Woe, Is Me - I Want to Run Fantasy

So, there's this guy I know...

He really doesn't like Medieval Fantasy of the type you see in Fantasy RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. He really doesn't like the game mechanics the majority of Dungeons and Dragons style RPGs use to facilitate running campaigns in that genre. At the same time, he really, really wants to run a Medieval-ish / Sword & Sorcery-esque Tabletop Roleplaying Game campaign.

Me. I'm that guy.

Beginning next year, I plan on running a [vaguely] Medieval Fantasy RPG campaign with the intent of making it a fairly long term mainstay for one of my groups. 

No, you read that right. No, this isn't a practical joke, I haven't gone mad, nor am I a Parallel Earth doppleganger of Adam from some twisted Mirror Universe. I just...let me explain..

I am Feeling Inspired

There are a lot of reasons for this including but not limited to: 

• I haven't run an ongoing Fantasy campaign for a while and I’m feeling nostalgic.
• I've been inspired by a blog project I am working on to appear early next year.
• I've been inspired by other bloggers discussing Dungeons and Dragons and it makes me what to do something different.
• I've been inspired by various Fantasy Anime, Manga, and RPGs. 

I Love a Challenge

I've had a great year running and playing Ghostbusters, the Wizarding World, Smurfs, Star Trek, Star Wars, and various Superhero games. All things I'm [generally] good at. I can reliably, more often then not, create a good time for my friends and I playing and Gamemastering these genres, settings, and games. 

Fantasy is not so easy for me. It requires a lot more thought, creatvity, research, and patience. Patience with the game, the genre, the players, and myself. The toughest part is always keeping myself interested. 

I really want to give it a go though. It's been a while since a have in a long term, open world fashion the way I once did.

I also want to find or create a system for running this type of game that I don't despise*. 

I Have Some Ideas

I actually have some thoughts on what would make for good 'adventures' or rather, NPCs and happenings going on in a Fantasy world. Many of my ideas are still in the early stage and will need some fleshing out before 'going live'. 

I also need to see what kind of characters the players come up with, as I usually try to intergrate the PCs into the world, the world into the adventures, and therefore the adventures into who the PCs are and what they're all about. 

I'm Driven By Spite (In a Good Way)

I must admit that I have a negative personality trait that makes me want to do a thing after encountering or experiencing that thing and thinking 'that could have been better'.Few things get me as fired up about running a particular game as finishing a bad game and believe it could have been really good.

That said, its not like I've been in any bad Fantasy games lately. In fact, I participated in a short, good one not long ago. Fun as it was, it ended up feeling just like every other Fantasy game and the rule mechanics of the RPG, while functional, eventually felt a little flat. I also vastly prefer running Fantasy to playing it [unless we're talking Smurfs, which I find really fun to play]. 

Then there are all the blog posts out there talking about the various incarnations of D&D. Each one I read makes me want to do it differently, do it my way, and to veer away from the kind of things that made me grow to dislike D&D in the first place. 

I know, it's a terrible reason to want to run a game but sadly it often works for me.

That's it for now. I'll probably be discussing this on and off again as we approach 2026 and the launch of whatever this ends up being.

Later days,

AD

Barking Alien

*OK, that's a little hyperbolic. I don't despise all Fantasy games. Just ones with Classes, Levels, Hit Points, Miniature/Wargame Based Combat, Treasure Based Experience, and Inflexible and Uncreative Magic.

So...a lot of them. 

Behind Blue Eyes

Hello my little Smurfs!

Welcome to my totally smurfy 'Behind the Smurfs' look at our 5 session Smurfs RPG mini-campaign, 'The Smurfs and The Palace of The Silver Princess', based on the Basic Dungeons & Dragons adventure of a similar name, designated module B3. 

As I've expressed in [too few of] the posts recapping the game, this was an amazing games and one of the best Tabletop RPG experiences I've had online. In fact, given my commemorating 48 years of gaming last month, I would place this short campaign among the Top 20 of all time. It was that much fun. 

This is the part where I attribute much of the game's success to the incredible efforts of our Storyteller (Stephen) and my fellow players (Andrew, Brandon, Heather, and René) and yes, they do deserve tons of credit for how well they pulled off their respective roles.

At the same time, I don't want to be remise in failing to give kudos to the game itself. The Smurfs Role Playing Game is a really, really good game. I mean REALLY good. I try out a lot of new RPGs each year. I like too few of them lately but a small number definitely have an impact on me. There aren't many I fall in love with. This game, this ridiculous premise for a licensed TRPG, is one such game. I absolutely adore this system and its handling of the IP. Fan-Smurfing-Tastic! 

B3 or not B3? That is the question!

Palace of the Silver Princess is a module with a fascinating and sordid history. I highly recommend reading up on this most peculiar adventure if your at all interested in 'inside baseball' stories about the TRPG industry from 'back in the day'. 

Stephen revealed that he'd initially picked this adventure because he'd wanted to "Run a group of Smurfs through a classic D&D scenario". He had played through this particular module years ago and recalled it having a distinctly fairytale quality. 

All that said, our version of this scenario was a huge overhaul of the old adventure. The final result was definitely more 'inspired by' the original than a faithful rendition of it. In all honesty, as Stephen himself put it, "The adventure is Palace of The Silver Princess in name only. Many elements were burrowed but playing through this as we did was a completely different endeavor and experience from playing through the real B3 module."

