Gathering the Party for White Box Adventure 1

For my next solo adventure I'm playing through Matt Jackson's new White Box Adventure, Issue 1. The adventure said to start with a 1st level character, so I decided to continue using Ted from my last game, but set this a few years later in a new town. I've printed it out, folded it into a pamphlet, and am doing my best to avoid looking ahead and spoiling the adventure as much as possible.

The first task was to roll to see what other adventurers are in the Drawn & Quartered Inn who could accompany my character. Matt suggests using an online generator to quickly create characters. Since I'm using OSE for this game I decided to try the OSE Generators to create these retainers. Their stats were comically bad, which I decided would make the game more entertaining even though I think it puts our adventuring party at significant disadvantage. Part of the fun here was interpreting these low scores. Why were they so bad? Why would this person still want to be an adventurer?

I used some other online generators to create their names, and a basic personality trait. Next I rolled to see what alignment they would have. It seemed appropriate the only effective looking member of my crew would also be Chaotic and thus someone I might not want to bring in the first place!

Here are the stats for the retainers I created. You can read more about them in my adventure journal for the Drawn & Quartered Inn. Next up the band will be heading down to the cellars to look for the missing Dwarf girl. I'll be amazed if we don't have some fatalities amongst this motley band of would-be-adventurers. 

Otho Bophin

• Halfling — 1st level
• Strength           8
• Intelligence    10
• Wisdom            9
• Dexterity        10
• Constitution      9
• Charisma           9
• Hit Points          1
• Alignment         Lawful
• Armor Class      7 (Leather Jerkin)
• Weapons            Dagger (d4-1)
•                            Short Spear (d6-1)
• Enthusiastic. Will help for only 2gp.

Only 1 hit point, low strength and no other stat above a 10. At least he's enthusiastic! I kind of like that his stats are so low to be honest. To me this feels more like a Halfling than if he were very strong or exceptional in some other way. These are more like the stats I'd expect from the characters in The Lord of the Rings.

Old Marley

• Thief — 1st level
• Strength           8
• Intelligence      9
• Wisdom          11
• Dexterity          7
• Constitution      8
• Charisma           8
• Hit Points          2
• Alignment       Neutral
• Armor Class    8 (Padded Armor)
• Weapons          Staff (d6-1)
• Cynical. Wants an equal share.

A Thief with only 7 Dexterity and low scores in almost everything else. I decided to make him an old beggar which seemed to fit with the staff he carried. 

Ollie the Halfwit

• Fighter — 1st level
• Strength           8
• Intelligence      6
• Wisdom           9
• Dexterity         10
• Constitution    10
• Charisma        13
• Hit Points         2
• Alignment       Lawful
• Armor Class    7 (Fur Vest)
• Weapons          Short Bow (d6)
• Optimistic. Wants an equal share.

A Fighter with only 8 Strength and a very low Intelligence as well. Ollie was inspired by Much the Miller's son from Robin of Sherwood, especially after the generator gave him a bow and no other weapons.

Aulk

• Fighter — 1st level
• Strength          13
• Intelligence     11
• Wisdom          15
• Dexterity          9
• Constitution    11
• Charisma          6
• Hit Points         4
• Alignment       Chaotic
• Armor Class    4 (Chainmail and Shield)
• Weapons         Hand Axe (d6+1)
• Irritable. Will help for only 2gp.

Finally some decent stats, modest hit points, and good equipment! Too bad about that terrible Charisma score and rolling Chaotic for alignment. The Chainmail, Shield and Hand Axe made me decide he should be a Barbaric Northman. I think he's going to let the party down at some point in a big way.