DRAGON NOIR CAMPAIGN 2: THE BREATHS OF LIFE

The campaign “Les souffles de vie” was published in 1993 in Claymore #3, copyright Philippe Gaillard, and translated by Bob Gingell in February 2001.

The French magazine Claymore has published a small number of additional scenarios for “Dragon Noir”. The most ambitious of these is the 8-scenario campaign from Claymore #3, which is translated here. An earlier campaign, “Shaman’s Hordes” from Le Journal du Stratège #60/61 (published late 1991 or early 1992), is translated separately. The campaign “Robin Hood” (‘Robin des bois’) from Claymore #5 in 1994, which has no magic but does involve characters from “Dragon Noir”, is also available in translation. Other individual scenarios relating to “Dragon Noir” that were published in French magazines can be found in the ‘Dragon Noir Supplement’, also translated by Bob Gingell.

Equipment required: The campaign uses “Dragon Noir Volume 1 – The Exile”, with extra maps and counters from “Cry Havoc”, “Siege” and “Croisades” / “Outremer”, plus the supplementary ‘Templars' Castle’ two-map set (available in the boxed “Siege Extension set #1”), the ‘Abbey’ map (from ‘The Island’ supplementary map set or from the Eurogames boxed game “Vikings”) and a second ‘Crossroads’ map (from “Cry Havoc”).

Contents
Introduction: the eight treasures
Part 1: The four battles of Commodore
	Scenario 1: The Abbey of St. Emilion
	Scenario 2: The Puppet’s Mill
	Scenario 3: The Village of Sonpé
	Scenario 4: The Mamluks’ Castle
Interlude: The rage of King Philip
Part 2: The Counter-attack from Commodore
	Scenario 5: The Archers’ Bridge
	Scenario 6: The Gorge of the Lake
	Scenario 7: The Battle of Gramichu
	Scenario 8: Death to the Emperor!
Conclusion: The end of the Miglu.
Annex: Rules for javelins (from “Croisades” and from Claymore magazine #6)

INTRODUCTION: THE EIGHT TREASURES

After the last attempt at theft by the forces of the Miglu, the kings of Commodore decided to disperse the ‘Breaths of Life’ treasures to the four quarters of the kingdom. These treasures, eight in number, will if gathered together in the same place, allow a magician, even one of paltry power, to give life to huge armies of fierce warriors and monsters, all as horrible as they are decayed. It goes without saying that these treasures attract all the greedy people …

Away from the peaceful kingdom, the new Emperor of the Miglu, the taciturn Black Fox, has called up his armies to seize the treasures of Commodore. He dreams, in all simplicity, of being master of the world.

Rules of the game: To play this campaign the Game Aids and rules of “Dragon Noir” are used. For javelinmen use the shortbow results table with the same ranges [alternatively see the Annex below for the rules for javelinmen from “Croisades”]. The optional rules for panic and rout are not used.

PART I: THE FOUR BATTLES OF COMMODORE

The four attacks take place at the same time. Characters wounded from either side will recover full health at the end of each of these first four scenarios.

Important note: If one of the two players senses that the defeat of his/her troops is near, he/she can exit them from the map. They will fight normally (without applying the rules for desertion…) during the second part ‘The Counter-attack’.

Combats stop once one side is in flight (with or without the treasures) or has been exterminated.

SCENARIO 1: THE ABBEY OF ST. EMILION (L’Abbaye de St. Emilion)

The chaplains of the abbey are in charge of the treasures. Will their tiny garrison be able to repel the invader? 

[This scenario uses “Dragon Noir”, “Cry Havoc”, “Croisades” and ‘The Abbey’ map from “Vikings”.]

Map layout: The Abbey

The sides (CR = Croisades, CH = Cry Havoc, DN = Dragon Noir)
The Garrison: 4 chaplains (CR) – Engeram, Geoffrey, Claude, Ernest; 
4 sergeants (CH) – Sgt A’Wood, Sgt Arnim, Sgt Tyler, Sgt Martin; 
4 spearmen (CH) – Bertin, Crispin, Ben, Perkin; 
3 knights on foot (CH) – Sir Alain, Sir Gunther, Sir Roger; Equipment - 3 horses, 2 treasures.

The Imperials: 2 Templars (CR) – Sir Dreux, Sir Amalric; 
8 Black Dwarves (DN); 7 Goblins (DN).