Order of the White Drakes

Sir Ellis is a Knight of the Order of the White Drakes, though we never really learn much about who they are and what that really means. I forget whether or not the original module goes into it but our Storyteller Stephen worked out some details should the subject come up. 

The basics were that the Order was from a nation far to the Northwest of Haven (likely the Netherlands or Germany), known for a rare breed of albino, fire-breathing dragons that live in their Southern mountains. Prospective Knights connect with one of these dragons and bond with it, enabling the two beings to sense each others whereabout and condition. 

Though the Order is a bit secretive, they are also known to fight on the side of the good and the just.

Whistling While They Work

Originally, Stephen intended to have the Dwarves play a larger part and did some research on how the folklore and mythology of France and Belgium treat these now iconic Fantasy beings. 

What he found was the Alsatian Dwarves, named for the Alsace region of Northeastern France, who are craftsman and artisans living deep underground. Heavily influenced by German and Norse legends, they are not too different from the concept of them we generally think of. There are some minor differences but more interestingly, there are other dwarf-like beings more akin to the German Kobold that might be fun to use in future Smurfs games.

Three Apples High

I made this image using a combination of Midjourney AI and my own art skills, through Photostudio, during the course of our third session and then continued to modify it up to the very end of the campaign. I eventually presented it to the group to a very positive reaction. 

Beginning with Brash Smurf at 3 apples tall and going left to right, we have a Green Fairy Protector of Haven, a Growler, a Goeblin, a Dwarf, two average Humans, and an Ogre. In the upper left hand corner we have the original creature known as the Decapus, a monster created specifically for and appearing in B3 - Palace of The Silver Princess. In the background is Fellbane, the 'White' Drake. 

As for the Player Character Smurfs, a funny running gag throughout the game was related to their heights; they were all repeatedly referred to as '3 Apples Tall' even though they're also very clearly not the same size. Apathy is the shortest, followed by my character, Smurfcornflower. Brash is specifically noted as being 'average or standard height for a Smurf' so he alone is three apples high. Next is Smurfhoneysuckle and finally, Suave is the tallest. 

***

Got to play a one-shot not too long ago but other than that I am definitely missing this game and really hope to be able to play Smurfs again in the near future. I would also love to game with this group again. What a great bunch!

Anyway, smurf you all soon,

AD

Barking Alien

Red versus Blue - The Grand Finale!

This is it! No really this time! The final recap of our mini-campaign based on the classic Dungeons and Dragons Module B3 using the upcoming Smurfs Roleplaying Game from Maestro Media...

Following this post there will be a single post 'After Action Report' talking about the game from a real life, out-of-game perspective but this - this right here - is how the story ended. For now! LOL I'd love to get back with this group and play another outing. Great GM, great group, and I absolutely adored the PC Smurfs, including my own character. I loved playing her! 

OK, the big finish...

Season Five, Part 3

When we last left our heroic Smurfs, Fellbane the Dragon had breathed a powerful stream of flames at the Sword of Arik and in the process set the entire Royal Armory ablaze! Everything within was either charred, melted, or on fire. The blade of the Sword was blackened but not completely destroyed. Unfortunately, in attacking the Sword, Fellbane burned the area around it and terribly so. Not far from the evil weapon, the five Smurfs had stood.

How could they have survived something like that?!?

As the smoke and flame died down a bit, one could see a small glass sphere, or perhaps a soap bubble, sitting on the ground besides the Sword of Arik, or what was now left of it. Inside this bubble were the Smurfs, unharmed save for feeling very hot and sweaty. "How are we not smurfed to a crisp?", exclaimed Suave, "I was certain our smurfs were flambed for sure!"

Smurfcornflower shook a half-full potion bottle that looked to contain soapy water. As she spoke, tiny bubbles came out of her mouth. "Bubble Brew! A Potion version of the Bubble Block Spell." Honeysuckle gave her a hug. Brash tussled her hair. Suave bowed. Apathy squeezed her hand and smiled.

"Oh my Smurf! Ya'll, we gotta follow that Dragon! He's headin' for the Eye sure 'nuff!", shouted Honeysuckle, shaking with intent. Apathy and Suave tried to calm her down as Brash of all Smurfs caught on to what she was getting at. 

"She's right! The Dragon wasn't trying to destroy us, it was trying to destroy the Sword. It aimed right at it. He must have been saving up his strength and sensed we'd opened the secret panel", said Brash.

"Of course, " began Suave Smurf with a snap of his fingers, "the spirit told us 'The Sword is guarded by one who can not use it'. If Suffertooth opened the panel and used the Sword, the Dragon would've come at once! That encounter would not have been pleasant for the Ogre."

"Problem is, the Dragon's fire didn't destroy the Sword. The handle yes but not the blade. The Dragon is powerful but I don't think it can eliminate the Eye of Arik." Brash pulled out the sliver of broken red crystal he'd picked up. It was about the size of a toothpick, roughly a short sword for a Smurf. "I think only this can do the job."

Everyone nodded.

