Rollohi-ep036

--/-- Welcome to SoloBickering, the podcast where I—an aging Kiwi with too many dice and not enough players—explore solo TTRPGs, variant rules, and the occasional philosophical meltdown. Today, we journey into the world of Rollohi: a PG-rated realm of fantasy, where a party of eight attempts to survive the wilds. I hope it becomes a full drama, with discovery, treasure, and arguments I lose with myself. Whether you’re here for the rules, the roleplay, or just the bickering—there’s always something brewing in SoloBickering.

--/-- Return to Laketown: A large, unexplored dungeon is serious. Viscount Yibh Espeque puts the Greybeards in, allowing our party to hit Laketown in time for Winter Solstice. But what about the Driver Ants just to the north? Unanswered.

Script: https://larrymannplayssolobickering.blogspot.com/2026/04/rollohi-ep36-script.html

--/--Background sounds attribution: Joel Steudler: www.joelsteudlermusic.com

May 2026, includes a specific warning about mature content.

Intro music acknowledgment: Thanks to ADMFreeMusic: https://pixabay.com/users/admfreemusic-34079374/

https://larrymannplayssolobickering.blogspot.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

In our last episode, the glass shields rescue the last survivors of the monastery. They include a grateful prior. This individual sponsors them for the next step, which is an investigation of the secret portal that the goblins seemingly were striking to gain access to. Thanks to Ambert's familiarity with Arcane Secrets, the party does manage to open that portal, gaining access to an ancient way. This is very much larger and more amazing than any of them could have believed, save for Kylie, who indeed had been dreaming of much that thing earlier near the hills. Although the party is joined by one of the monks and that worthy individual is useful in themselves. The sad fact is that the ancient ways are a dead dungeon. There's nothing here for me as game master and player to test my variant combat rules on. It's just going to be a series of traps based on collapsed ways and puzzles based on failed systems. And so, reluctantly, I'm going to change things around. And this is based on a couple of things happening in the real world above. In particular, an oracle tells me that Viscount Yev Esbeck has intervened. They want more senior adventurers to investigate this amazing secret. And so, the Laketown Greybeards are summoned to take on a not too dangerous but suited to their talents kind of mission. Our party, the Glass Shields, are offered the role of scouts, but that's not really what they are here for. Ingall is intrigued at the ancient ways, but sees little chance for real gain. Jack, by contrast, really likes it. This is where he excels. Umbert is even more enthusiastic for pressing on. He feels that at any moment he might stumble upon a great secret that will bring him great credit with his own organization. But Erin is now against any further progress, and Kylie is in accord with her. Her initial enjoyment of the lucid dreaming feeling of the now superimposed upon the then has waned. And she wants to return to monster hunting, as she's always insisted. Santu feels much the same, although he's reluctant to appear the grumbler, as he feels he's sometimes stereotyped. He will push on to go along with the others if need be. After the extremely difficult trials of the forest and the rescue of the monastery, it's time for one more encounter check. There is an encounter on the way to Lake Town. D12 D8. The weather is appalling. Visibility is extremely limited. The party's mounts patiently make their way through howling sleet. The wind, luckily, is mostly at the party's backs. Up ahead, a thin glade of copper trees offers a little shelter, and they eagerly pause, wiping the worst of the hail out of the creases of their clothes, while Xantu, who's now trusted as the Lead Scout, dismounts and peers out into what appears to be a much broader patch of open pasture. He's rolling at disadvantage, but it's not for nothing he's trusted as a Lead Scout. His worst is a twelve, one under his wisdom. And that means he catches sight of movement ahead. Something like large mammals scurrying about something prone and larger. Probably scavengers. For indeed, a dozen giant rats are feasting upon the down body of a large wild horse which has snapped its leg at some stage and has become an easy meal for such scavengers. Xantu swings back and warns the others while checking the loading of his crossbar. Kylie looks concerned.

SPEAKER_01 7:06

But it is what we do.