Starting positions: The garrison – the knights on foot and the chaplains are in the abbey with the two treasures. The three horses are in the 6-hex building facing the abbey. The spearmen are in the building near the coast, and the sergeants are in the remaining building.

The Imperials enter through side 3 of the map between the tree hex and the beach.

Special rule: 
•	The garrison and/or the Imperials can try to carry off the treasure. (This rule applies to all 3 of the subsequent scenarios.) Movement of a foot soldier (only) is then reduced by 2 hexes [MPs] per turn.

[Campaign note: Any of the chaplains that survive will add to magic-using capability in Scenario 8.]

SCENARIO 2: THE PUPPET’S MILL (Le Moulin du Pantin)

Where the question of the watching of the villagers is asked afresh …

[This scenario uses “Dragon Noir”, “Cry Havoc”, “Siege”, and  “Croisades”.]

Map layout: The Watermill

The sides (CH = Cry Havoc, S = Siege, CR = Croisades, DN = Dragon Noir)
The Garrison: The 11 peasants from “Cry Havoc”; 1 bowman (CH) – Forester [shortbow]; 
3 knights on foot (S) – Sir Hughs, Sir Mortimer, Sir Fitzwaren; 
3 halberdiers (CH) – Frederick, Wynken, Tom; Equipment: 3 horses, 2 treasures.

The Imperials: 2 Templars (CR) – Sir Michael, Sir Balian; 
The 13 Orks (DN: warriors, archers and crossbow).

Starting positions: The garrison – the knights on foot , halberdiers and Forester are in the mill. The peasants are placed up to 2 hexes around the mill, on the same side of the river (They are looking for Forester’s contact lenses). The horses are ‘hitched’ to the large copse of trees (7 hexes) near the mill.

The Imperials enter through Side 5.

Special rule: 
•	The river can be crossed by means of both the bridge and the stepping stones by all characters whether on foot or mounted. 

[In other words the usual rules on horses, which are usually unable to cross stepping stones and in some scenarios cannot be ridden across narrow bridges, do not apply here. Optionally it may be implied that the river can only be crossed at these points and cannot be jumped.]

SCENARIO 3: THE VILLAGE OF SONPE (Le village de Sonpé)

Sonpé: its setting, its ford. And the Bad Guys are very bad, the guardians of the treasure very weak (perhaps?).

[This scenario uses “Dragon Noir”, “Cry Havoc”, “Croisades” and ‘The Abbey’ map from “Vikings”.]

Map layout: The Village

The sides (CH = Cry Havoc, S = Siege, CR = Croisades, DN = Dragon Noir)
The Garrison: The 20 peasants from “Siege” and “Croisades”; 
2 longbowmen (S): Dylan, Owen; 2 treasures.

The Imperials: 2 Templars (CR) – Sir Raoul, Sir Mathew; 
3 Trolls (DN); 1 Dwarf Dragon (DN).

Starting positions: The garrison – the peasants and the treasures are placed in the buildings (maximum of 4 peasants per room). [By implication the archers may be placed anywhere else.] 

The Imperials enter through Side 4. 

[There are no special rules for this scenario.]

SCENARIO 4: THE MAMLUKS’ CASTLE (Le Château des Mamelouks)

A castle, its thick walls, its towers, and always the bloody bad guys …

[This scenario uses “Dragon Noir”, “Croisades” and “Siege Extension Set #1”.

Map layout: The Templars Castle [2 map set]

The sides (CR = Croisades, DN = Dragon Noir)
The Garrison (CR): 1 Emir [on foot] – Maarat; 2 treasures; 
4 Light Mamluks [on foot] – Baha, Fa’iz, Taki, Yaghi; 3 horse archers [on foot]: Ayub, Fakr, Imad; 
4 infantrymen: Ageel, Farhad, Mohammed, Shammin; 3 javelinmen: Abdoul, Shazir, Yousef.

The Imperials: 2 Templars (CR) – Sir Roger, Sir Gerard; 
The 7 Elite Orks (DN), Crazy Ork (DN), The 2 wardogs (DN).

Starting positions: The garrison (in the castle) – The Emir is in the keep [with the treasures]. There must be at least one soldier on each rampart and in the large towers. The others are placed freely on the rampart hexes. There cannot be any soldier on a ‘flat terrain’ hex.

The Inperials enter through the castle gate, and advance into the inside of the castle.