Following the charred footprints and thundering movements of the Dragon, the Smurfs eventually came upon the creature as it smashed through the double doors of a large bedroom further down the hallway. The Royal Bedchamber of Princess Argenta! As the Smurfs ran to the room as fast as their tiny legs could carry them, they saw the Dragon attacked and being rebuked by some unseen foe who was deeper into the room. The Dragon's massive size was a hinderance here, not an asset, as it couldn't get in close.

 

As this point I am going to summarize certain elements...

Suave Smurf focused his charm and eloquence on convincing the Dragon to back up and allow the Smurfs to assist. Master Magician Miribellis showed up at this point with a freed Rowena the Bard. Suave also negotiated here, as the Dragon, whose name was Fellbane, initially thought Miribellis was still possessed and wanted to tear him apart. After some deft social interaction, Fellbane backed away into the hall, Miribillis cast a protective spell on Rowena, and Rowena started playing and singing an uplifting song that irritated the person in the room to no end. Whoever it was shrieked in extreme discomfort at the joyful tune.

Into the room went the rest of the party - Apathy, Brash, Cornflower, and Honeysuckle - who found Sir Ellis within. He stood in front of a bed upon which the Eye of Arik lay, his own eyes as red as the ruby sphere. Within the facets of the red gem Princess Argenta could be seen in distress, shouting to break free. The Silver Princess was trapped inside the Eye and Arik had possessed her betrothed, The Dragon Knight!

By Papa Smurf's Beard!

Noting the possessed Sir Ellis' reaction to Rowena's music, our Smurf adventurers went into action immediately. Ellis shouted at Fellbane the Dragon, saying it was too late and his master was "Mine Now! Soon I will have the power to manifest fully. I will wed the Princess, making me The Ruler of Haven! Finally!" Periodically he would also yell out, "Cease that infernal song!"

Apathy and Cornflower distracted Sir Ellis, using the remaining Bubble Brew to protect them from his sword swings, which were far more powerful than that of any Human. Stronger even than the Ogre, leaving gashes in the rug and gouges in the stone floor.

Meanwhile Brash Smurf and Smurfhoneysuckle ran around him and tried to climb up onto the bed. Brash, now holding the red crystal shard he had like a sword, started to act a little strange. He was becoming more and more angry and aggressive. He suggested they should just stab Sir Ellis with the sliver of the Red Crystal Sword. Honeysuckle kept him focused and it was obvious from her dialogue there was a special bond between her and Brash at this point. It helped but he was clearly struggling with the weapon's corruption as the two of them neared the Eye.

After three solid hits, Cornflower's bubble shield popped. She and Apathy scattered. Cornflower dove under the bed while Apathy ran in the opposite direction to confuse Sir Ellis/Arik. Unfortunately, the possessed Dragon Knight kicked Apathy across the room. He lay crumpled near a dresser as Cornflower called out to him.

Sir Ellis suddenly realized the others were behind him on the bed and whirled around to try and slice Brash with his sword. To everyone's surprise, including Brash's, he was able to block the attack with the Red Shard! Brash gave and mad laugh as fought to push back the possessed Dragon Knight. The continuous music from the Bard made Arik/Ellis wince and groan. Suddenly, so irritated was Ellis/Ark by Rowena's music that he turned in her direction and insisted she stop, moving towards her and gesturing at her with his sword, momentarily ignoring Brash and Honeysuckle.

The latter told the former that this was their chance but the increasingly enraged Brash only wanted to stab Sir Ellis, forgetting the goal was to strike the Eye with the crimson crystal sliver. Then, in a flash of foolhardy brilliance, Honeysuckle taunted Brash, saying he was scared to face the Eye and that she could just destroy it without him. He lunged at her with a growl as she positioned the Eye of Arik between them.

Meanwhile, Smurfcornflower reached Apathy and with the help of Suave, moved him just past the threshold of the doorway. Cornflower took out a Healing Draught, one of her two remaining potions, and helped him drink it down. As his head cleared, Apathy looked up at her and she smiled down on him. Cornflower asked if he was OK and he replied by giving her a big hug. The two stayed embraced for a good, long moment as Suave and Mirabillis looked on with smiles of their own. 

As Ellis/Arik moved towards the young troubadour intent on stabbing Rowena with his blade, Fellbane the Dragon swifty came to her aid. It moved incredibly fast for a creature so large, hindered by so confined a space as the Palace hallway and blocked the strike with its head! This caused it pain and it roared so fiercely it shook the walls. 

Back to Brash and Honeysuckle, the two danced around each other as Brash tried to get at her with his weapon while she tried to move the Eye in the way so he would hit that instead. Finally, in an appeal to their friendship and their bold natures, Smurfhoneysuckle got close enough to Brash Smurf to tell him to fight the sword sliver's corruption, to remember why they were they, and to be the hero she knew he was. With all the smurf he had in him (as well as an expediture of Effort, a Smurfberry, AND Smurf Power!), Brash overcame his weapon's evil sway and he struck it against the Eye of Arik as Honeysuckle held it steady...

The 'Lady's Heart', the Eye of Arik, Ruby Red Crystal of Ill Omen, EXPLODED in a flash of scarlet light and billion tiny pieces of now colorless gravel! Brash's sliver sword blew up as well, becoming little more than a fine powder. Lighting burst forth from the exploding sphere and traced the edges and corners of the room, running over Sir Ellis, Brash, and the figure of a woman who was otherwise invisible. When things calmed down and a feeling a stillness fell over the assembled, the figure was revealed to be none other than Princess Argenta! The Silver Princess was free! 

