Solmyr's Darklands AAR - running around medieval Germany

[Martim Silva]

Doing good so far, but you're just starting... 

Getting the bandits is good: your characters gain experience, you gain experience on how fights go, and you make money.

After all, if you had trouble with street thugs, how could you handle a Raubritter? (poorer knights that inherited a keep, good weapons and armor from their ancestors, but are now so poor that they have to resort to road robbing to sustain themselves. That said, they usually have a band of thugs under them, who are a little better than city bandits).

Now, I don't know if you have the game manual. If you don't, here are a few tips to help:

- The monetary system is based on the old ways. This means 12 Pfenning= 1 Groschen and 20 Groschen = 1 Florin

(always regretted that the game doesn't have thalers, or the variety of coins that existed throughout the Empire)

- Banks are used to store money safely, and they will charge you for that safety.

If you deposit in a place with a bank (like a Fugger or Medici establishment), the banker will give you a written note that you can easily hide on you stating the money that you have with them. That note can then be redeemed with any other place of the same bank anywhere else, but they will discount a fee.

This is particularly useful if you get robbed and lose all your items and money you had with you.

(Iif this does happen to you and you don't have much money stored in a bank, I recommend you get cuirboilli armor; it's hardened leather - cheap, light and very hard. A personal favourite of mine)

- Items have quality ratings. The higher the rating, the better the weapon/armor (99 is legendary relic). It will go down with use and can mean the item can become worthless. It can be repaired at blacksmiths (depending on their skills), but never as good as new.

That said, some places in Germany are better than others for the quality of their work. Nürnberg is renowned for being the best place for gear in the Empire (item quality 37, IIRC). A full plate suit made in Nürnberg is something to be proud of indeed.

That said, quality comes with price, so don't go there to shop unless you have many Florins to burn.

- Roads and rivers are the safest way to travel. This doesn't mean they are 100% safe, however, so always be ready for anything.

- Try to have everyone be devout to a Saint. If they meet the requirements, praying CAN be a very viable way to get out of a sticky situation. Note that Saints are specialized, though, so you may want to pick the ones that your individual characters may need the most (the game manual came with full hagiographies for you to know what would be avaliable).

- If you lose party members, you can always recruit more people at inns.

Viel Glück!

[Syt]

Minor nitpick: it's Lüneburg. :p Great AAR.

I know, but the game calls it Lüneberg.

I know. The game is thematically so strong, but it would have been even stronger if they had used the historical names for places (as opposed to modern forms).

[The Brain]

a written note that you can easily hide on you

[The Brain]

Minor nitpick: it's Lüneburg. :p Great AAR.

I know, but the game calls it Lüneberg.

I know. The game is thematically so strong, but it would have been even stronger if they had used the historical names for places (as opposed to modern forms).

I love when Viking games have dudes called Lundquist and the like (19th century names).

[Solmyr]

Martim, I'm not that much of a noob. I have the game from GOG, so I have the manual and cluebook.

[celedhring]

Minor nitpick: it's Lüneburg. :p Great AAR.

I know, but the game calls it Lüneberg.

I know. The game is thematically so strong, but it would have been even stronger if they had used the historical names for places (as opposed to modern forms).

I played the game in the early 2000s, and I loved to just walk around the cities and google the landmarks that appear in each of them.

And indeed the theme is just great. It greatly reminded me of Ars Magica, which is my favorite pen-and-paper RPG.

[Syt]

The manual us great, too, giving a great overview about medieval life in Germany.

[KRonn]

Great game in its time, and probably still is. I played it a good amount.    

[Syt]

I also did an AAR a long time ago: http://languish.org/forums/index.php/topic,6227.0.html

The game really lends itself to it.