Special rules
•	The Emir, who was not expecting an attack, has let the enemy into his home. The combat does not start until an Imperial soldier attacks one of the Emir’s men.

•	The gates of the castle are open and cannot be barricaded. 

[There is no mention of horses so it should be assumed that none are present.]

INTERLUDE: THE RAGE OF KING PHILIP

“Shit!” shouted King Philip when he heard of the four defeats and the theft of the eight treasures. “It is not going happen like this!” he added. Arlon bent towards Godiva: “Can you guess what he will say that he is going to do?”. Godiva looked at her companion with amazement.

The King replied: “Do you know what we are going to make out of these Imperials?” The gathering of sycophantic advisors replied in one voice “Paté”.

Arlon whispered into the big blonde warrior’s ear “Just what I said!” For the hundredth time, the King had made this joke, which originally had made even Thrugg laugh, but we needn’t say more!

PART 2: THE COUNTER-ATTACK FROM COMMODORE

[Notes 
•	There is no Scenario 5. 

•	The survival of certain characters is necessary to complete the campaign: only the 4 Elves, Conrad and King Philip are capable of killing the Emperor in Scenario 9. 

•	If any of these scenarios are to be played on their own, survivors must be determined from the first four scenarios: as a rough guide it is suggested that half of the Royalists (for Scenario 6) and a third of the Imperials (for Scenario 8) are treated as having been killed. Further reductions would also be needed for the Royalist casualties from Scenarios 6, 7 and 8: suggest reduce by 1/6 for Scenario 7, by 1/3 for Scenario 8 and by 5/6 for Scenario 9. Two wounded characters could replace 1 healthy character in Scenario 9. The numbers based on the above would work out at 62 Royalists in Scenario 6, 52 in Scenario 7, 42 v 39 Imperials in Scenario 8, and finally 11 Royalists in Scenario 9.]

SCENARIO 6: THE ARCHERS’ BRIDGE (Le pont aux archers)

Leaving their camp, the royal troops and Conrad’s mercenaries spotted an archer waiting for them at the entrance to the only bridge over the River Stox. “We are going to have to talk with steel” observed Santiago, who always had an anachronism ready.

[This scenario uses “Croisades”, “Dragon Noir” and ‘The Camp’ map from “Siege”, plus possible additional characters from “Cry Havoc” and “Siege”.] 

Map layout: 	5 Watermill 7 | B The Camp D  < Royal troops

Special note: Using the ‘bridge’ terrain pieces from “Dragon Noir”, create around the stepping stones a bridge 3 hexes wide and 6* hexes long. This is the only crossing that the royal troops can use to cross the river. 

[* There are not enough bridges in “Dragon Noir” to cover 18 hexes (2 x 3-hex and 4 x 2-hex pieces give only 14 hexes), and a 3 x 4 bridge covering 12 hexes is sufficient to surround the 2 hexes of the stepping stones, so it is quite possible that ‘3 x 6’ as stated is an error. Feel free to make the bridge 3 x 4.]

The sides (CR = Croisades, DN = Dragon Noir)
The Royal Army: King Philip II (CR); Sir Raymond (CR); the 4 Elves (DN); 
all Conrad’s companions (the exiles from DN); the survivors of the 4 earlier attacks.

The Imperials: The 10 armoured shortbowmen (CR).

Starting positions: The Royal army leave the camp [which can be assumed to mean that they start behind the trenches on ‘The Camp’ map] on foot, or on horseback for those that have mounts: the survivors of the first 4 scenarios will have recovered a horse if they had lost one in the earlier battle.

The archer stands in front of the bridge on the same side of the river bank as the Royalists. He can use defensive fire on the Royalists, who will move first.

Special rule: 
•	The archer is only affected by results of ‘wounded’ and ‘killed’. He is unaffected by results of ‘stunned’ or ‘retreat’. Even in combat with the enemy he will still continue shooting.

•	In addition, as soon as he is killed, he reappears on another hex on that map (at least 2 hexes minimum from the place of his “death”) at the same time as a second archer appears who can be placed anywhere that the player wishes. This regeneration continues until the 10 archers are on the map. After this, dead archers will disappear forever.