"Princess? Argenta my love? What have I done?!", Sir Ellis cried out, dropping his sword, falling to one knee, and grasping the hem of her dress. He sobbed quietly into it, becoming vaguely aware of what he'd done. 

"Rise my love. It was not you. I knew the entire time your heart was true. It was the evil of the spirit of Arik. A spirit that is still present", said Princess Argenta, fighting to keep her voice even. She raised her head and all the others looked up to meet her gaze.

Floating high in the center of the room was shadowy, red-hued spirit...all that remained of Arik the Vile. Thinking quickly, Smurfcornflower remember something she'd seen in a book in the Court Magician's workshop. She instructed the Princess to raise her necklace, which had upon it a bright blue crystal. She then called out to Master Magician Mirabillis to trap the spectre in the crystal, just as Arik had done to Argenta with the ruby 'Eye'*. "Brilliant!", Mirabillis called out, as he quickly cast the necessary spell. Converted into red lightning, the bolts flew into Argenta's amulet and with a shower of azure sparks, Arik's essence was stuck. 

"HURRAY!", cheered the Smurfs and Rowena. Mirabillis beamed. Fellbane let out a joyful roar! Princess Argenta and Sir Ellis held each other ever so tightly. Everyone hugged in fact and collectively let out the breaths they'd all been unknowingly holding.  

Within moments, sounds filled the castle. The petrified Wedding Guests were restored to normal. The Skeletons walking the halls all collapsed to the ground. The castles' hounds barked and chased out the Goeblins who ran for their lives. Green light sparkled in from the windows as the Fairy Protectors of Haven arrived to aid the people of the palace now that the curse of the Eye was lifted. 

"Princess Argenta, Sir Ellis, and all those present," began Mirabillis, his voice echoing loudly off the Palace walls, "three cheers for our heroes, the ture saviours of the Silver Palace, and the bravest of the brave - The Smurfs!" Clapping and cheering came forth from those gathered and it quickly spread, sweeping throughout the castle. Sir Ellis and Princess gathered the Smurfs up and carried them downstairs to the Grand Ballroom. Each person they passed sang the praises of the little, blue adventurers. 

***

EPILOGUE:

Many Humans young and old, four Dwarves, three Green Fairies, a Pale Dragon, and of course a party of Smurfs - plus Papa Smurf and Smurf Willow - all assembled in the courtyard of the Silver Palace of Haven to see Princess Argenta and Sir Ellis finally wed. They kissed to much fanfare and a great celebration followed, the likes of which had not been seen in the Lands Beyond, let alone Haven, in decades. 

The Goeblin were gone, the Ogre arrested, and the Blue Crystal containing the remains of the spirit of Arik the Vile sat in a locked metal box, engraved with runes and double enchanted by Mirabillis and Papa Smurf. Smurf Willow had helped with the food and drink and a few enchantments of her own to ward off any future evil phantoms. 

At the party, Suave entertained Humans and Dwarves alike recounting the adventure of the Smurfs and their allies. Brash Smurf and Smurfhoneysuckle played games, competed to see who could in the most cake the fastest, and laughed their little blue tails off. Apathy saw Cornflower standing around and watching everyone with a big smile on her face. He tapped on the shoulder and asked, "Would you, um, that is...care to dance?" Her smile widened, almost too wide for her face, as she took his hand and skipped to the ballroom floor.

High above on one of the tall towers of the Palace, Fellbane swayed to Rowena's music playing below, and shot a burst of flame into the air. Green Fairies flew past him sprinkling magic dust into the fire, creating brilliant fireworks that could be seen for miles. 

The Smurfs had saved the Silver Princess and her Palace and they all lived happily ever after.

THE END

Created by fans, for fans, this was in no way officially connected to Maestro Media, TSR, or Wizards of the Coast. Just a bunch of Smurfs smurfing around for the smurf of it.

Thank you everyone for following this series. As noted, there will be a post-campaign write-up with some additional thoughts, notes, and art coming very soon. 

Until then, I smurf you all a wonderful smurf,

AD

Barking Alien

*When Smurfcornflower (my Smurf PC if you recall) was making Potions back in Mirabillis' lab, I looked at a Spellbook and Scrolls he'd left out in the open. It was there that I noted and learned the Reverse Petrification Spell and saw references to a 'Spirit Jar' type rote as well.

I assumed it might have something to do with Arik's essence being inside the Eye or trying to trap someone inside it but as Cornflower is an Alchemist and not a Wizard or Witch I let it be, simply making a mental note. I remembered it at the climax of the adventure and, funny enough, the GM had all but forgotten that he mentioned it. LOL

Having A Blue Fit

This is it! The near-Grand Finale of our mini-campaign, The Smurfs and The Palace of The Silver Princess, a super smurfy adventure based on the classic Dungeons and Dragons module 'B3', run using the Smurfs Roleplaying Game by Maestro Media.

That is to say, this post recaps the final session but it is not the final recap.

I'll explain...

I had planned to make just one more post - this one you're reading now - about this game, recapping our last session before doing an 'After Action Report' follow-up but there is just TOO MUCH STUFF! A lot happened and it become quite lengthy in the re-telling.

