5)
9 - 10 5 Hex Wraiths
11 3 Vargheists
11-12 Mortis Engine
The Churches
Note: The effects described below are not cumulative.
The Great Church
If in control of this building, either in it or touching it, and not in combat, then all attempts to cast magic by the undead are at +D3 magic dice.
2 Lesser Churches
If in control of one of these building, either in it or touching it, and not in combat, then all attempts to cast magic by the undead are at +D6.
…
What other necessary considerations for such a scenario do you think I have not thought about? And what have I got badly unbalanced, in your opinion?
Here is the (almost) final draft of the rules:
Necropolis Valley Scenario Rules
The undead will be attempting to work together to raise enough forces to defeat the living and drive them from the valley. The living will be working together to defeat the undead – by killing them, as well as preventing their access to the special scenery sites, etc.
Deployment
We will deploy on the long edges. For initial deployments and later reinforcement arrivals, units deploy touching the table edge (or, if two units are in column, they are placed behind the front unit as the first one makes its move and thus creates sufficient space). This gives more space for manoeuvres and time for the races.
Magic in the Necropolis Valley
Power Dice: The many dead present there have an effect on the winds of magic, stirring them. Many restless spirits want to ‘return’ to the world! When the undead roll their 2D6 for Power Dice, if they choose, they can re-roll. The second roll stands.
(This is to balance out the fact that the understrength undead are reliant of magical success to have much of a chance.)
Raise Dead: The spell ‘Raise Dead’ counts as the Signature Spell as well as Invocation of Nehek. Other spells can be swapped for either of these two spells.
(The vampires and necromancers have prepared themselves for what they need to do in the valley.)
Dispel Scrolls: Also, to account for the fact that there are multiple armies here, only one dispel scroll can be employed in a magic phase. The first works as usual. The second one used works on 3+ on a D6. The third and subsequent one used only work on 5+ on a D6.
Scenery
There are two types of scenery on the tabletop - normal and special.
The Normal Scenery
These include the hills, some stone ruins, some leafless woods & the Castle Tower of Norochia (possibly special?)
Note: I am not sure yet whether there to have special rules for the tower. I am awaiting inspiration. They might even be rules that could favour the living! I reckon the tower housed a garrison who patrolled and guarded the valley, killing or chasing off ghouls and grave-robbers and the like, but that they have been dispatched in some way (Magic? Lured away? Poisoned? Retired? Mutinied?) Or maybe there is a little group of missile-weapon armed guards left in the tower?
The Special Scenery Items
Successful casting of the spell Raise Dead, when in contact with or within one of the special scenery pieces, has special results, mostly rolling on a 2D6 chart to ascertain what is summoned. IF they result has already been summoned, and there are none left ‘on the shelf’ to become another version, then the player can choose whichever result from the ones immediately before of after that particular result.
2 Graveyards, 2D6
2 10 zombies
3 - 4 20 zombies
5 - 6 30 Zombies, with standard & musician
7-8 20 Skeletons
9-10 30 Skeletons, with full command
11-12 6D6 Grave Guard, with full command
2 Lesser Graveyards
Raise Dead raises 4D6+6 skeletons when first used on each of these. Then 3D6 +3 on the second successful casting, then normally normally subsequently.
3 Mausolea, 2D6
2-3 1 Spirit Host
4-5 Wight King
6-7 3 Crypt Horrors
8-9 D3 Spirit Hosts
10-12 Tomb Banshee
3 Spooky Woods
2-3 D2+1 Bat Swarms
4-5 D2+1 Fell Bats
6-7 2D6 Dire Wolves (minimum 5)
8-9 2D3 Bat Swarms
10-11 2D3 Fell Bats
12 Rotting Leviathon (old Luthor Harkon list rules)
Cairn
2-3 Terrorgheist
4 D3 Cairn Wraiths
5 5 Black Knights
6 2D3 Cairn Wraiths
7-8 2D6 Black Knights (minimum 5)
9 - 10 5 Hex Wraiths
11 3 Vargheists
11-12 Mortis Engine
The Churches
Note: The effects described below are not cumulative.
The Great Church
If in control of this building, either in it or touching it, and not in combat, then all attempts to cast magic by the undead are at +D3 magic dice.
2 Lesser Churches
If in control of one of these building, either in it or touching it, and not in combat, then all attempts to cast magic by the undead are at +D6.
…
What other necessary considerations for such a scenario do you think I have not thought about? And what have I got badly unbalanced, in your opinion?