Aim of the game: It goes without saying that to get by the Royalists must exterminate this riff-raff… 
A second bit of bad news for the Royalist troops: wounded soldiers cannot endure the next day’s march and so must be abandoned to their fate at the end of this scenario…

SCENARIO 7: THE GORGE OF THE LAKE (La porte du lac)

To reach the Empire of Black Fox the King and his already exhausted men must cross the little lake of Liquid Disappointment, an ancient cemetery of anonymous alcoholics.

[This scenario uses “Croisades”, “Dragon Noir” and any surviving characters from “Cry Havoc” and “Siege”.]

Map layout: 	Exit < 1 The Watering Hole 3  < The Royalists

The sides
The Royalists: The survivors (in full health) of the murderous previous scenario.

The Imperials: The 4 Living Dead (DN); The 2 Gargoyles (DN).

Special rules
•	Cost of water hexes: 4 MPs
•	The royal troops must move on foot, with their horses led by the bridle; the horses can (very definitely) be attacked.
•	The monsters can never leave the water [so should not be able to attack characters that are on the banks of the lake]. They are totally immune to archery and are unaffected by results of ‘Retreat’ and ‘Stunned’. The 2 Gargoyles must suffer four wounds before they disappear, and the 4 Living Dead are killed after 2 successful attacks.

Game turn sequence of play:
	Royal troops movement phase
	Random draw to determine the monsters’ hexes
	Defensive combat by the monsters
	Attacks by the royal troops
	2nd monster movement phase – draw for hexes
	Attacks by the monsters

Random draw: Number each water hex as in the plan below, then draw randomly (pieces of paper from two cups) and place the monster (of the Imperial player’s choice) on that hex. Drawing some combinations (A10, D10, or F2, F3, etc.) will not match the water hexes, so a monster will stay under the water and will not fight. [Alternatively roll 1D10 + 1D6 (1 = A, 2 = B, 3 = C, 4 = D, 5 = E, 6 = F).]

    |        |         |         |    t    |    t    |         |         |    t    |          |         |         |        |	15 of the possible 60 hexes (25%) are not water: A10, D10, E7-10, F2-10.

X = entry prohibited;
t = tree, s = scrub (as clarified in “Croisades”)	
|  X   |  A1  |  A2  |  A3  |  A4  |  A5  |  A6  |  A7  |  A8  |  A9  |         |         |   		
    |  X   |  B1  |  B2  |  B3   |  B4  |  B5  |  B6  |  B7   |  B8  |  B9  |  B10 |   X   |		
|  X   |  C1  |  C2  |  C3  |  C4  |  C5  |  C6  |  C7  |  C8  |  C9  |  C10  |   X   |   		
   |    t    |  D1  |  D2  |  D3  |  D4  |  D5  |  D6  |  D7  |  D8  |  D9  |   X    |        |		
|   s    |    s    |  E1  |  E2  |    t    |  E3  |  E4  |  E5  |  E6  |    t    |    X    |         |		
    |         |        |  F1   |    t    |    t    |         |          |         |    t    |    t    |          |       |		
|        |         |         |          |    t    |         |        |         |         |          |          |          |		

[Note that for the aim of the game to be met, certain lake-edge hexes facing sides 2 and 4 must be impassable. Columns H-I and T would meet this need, and the relevant hexes are marked on the diagram above. This results in two 3-hex stretches of lake entered from trees at each end, with the rest of the lake 4 or 5 hexes wide (and in one part 6 hexes wide).] 

Combat 
•	If the monster appears in a hex adjacent to a Royalist, it attacks following the normal rules except: The monsters never get wounded when attacking an enemy.
•	If the monster appears in a hex occupied by a Royalist, it attacks but shifts the odds by one column to the right (e.g. 2:1 becomes 3:1). Whatever the result (except death, of course), the Royalist must retreat one hex towards Side 3.
Stunned Royalists roll 1D10: Unarmoured characters drown on 1-4 and armoured characters on 1-5.

The aim of the game: Cross over or die. Again!!! This time the death of the monsters is not necessary; however, their death will allow the liberation of the alcoholic magician Zacharie, condemned by the Emperor to await the end of the Lake’s enchantment. Zacharie had been spotted naked and completely drunk, chasing after Black Fox’s wife.

The scenario ends once all the soldiers have crossed.

SCENARIO 8: THE BATTLE OF GRAMICHU (La bataille de Gramichu)

The Gramichu is a monster that no-one has seen, aand that does not live on the plain where the battle takes place. The place bears this name, and that’s all.