This last 'episode' was our second longest session at 5 hours and it was abso-smurfly chock full of smurfy action, humor, lore, and romance! No, you read that right. I decided about two-thirds of the way through this post that there had to be an additional entry, a Session Five, Part 3 to get it all down.

Even so, this is a smurfing big post! ENJOY! 

Before we get started, let's get to know party once more. You can meet them here. 

For a recap of the entire story thus far, check out:

Something Burrowed, Something Blue - Session One, Part 1

Singing The Blues - Session One, Part 2

Blue Green Red - Session Two, Part 1

Cry Blue Murder - Session Two, Part 2

Tangled Up in Blue - Session Three

Blue Blazes - Session Four, Part 1

The Thin Blue Line - Session Five, Part 1

On to the adventure...

Session Five, Part 2

Having drank Smurfcornflower's Growth Potion, Brash Smurf and Smurfhoneysuckle stood face-to-face with a very surprised Ogre. His confusion turned quickly to anger as he raised his massive club and swung it in an attempt to hit both Smurfs.

Brash instinctively ducked and moved to close the distance between them. Honeysuckle saw his move, guessed what he was doing, and followed suit. With a bit of Effort on their part, the Smurfs managed to completely avoid the blow. 

Then, in unison, the two towering blue heroes punched Suffertooth right in the smurf! The Ogre stumbled backward, caught off guard by the pair's coordinated strike!

Meanwhile, Apathy, Cornflower, and Suave searched the room for the Sword of Arik. "These sorts of things tend to stand out, no?", asked Suave over his shoulder to the rest. They continued looking, silently returning nods of agreement. 

SMASH! Brash was hit hard by Suffertooth's club, sending him into a rack of weapons that fell onto him. [Brash had used Smurf Power but got a Critical Failure. This resulted in him being hit , hurt, and now the Storyteller had a Thorn to use to activate Suffertooth's special Advantage!]. The Ogre advanced on the prone Brash Smurf and prepared to strike him with Ogre Strength!

Using Effort and a Smurfberry, Smurfhoneysuckle grabbed a shield off the wall and tried to use it to protect Brash. She succeeded but the Ogre's punch sent her flying! She crashed into a shelf of helmets and other armor pieces. She was likewise hurt and could feel the Growth Potion wearing off. Brash felt it too, even as he struggled to his feet. 

Cornflower was getting worried. Her friends were getting beat up even though enhanced by her potion. Was it not good enough? Had she not make it well? Was she actually bad at the one thing she thought she was good at? Smurfcornflower became visibly panicked.

Suddenly, though gently, someone took her hands in theirs and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "Who? Ah...Apathy?", she said blushing a deeper blue. 

"Don't worry. They'll be OK. We'll be OK. It's all going to work out fine", Apathy said in his usual nonchalant manner but somehow warmer, kinder, yet more determined, and more personal between the two of them. She took a deep a breath and released it slowly and audibly. She gave a goofy shy smile and Apathy returned it.

Suffertooth and the two Smurfs, who were now about the size of Goeblins, continued to have at each other, wearing down all combatants. Desperate to buy time for the other Smurfs to find the Sword of Arik, and make a decisive attack against the Ogre, Brash Smurf and Smurfhoneysuckle decided to combine their actions into a single strike. In a way, this was counter to both of their natures; Brash was willing to follow Honeysuckle's plan and Honeysuckle was willing to cooperate with Brash instead of competing with him. 

Big roleplay moment! Short, sweet, moving, and heroic!

The plan was to have Brash launch himself at Suffertooth [He had the higher Brawn] while Honeysuckle sprinted to move behind the Ogre's leg to aid in tripping him [Honeysuckle is doing a Helping Action and so adds +3 to Brash's 7 Brawn. Additionally each spent 1 Brawn Effort, putting both of them really low. Maybe 1 Brawn Effort remaining for each. Finally, Brash activated Smurf Power again, this time award by the Storyteller specially because of Brandon and Heather's roleplaying here. This was a big one.].  

Brash ran at the Ogre like a charging tiger, such that Suffertooth didn't even notice Honeysuckle coming around on his right. Brash leaped into the air and slammed into Suffertooth's stomach. With Brash only a little larger than a Growler (See Session One, Part 2), this wouldn't normally enough to topple him but that is exactly what happened as Honeysuckle was crouched behind his right ankle. [SMURF POWER CRITICAL SUCCESS!]. The Ogre went crashing through displays of flails, maces, and morning stars of all sorts and did not get back up. Suffertooth was down for the count. 

Meanwhile, Apathy, Cornflower, and Suave had climbed up onto a table near the North Wall where Apathy had noticed something interesting. He saw a dim red glowing coming from inside the wall somehow. When they all reached the top of the table, Suave spotted a book and directed the others over to it. 

"The Key to Winning at War?", said Suave reading the title aloud. "Seems a foolish proposition if you ask me."

Apathy's eyes popped wide open for a moment and then he said, "The Key! Who has the Key?" It turned out Brash had given it to Suave right before he and Honeysuckle started engaging the Ogre. 

Apathy took the Magic Key and said clearly, loudly, and with convinction, "The Key to Winning at War is not to participate. No one wins in war." Suddenly the sound of stone grinding and sliding could be heard and as the group looked up, the brinks of the castle wall moved away magically, revealing a hidden chamber with dark metal brackets upon which was mounted The Sword of Arik!

