Rusty Dagger - Spire of the Golem

I got inspired to play Rusty Dagger after watching some YouTube videos. The ones from DMGashbad are especially good.

Rusty Dagger is a Solo fantasy RPG where you are the Hero and you may have companions or assistants to help you. You only need a 10*6 combat board for all encounters and a selection of dice. You could just about play this while sitting on a plane.

I made terrain from scraps of polystyrene and selected my hero Arzag the Slayer. A legally distinct body building barbarian. Arzag was the first D&D character I ever created and back before I knew anything he had killed his first Bug Bear. You have no idea you are outclassed when you keep hitting with your sword. Not bad when you are level 1 and just embarking on your career in freelance, commission only genocide.

There are two kinds of encounters, Narrative and Combat. Narrative encounters are usually a skill test often against a non-combat skill these either create branches in the storyline or give benefits and penalties to the next encounter. Combat encounters are self-explanatory. There are enemies that need defeating, and you are just the Hero for the job.

Adventures take 60-90 minutes to complete.

While sitting drinking in the local Rusty Dagger tavern Arzag overhears a conversation about a spire that has appeared not far from town. The tower appears and disappears. Quietly slipping out the back of the Tavern, he makes his way to where people said the spire was located. While observing the spire he noticed he wasn't alone. 

After a conversation the two Rogues agree to loot the Spire together. After waiting until the moonlight reveals the door the two heroes enter. The smell is foul and there is shuffling and groaning coming from up ahead.

The first combat encounter is 3 zombies.

Round 1

The zombies activate first and one lurches forward.

Arzag moves up and around some of the rubble. The idea is to flank the zombies and kill them one at a time. Both Sides have an extra token (advantage) in the first round

Arzag moves up and misses.

The nearest zombie missses Arzag 5-7

Arzag hits the zombie 12-9

Arzag then kills the zombie 7-4

Both the remaining zombies move up and the nearest zombie misses Arzag 5-9.

The AI for the monsters forces as many as possible to activate each turn. There is no such restriction on the Heroes.

Round 2

Arzag misses the zombie 4-7. Thats a double 1 from Arzag.

The Zombie then misses Arzag 5-8

The other zombie moves up

The third activation goes back to the first zombie that then misses Arzag 6-12

Arzag then get the last two activations and hits the zombe twice, 9-7 and 9-6 killing it

Round 3

Allendale moves up and uses his special ability to put his token back in the bag, while Arzag and the zombie glare at each other.

The zombie moves up and misses 6-9. its follow up attack then hits Arzag 8-5

Thwack, thwack Arzag cuts the zombie to bits with two quick strikes 9-3 and 9-3. A quick search of the room and we find a small healing potion.

Walking down the corridor one of the tiles goes Click! A stream of darts erupt from the wall and Allendale gets hit. The Lighting quickness of the barbarian saves Arzag. Growling and snarling can be heard around the corner.

Encounter 2 Pack Hunters

Arzag and Allendale encounter the clean up crew. Two undead hounds and a giant Rat. Arzag advanced to be the nearest hero the first Hound charges and attacks but misses 9-10, Arzag's counter-attack hits 11-4

The other hound and rat move up, Then Allendale moves up and puts his token back in the bag. You can't move or attack diagonally.

Arzag then hits and kills the first dog.

Round 2

The hound moves over and attacks Arzag hitting 12-10. Ouch.

The Rat attacks Allendale and misses 3-8. Allendale is more of a lover than a fighter but his swird is keeping the rat at bay.

The Rat gets the third activation and misses Allendale 5-5, ties go to the defender.

The Heroes get all the activations, Arzag hits the hound twice 13-10 and 11-7 killing it.

Allendale then kills the rat 9-2. 

A search of the room reveals 5 coins

Encounter 3 Boss fight

The final chamber of the Spire features 4 pillars. There is huge undead knight (A bone Golem) with a couple of zombie bodyguards. The Knight tells the party that they will join his crew of undead servants to replace those that they have destroyed.

Lucky he doesn't know how many we have killed, either that or he can't count.

There is also a huge jewel blazing with necromantic energy. Lets kill these guys and nick that jewel.

The Zombies and Golem move up.

Arzag and Allendale move around a pillar to try and separate their opponents.

The nearest zombie shuffles forward, perfect thinks Arzag and springs forward, hits the zombie 9-6 and then follows that up with a killing strike 11-5. He then moves back behind the pillar.

The Zombie and Golem move cloaser.

Allendale moves so he is closer to the Golem and also to get out of Arzag's way.

Arzag moves up and misses the Golem 7-13, the Golem misses Arzag 6-8 Arzag hits the Golem 8-5. Allendale moves up and puts his token back in the bag.

Arzag hits the Golem 7-5

The Zombie hits Allendale 6-5

Round 4

The Golem misses Arzag 7-8

The Golem then parries Arzag 9-9

The Zombie misses Allendale 5-6

Arzag hits the Golem 10-4, its down to half health.

The Golem hits Arzag 7-3

Arzag then hits the Golem 11-4.

We want to deatroy the Golem while its still splitting activations with the zombie which is much less dangerous.

Round 5

Round 5

The Zombie misses Allendale 5-7

Arzag hits the Golem 8-3 and then finishes it off 11-7.

Allendale barely manages to parry the Zombie 8-8.

Arzag moves closer and misses the zombie 7-7

The Zombie hits Allendale 6-5 Allendale is now down to 2 health.

Round 6

The Zombie misses Allendale twice 6-4 and 4-4, phew. It would have cost Allendale his share of the treasure to revive him.

Arzag then attacks the zombie missing the fist time and then scoring a hit 13-5.

The Zombie then hits Allendale 7-1 now down to 1 health.

Arzag's final swing then takes off the zombies head.

in the aftermath Allendale moves over to grabe the Jewel "We're rich!".

Arzag was looking at the skull of the Golem when he noticed it's eyes starting to glow. "Look Out! It's not finished!" Arzag passed the Arcane check to sense the life in the Golem.
Allendale rolls out to the way while the Golem's spirit crashes into the plinth that held the jewl, its skull desintigrating.

The Spire starts to collapse and our heroes make their escape. Back in the Rusty Dagger they are downing a well earned beer. The Rusty Dagger never truly closes.