[This scenario uses “Dragon Noir”, “Croisades”, “Cry Havoc”, surviving characters from “Siege”, and an extra copy of ‘The Crossroads’ map.]

Map layout: 	7 Crossroads 5 | 5 Crossroads 7

The sides
The Royal army: The survivors; Zacharie with 100 EPs of magic.
Note: If the Royalist player still has any of the chaplains, Zacharie will gain 50 EPs from each of them due to their prayers to the god Dionysos.

The Imperial army: All the survivors of the first 4 scenarios; the 6 Turcopoles and Murda (from Croisades); Zed (DN). 

Entry of the forces: The Royalists enter first through one Side 7, then the Imperialists enter through the opposite Side 7.

Aim of the battle: The total extermination of the other side…

SCENARIO 9: DEATH TO THE EMPEROR! (Sus a l’Empereur!)

Pushed back to his last line of defences, the Emperor found himself alone facing the Royalist troops. But he still has the famous ‘Breaths of Life’ treasures.

[This scenario uses “Dragon Noir”, “Croisades”, and any surviving characters from “Cry Havoc” and “Siege”.]

Map layout:  The underground.				X		X
				Royalist entry >  Dragon Lake | Dwarves Cavern
							Y		Y

The sides
Royalist army: The survivors (on foot).
Note: Neither Zacharie nor the chaplains have recovered the magical Energy Points that they spent during the battle.

The Imperialists: Black Fox (on foot) (+ Templars, Trolls, Elite Orks, Goblins as required); the 8 treasures; 10 decoys (blank counters).

Special game rule
Each game turn in which Black Fox does not fight and is not attacked in combat, the Imperial player can “create” 1 guard of a type depending on the number of treasures in his possession.
•	8 or 7 treasures: 1 Troll
•	6 or 5 treasures: 1 Templar (on foot)
•	4 or 3 treasures: 1 Elite Ork
•	2 or 1 treasure: 1 Goblin (warrior)
This creation takes place within the limits of the number of counters for each ‘race’: if he still has 6 treasures and the 8 Templars are already in the game, the Imperial player will have to take 1 Elite Ork.

These soldiers are created on any hex.

Special rules
1.	The treasures: The Imperial player places the 10 decoys and the 8 treasures face down in the underground areas with the following restrictions:
•	9 markers per map
•	3 markers maximum per paved area
•	All the treasures cannot be on the same map
•	Option: To increase the suspense, the Imperial player can mix up the markers face fown and place them without knowing which are treasures and which are decoys. In this case the third restriction above does not apply.

To stop the effect of the treasures the Royalist only has to end his move on a hex containing one. The marker (decoy or treasure) is then removed from the game.

2.	The death of the Emperor: Only the arrows of the Elves and sword blows from Conrad and/or King Philip can kill the despot. If all these characters are dead, you need not bother setting up the maps …

Starting positions: Emperor Black Fox is placed in the paved room in the Dwarves Cavern. The game starts with the entry of the Royalist troops [onto the Dragons Lake map].

CONCLUSION: THE END OF THE MIGLU

The King rejoined his Council in a room of the castle of Nicy, capital of Commodore. “So, you have seen what we have made of them?”. “Paté” replied the assembly laconically. Several people have sworn that if the King makes that joke once more they will enrol in the ranks of the Miglu.

ANNEX: RULES FOR JAVELINS

This annex provides an alternative to the suggestion in the campaign notes that javelinmen should be treated as if they were armed with shortbows.

Javelins were introduced in “Croisades”. Javelinmen are light infantry and normally carry 4 javelins. Missile results are resolved using the shortbow column on the results table. Javelins can be transferred between adjacent friendly characters, or picked up from a dead character, so long as they are not adjacent to an enemy. Through such means javelinmen cannot carry more than their maximum number of javelins. As all missile-weapon ranges in “Dragon Noir” were shortened from those used in “Croisades”, the javelin ranges below were proposed by Christian Delabos in Claymore #6. 

Modifications to die roll due to range, and frequency of fire

Range	Short 	Medium	Long	Frequency of fire	
Modification	 0	 +1	 +2	No limit on movement	
Javelin on foot	1-5 hexes	6-12 hexes	13-25 hexes	Offensive and Defensive	

RDG: Breaths of Life (DNoir Campaign 2), version 1.0 March 2001