"Well, that was easier than expected", said Suave Smurf with a sigh of relief.

The rest if the party stared burning daggers at him.

"Relatively speaking, of course", he added with a nervous chuckle. 

Suddenly, the entire palace shook like an it had been hit by an earthquake. This was followed by a series of rhythmic tremors and the occasionally seemingly random boom of something big and heavy hitting a wall here and a floor there. The Smurfs were completely smurfed, having no idea what this could be. They decided to try and remove the Sword of Arik from it's hiding place as quickly as possible. 

Just as they were managing to draw it out, the door to the room essentially exploded, a thousand shards and splinters of burning wood bursting towards them! They dropped the Sword to the desk and dove for cover. Unfortunately, the Sword fell from the desk and hit the stone floor, tiny pieces of it having broken off. As Apathy, Cornflower, and Suave climbed down to meet with Brash and Honeysuckle, the head and neck of a pale, almost albino looking dragon came through the door. Cornflower immediately reached for a Potion. Brash and Honeysuckle scooped up the broken bits that had come off the Sword of Arik as fast as they could. 

That's when the dragon sniffed the air, looked towards the fallen Sword and breathed a jet of powerful flames right at it! Brilliant fire tore through the room, focused on the Sword of Arik but melting all metal into slag and setting wood and leather ablaze! The Sword's handle all but disintegrated, though the blade was still intact and only appearing charred.

But what of the Smurfs?

After what seemed a terrible stretch of time, the Dragon's breath ceased and it pulled itself back into the halfway. That was the thunderous noises they'd heard! A Dragon walking through the halls of the Palace! It must be Fellbane, the ally and mount of Sir Ellis. betrothed of the Argenta, Silver Princess. The horribly beautiful and majestic creature continued on its way down the hall, leaving the room is utter ruin. 

The Smurfs! What about the Smurfs!?!

Tune in for the truly last recap post to find out! The end of our Dungeons and Dragons meets the Smurfs fairy tale is right around the bend...

AD

Barking Alien

The Thin Blue Line

This is it! The first half of a two-part breakdown of the fifth and final session of the Smurfs TRPG five session mini-campaign, The Smurfs and The Palace of The Silver Princess. 

Based on/Inspired by the Dungeons and Dragons module B3 Palace of the Silver Princess and using the upcoming The Smurfs Roleplaying Game from Maestro Media, the sessions were run over Discord with five players (Andrew, Brandon, Heather, René, and myself) and a Gamemaster/Storyteller Smurf (Stephen).

While the first three sessions were roughly 4 1/2 hours each, Session Four was about 5 1/2-6 hours, and Session Five was about 5 hours. 

To catch up check out this post on the Player Character Smurfs and for the recaps of the previous sessions, you'll want to read:

Something Burrowed, Something Blue - Session One, Part 1

Singing The Blues - Session One, Part 2

Blue Green Red - Session Two, Part 1

Cry Blue Murder - Session Two, Part 2

Tangled Up in Blue - Session Three

Blue Blazes - Session Four, Part 1

Blues Clues - Session Four, Part 2

OK, here go...

Session Five, Part 1

With the Court Magician Mirabillis freed from the influence of The Eye of Arik's dark magic, the next logical step was to obtain Arik's Sword. When the two items - the Eye and the Sword - touch each other, both will be destroyed. 

The problem of course was that the Sword was being kept in the Royal Armory protected by a mighty Ogre. Then there was something about a Dragon...

"YES, the Dragon! I should have mentioned the Dragon right away" said Mirabillis in a somewhat embarrased tone. 

"Yes, you should have", said Apathy Smurf flatly. 

"I mean really, it is just proper etiquette you know", added Suave Smurf.

Mirabillis cleared his throat, "The Princess' betrothed is Sir Ellis, a Knight of the Order of the White Drakes. This isn't just some fanciful title. Sir Ellis landed in the castle's courtyard astride a pale dragon the length of the four horses nose to tail. It had red-pink eyes and a look of cunning intellect. It breathed a burst of bright flame in display, to the excitement and terror of the crowd."

This started a short discussion about how or why a White Dragon might be able to breath fire. We quickly came to the conclusion that this may be A) an important element to the mystery of the adventure, B) evidence this isn't really a White Dragon,  or C) it doesn't really matter and here White Dragons breath fire. All good. 

"When the crimson light of the Eye of Arik flashed its awful brilliance, the White Dragon - called Fellbane - took off into the castle. Strangely, during my time walking the Palace's halls as both a sane man and my corrupted self, I never again saw the Dragon. It may have been corrupted by the Eye's evil, it may have fled, or it may be hiding somewhere within the these walls", Mirabillis finshed, concern etched on his face. 

"OK...", Apathy began, "So who else is really excited to keep going?", finishing with a mocking 'hurrah!'.

The gang decided there was nothing to be done regarding the Dragon for the time being (other than being on alert for its potential presence). Instead, the Smurfs would proceed to the Royal Armory to face the Ogre and obtain the Red Sword of Arik...somehow. We suggested to Mirabillis that he use the cure to the Petrification Curse to free Rowena the Minstrel, as we recalled the information from an earlier clue that 'merry music' irrated Arik and might weaken his power. There was agreement, the wishing of luck, and off we went.

