Dolmenwood: The end of the game

I have been going to Dice on the Hill since February last year, and for most of that time I have been taking part in a fantasy role-playing game set in DOLMENWOOD. The game was published by Necrotic Gnome and created by Gavin Norman, and there are lots of free resources available, including downloadable character sheets.

An example of a blank character sheet.

My character – a friar called Father Crump – is one of the two characters who have survived since the very beginning ... and last Wednesday saw the end of our quest to successfully destroy the evil Naglord.

My character ... as envisaged by ChatGPT.

My character figure. It was 3D printed and painted for me by one of the other players.

Now, until I took part in this fantasy quest, I have never been particularly interested in role-playing games ... but I have so thoroughly enjoyed this that I am already signed up for another one that starts next week!

One of the major reasons why this has been such an enjoyable experience is the wonderful interplay between the various participants and the exemplary gamemaster (Jason) who directed the whole thing. He acted out all the non-player characters in a very convincing way and kept the tempo of the quest ticking alone at a great pace.

Adventures in Dolmenwood

Last February I joined the Dice on the Hill group that meets at the nearby Shrewsbury House community centre. Since then I’ve played several different games, but for most of the time I’ve been taking part in a fantasy role-play game set in DOLMENWOOD.

This is a tabletop fantasy role-play published by Necrotic Gnome and designed by Gavin Norman, It is described as being 'a dark‑whimsical, fairy‑folk‑horror setting inspired by British Isles folklore and classic fairy tales like The King of Elfland’s Daughter and Stardust.'

My character is Father Crump. He is a wandering friar who has joined the group of adventurers who are travelling around Dolmenwood to minister to their moral needs (particularly the leader, a young and somewhat psychopathic knight known as Black Philip), to spread the word (and influence) of the Pluritine Church, and to fight the evil influence of the dreaded and ungodly Nag Lord.

Father Crump ... as envisaged by ChatGPT.

Thanks to my honesty, I’ve ended up being the group’s unofficial treasurer … and as a result of eating some mushrooms during one encounter, I was afflicted for some time with bulging eyes that acted like lanterns in the dark. I was eventually ‘cured’, thanks to the ministrations of more senior members of the church, but in exchanged I was tasked to seek out and protect lost shrines that the Nag Lord is seeking to control as part of his dastardly plans.

Unlike my fellow adventurers, I am not heavily armed or armoured. During our adventures I have acquired a war mace and three daggers, and these are my only weapons … although I have been known to use a small sledgehammer in close combat and recently hit an opponent over the head with a metal holy symbol whilst claiming to be blessing them with it.