SPEAKER_00 7:10

She swings off her mount and takes the time to check over her longbow string, taking their cue from Kylie, who is no doubt the best archer. The others see to their bows. Umbert and Ingle are the sling contingent and there's little for them to do save to check that they have useful pebbles. You think this is worth having a try with? Umbert mutters to Ingle, holding up his wand of paralysation. Haven't you been telling us for the last month that it's pretty much tapped out? Well, give it a try. Umbert swings to Zantu. Santu, I'm going to have a go with this first. Right then. I'll watch your back. Umbert confidently walks forward and points the wand. Nothing happens. He half turns, a sickly grin on his face, and then knees pumping, sprints back behind Xantu. Extraordinarily, perhaps because of the howling wind, the rats don't notice this. Xantu, Aaron, Kylie of course, and Seed Pod now have a chance to level their missile delivering pieces, whichever they be, and deliver a first volley, and then step back to arm themselves with close quarters weapons. Generally agreeing that Seed Pod is not going to be at close quarters, we'll have a quick flashback to where Engel, Seed and Pod have a quick discussion about who's guarding who. So four rats are killed outright. I think before we move on to initiative, it's time for the rats to make a morale check. Their morale is a surprisingly high eight and a roll a six. So presumably caught between their own lairs and where they are now, they turn like the proverbial cornered rat and fight. Now let's check initiatives. Characters four rats one. This is good news because it means that the adventurer's very rough plan has worked perfectly. Engel can step to where he can support the front line, loose as it is, and also deliver a slingshot. Umbert can turn and use his sling. C pod will move off to a flank and keep plying their bows, while Xantu, Aaron, Kylie and Jack defend each other and use their swords, or in Xantu's case, Warhammer. As eight rats raced to the close quarters. Here are two slings and two bows. That's good shooting. There are no max offs, meaning the eight rats melt into four that finish the attack as they rush. Santu and Jack. Kill a rat each, Kylie and Eren. Both max off. Ouch. All four rats' attacks will count because the defending characters had to wait for those attacks to hit home before they use their melee weapons. I'll deal with the one rat attack on Jack, the only rat that's not at disadvantage. Here's its D3 attack. Jack takes one hit damage and must test later for disease. And now, thanks to the defenders having shields, here are three disadvantage rat attacks. Erin successful two damage. Kloe successful one damage and Xantu. Max up. It's round two. Initiatives. Characteristics, rats five. The two unengaged combatants in melee will simply fold in on the two women and help finish those two rats. And technically Umbert also has that same option. But I think they'll hold off after all. Those are flashing swords up ahead. There's nothing here for SeedPod to do except make sure that the rats behind the front line are actually dead and not limping away. Here are Jack and Xantu. And regardless of whether the women are defending or attacking, those two final rats are dead. The famous victory! Seed chirps with a straight face. Kylie is very heavy. One each. While I, as DM, roll if there was an infection. It's a one in twenty chance. Here's Jack. No. Erin. No, although I rolled a two, so that was very very close. And finally, Kylie. No. Engel looks up with a bright face once he's finished. I don't think we need have any fear of infection. The wounds are clean. We can always check later when we get to Lake Town. Rat pelts, that is, giant rat pelts, are great for clothing, and indeed will sell well in Lake Town. Given the terrible weather, the party decide to take an extra watch, skinning the rats out comfortably in the lee of a copse and making sure that they have something they can sell. The price will be arriving later in the day than intended. Let's check for a weather change. I get a no but which means it's no longer hailing and the wind is no longer blowing that sleet horizontally. The party clears the grassland, seeing very very few travelers and those only interested in making sure paddocks are shut. Flocks set away to manger and any animals that need to be left out sheltered as best they can be. A brief interchange affords the party a general idea that they're just a watch or less away from the lake and the ferry to Lake Town. Chance of getting lost is a no, and so they do navigate the variety of byways to the main road to the ferry. Now they're viewing familiar landmarks at a different angle than when they first arrived. They're traveling from the north, whereas in the past they came from the east. But the ferry operation is still very much as it used to be when they first arrived here. And it all that remains is dickering over the value of the goods that they're bringing, taxes to be paid, and the correct fares for themselves and mounts. The amount paid seems a little on the high side and threatens to take away any real profit they're going to get from the rat belts. But it has to be paid. Night is drawing in fast, and they want to be back in at least a decent inn, if not the fabulous inn that they stayed in previously, before night closes in. Does the Gilded Lantern have enough rooms? Yes, and welcomes them with a small discount for repeat service. It is the time of the winter solstice. In Lake Town, of course, vulnerable to fire. Special ceremonies are made on the lake, where bonfires are set adrift. Lanterns powered by little flames drift into the air. Do the gods bless the ceremony with good weather? Yes, and it is perfectly still, ideal weather. The rafts carrying their bright flames, embellished with subtle chemicals that will alter the color of the flame as time goes on, rock quietly around the town. And the lanterns ascend to the heavens above, signaling that this is the end of level three, and it's time to level up.