It took us a fairly short time (roughly a random encounter with rat skeletons and a scene transition) to locate the Royal Armory. Readying ourselves for battle - or possibly talking our way through this - the team smurfed themselves up mentally and went to unlock the door.

"Who goes there!?", he bellowed. "I smell not beast, nor man, nor fairy. A scent I do not know? Be wary! Whomever you are come forth but be warned! You face the might of Suffertooth's scorn!"

"Suffertooth?", whispered Smurfcornflower, a look of both anxiousness and skepticism on her face. Apathy shrugged in response.

The door had a normal keyhole but the Smurfs took a chance and used the Magic Key with the Blue Crystal to try and open the door. It worked! Brash, Honeysuckle, and Apathy slowly pushed the door open, largely because it was big and heavy, as Suave and Cornflower readied themselves for whatever would be revealed.

The latter were under no delusion that the two of them could handle the Ogre themselves. Quite the opposite. The team decided it was best for the tougher Smurfs to enter the room first, placing them closer to the Ogre sooner. It was the group's hope that Smurfcornflower and Suave Smurf might be the best to assess the situation and think of a plan...from a slighter safer distance.

What they saw was... 

A collective 'Gulp' was made by all [the Smurfs]. 

Suffertooth was massive. He stood two heads taller than the tallest knight they'd ever seen and nearly three times as wide. His hands could hold two or three Smurfs within them and crush them easily by making a fist. He carried a long handled club with a heavy head studded in spikes.

For his part, Suffertooth the Ogre took a ready stance but his face twisted into an expression of confusion. He definitely wasn't expecting five tiny, blue people and yet he didn't immediately laugh nor did he ignore them. He was clearly wise enough to not take any chances. 

Suave and Cornflower each had an idea which came to them at the same time. Their eyes widened, they looked at each other, smiled, and turned back to the Ogre at hand. Suave stepped forward with his characteristic charismatic charm as he gave a deep bow. Smurfcornflower on the other hand stepped backward, allowing the focus to be placed squarely on Suave so she could slip a Potion out of her bag. 

"What manner of invader enters this room? What creatures are these that come to their doom?", Suffertooth called out, ending with a droll chuckle.

"Greetings mighty Suffertooth! My name is Suave Smurf and on behalf of my colleagues and I, may I say what an honor and a privilege it is to be in the presence of such a magnificent warrior as yourself!"

Suffertooth starred hard at Suave, a grimace etched into his rough and leathery face. He then smiled what could only be called a polite smile and said, "You may! You may I say! Tell me now small blue one, what brings you here? Why don't you run? I am mighty that is true and could easily smash the lot of you." Once again the Ogre chuckled.

All the while he failed to notice Cornflower handing a Potion to Brash, making sure Honeysuckle was right beside him, and gave the two of them quick instructions. Apathy looked around for the Sword of Arik, though the room was surprisingly big and full of weapons of all sorts, he was certain a blade of such terrifying power wouldn't be too difficult to notice.

"Why we came to marvel at your might and majesty m'lord. We have heard that you guard the great Sword of Arik the Vile. Certainly only the strongest of wills and most battle-hardened men-at-arms would be charged with such a task.We have come to pay homage and congratulate you on a task well executed." Suave spoke with air of admiration, doing his best to hide his building fear of Ogre. 

"I see, I see but you can't fool me. You have come to try and steal the blade. Perhaps so the Eye may be unmade? Well then, well met my brave foolish friends. Sadly you have come to meet your end. My strength is real, my prowess true. The time has come to smash each of you." Looking almost disappointed, Suffertooth raised his mace above his head such that it scrapped the ceiling of the Armory. As he swung it down, sparks flew where weapon met stone.

It hit the ground with a thunderous sound but missed each and every Smurf. Apathy, Cornflower, and Suave were knocked back a bit by the sheer force of the blow but were otherwise unharmed.

"NOW!" shouted Cornflower. 

Brash Smurf drank half of the contents of the Potion bottle she'd given him. He than handed it off to Smurfhoneysuckle who downed the other half. At first, nothing happened. Everyone started to get very, very nervous. 

Suddenly the two Smurfs shook in place, vibrating and trembling, before they grew and grew...six apples tall, then twelve, then twenty-four! Within seconds Honeysuckle was the height of the Ogre and Brash (proportionally) just a bit less so. "Cornflower!", Suave practically squealed her name, "You clever, clever girl! A Growth Potion! Genius!" For her part Smurfcornflower blushed and did a slight curtsy-bow. 

"Now then...", Brash said with a serious look and just the faintest of grins, "let's see who smashes who, huh?"

AD

Barking Alien

I was originally going to try and right up this session in a single post but between some of the fun dialogue I wanted to include and my giving more description in the retelling then was present in the actual game, I ended up with a lot more material then I intended.

That is also why this post has taken so long to come out.

My apologies. See you soon!

Incidentally, you may be thinking...

"Hey, how did Smurfcornflower know to make a Growth Potion? She didn't know they'd be facing an Ogre until they freed Mirabillis. We call shenanigans!"

A Growth Potion was one of the potions I had Cornflower brew in the Magician's laboratory and it had nothing to do with the Ogre or any other single monster in particular. I simply noticed that as we went on many of the obstacles and opponents we were facing were really big and we Smurfs were really small. It only made sense to even the playing field by making a Growth Potion and putting us on the same level (roughly) as our adversaries. 

Blues Clues

Been experiencing some real life difficulties recently that have delayed my blog posting and man oh man its been a royal pain in the smurf. 

Thankfully it's all been smurfed to a positive and smurfy conclusion. 

To celebrate, I am back to continue my recap of the Smurfs TRPG adventure/mini-campaign The Smurfs and The Palace of the Silver Princess (based on the classic D&D Module B3 Palace of the Silver Princess).

I really enjoyed playing in this game and there are only three installments of my retelling remaining [including this one] so, without further ado, here we go with...

Session Four, Part 2

Master Mirabillis, Court Magician of the Kingdom of Haven, now freed of the influence of Arik the Vile by our heroic Smurfs, explained what had transpired between himself and the evil of the Eye of Arik. 

"I escaped being petrified by the initial crimson glow of the so-called 'Lady's Heart', that cursed gem, thanks to the wards I placed upon my staff. Unfortunately, each time I tried to escape the confines of the Palace, it became harder and harder to resist the corruption. A sinister voice, distant but always whispering, was constantly gnawing at my mind. 

Realizing I couldn't hold out forever, I hid the key to my Workshop and left clues on how to find it in hopes that, sometime after my increasingly inevitable fall, some great hero would come along and find a way to free the Silver Palace and its inhabitants."

"And that's exactly what happened!", said Brash Smurf, puffing up his chest and placing his fists on his hips. The other Smurfs gave him a disapproving glare. "That is to say...", Brash began a bit sheepishly, "We Smurfs came along, sent by our Papa Smurf, and we aim to free your nation!" The group smiled and nodded in approval. 

"Hmm", Apathy wondered aloud, "How did you hide the clues and key from...yourself? Surely you would know where you put the key, no?"

"No strangely enough! I was essentially possessed by the evil of Arik, maybe even by the spirit of Arik himself! While the foul spirit could control my body and use my arcane skills, it could not read my mind or use my memories. I surmised this might be the case before I was completely taken over as it often felt my own thoughts were at war with those of the dark presence. It did not feel as if I were actually becoming evil myself", explained Mirabillis. 

While the party wanted to explore what this could mean and if there was anyway we could use it to our advantage, Cornflower suddenly blurted out, "The Sword of Arik! It can destroy the Eye, right? Any idea where it might be Master Wizard?"

It took a lot of concentration but Mirabillis was able to recall that during his possession he recalled that the Sword was located in the castle's Royal Armory. It is protected by a mighty Ogre.

An Ogre?!? 

Yes indeed, an Ogre. Standing much larger than a Human let alone a tiny Smurf, the muscular creature was armed with a spiked mallet, a short sword (well, for Ogres), and perhaps more. "Huh? But not the Sword of Arik itself? I mean, it's right there y'all?", questioned Honeysuckle. 

"He can't use it", Apathy whispered under his breath. Speaking up a bit more he continued, "The ghost of the Royal Cleric we saw on the stairs coming up here said something like, 'the sword is guarded by one who can not use it." Suave and Cornflower nodded, remembering the words. Brash and Honeysuckle exchanged glances, sort of recalling this but still wondering...why?

The Smurfs decided it was best that they proceed to the Royal Armory, while Master Mirabillis returned to his Laboratory to obtain any spells, potions, or items that might be useful in the final battle. "Final battle?", he said, knowing what was meant but unsure what the plan was in dealing with the Eye. 

"Once we have Sword, we'll go to where the Eye is being kept and touch the blade against it, destroying both!", Brash exclaimed triumphantly, punching his right fist into his left palm. 

"Assuming we know or can figure out where the Eye of Arik is being kept", Suave pointed out. 

"It is near...", Mirabillis muttered, closing his eyes and putting out one hand. He looked as if he were feeling out for something unseen. "The Princess's bedroom! I can feel its menace there!"

"Excellent!", said Suave with a flourish, "Ha! Who knew it would be so simple."

"Simple except for the Ogre. Remember the Ogre", grumbled Apathy. 

"And the Dragon", Mirabillis pointed out. 

All the Smurfs' jaws fell open. "DRAGON?!?"

"Egads", said Mirabillis, "Did I forget to mention the Dragon?"

You did Master Wizard. You did.

Continuing soon...

AD

Barking Alien

Notes regarding this session:

Session Four was the longest session of the five we played. As depicted in Part 1, it started with reaching the Court Magician's Lab/Workshop, unlocking and entering it, Cornflower brewing new Potions, finding the Pertrification Counterspell, and then [after exiting back into the second floor corridor] battling a possessed Master Mirabillis. 

After freeing the Wizard, the rest of the session was largely exposition, out-of-game discussion, planning, role-playing, and rules talk. I have edited and embelished on the session here and there but essentially there was a lot of conversation and not a lot of action. To be clear it was nonetheless very fun. 

Smurfcornflower (my character) created 5 new Potions while in Mirabillis' Workshop. While I did not tell the other players/PCs what I had concocted, I did give a list of my magical drafts to Stephen, the Gamemaster. I used one of them almost immediately to face off against 'Evil Mirabillis'. This elixir was a Potion of Heroism or as the other players teased, 'Liquid Courage'. lol

I'm not telling you what other Potions I made either. Ha! It's a surprise!