Ep. 1 Search for the Isle of Black Palms: Kal-Arath Solo Actual Play
An actual play write-up of my game set in an upcoming Arabian-nights themed setting book called Al-Rathak: Tales of the Crescent Kingdoms.
The Kal-Arath system by Castle Grief can be found here:
https://castlegrief.itch.io/kal-arath
Format Notes:
The fiction of the adventure will be written in regular text, but any game mechanics will be in grey code blocks or italicized. Kal-Arath uses a 2d6+Attribute vs 8+ resolution system. Ex. 2d6 + 2 Agility = 7+2 = 9, Success!
Character Creation - I decided to create a Lv 2 character that's already got a ship and crew to his name.
Name: Khalid Al-Fayez
Stats:
STR(ength) +1
AGI(lity) +1
TOU(ghness) +0
INT(elligence +1
PRE(scence) +1
HP: (10/10)
Skills:
Sailor - Advantage to "Lost" rolls when at Sea
Weapons: Spear (d6)
Equipment:
Torch
Waterskin
Flint&Steel
Hammer and Stakes
Silver: 26
Rations: 3
Notes:
Has a small dhow ship called the Grey Starling, crewed by two hired crew (Samir & Rafi)
Personality Matrix*
Reckless/Cautious 12
Cruel/Empathetic 7
Paranoid/Rational 10
Deceptice/Honest 8
Indulgent/Frugal 9*The personality matrix works by rolling a d20 vs the personality scores to see how this character will react to different situations. From Just One Torch solo toolkit.
I also roll on the Al-Rathak "What Fate Brought you here" table to get the result as my character's starting quest hook:
Isle of the Black Palms - You are a sailor, searching for the
treasure hidden beneath the ruins on the Isle of the Black Palms
in the Sea of Whispering Winds. Whenever you discover an
island, roll 2d6. Add a +1 to your roll for every other island
you’ve explored or discovered. On a roll of 11-12 you have
discovered the Isle of the Black Palms and the ruins (roll on the
Dungeon table p. 37). When you have completed your quest and
returned to Anipsed, you are automatically granted an audience
with the Sultan (i.e. no die roll required).
"I am Khalid Al-Fayez, a proud sailor of Al-Rathak! My humble yet reliable ship, The Grey Starling, and its loyal crew have sailed the coasts near Anipsed for years. But now, we yearn for adventure—to seek out distant shores, unearth lost treasures, and claim eternal glory as explorers. Rumors whisper of a lost island hidden in the Sea of Whispering Winds, a place where a great treasure lies beneath the canopy of black-leafed palm trees."
Daily Procedure:
1.EXPLORATION
2.WEATHER
3.GETTING LOST (1-2 on d6 = lost)
4.FORAGE (Forest or River +1)
5.ROLL FOR POINT OF INTEREST (POI)
6.ROLL FOR ENCOUNTER
7.CAMP, SPEND RESOURCES, RECOVER
8.END OF DAY/SESSIONDay 1 - Weather: Windstorm (no travel)
Khalid struggles not to see this as an ill omen, but a sudden storm has forced them to delay the day of their departure. At least he can use the extra time to prepare…
Oracle: Craft > Shadow > Assault (I usually roll 2-3 oracle words and then interpret them together) He spends the day crafting a small smoke bomb, surely it’ll find a use.
+ Smoke Bomb to Inventory
No Encounter, pay 2 silver to stay at an Inn
Day 2 - W: Partly Cloudy
He meets Samir and Rafi at the docks and they set sail to find the Isle of the Black Palms!
D13-E16: (Not rolling getting lost this close to home. No Encounters/POIs rolled, Rations -1, down to 2)
They sail through the strait with ease, the sun peeking through the clouds over their journey south.
Day 3 - W: Special>Mirage
Khalid spots a phantom island shimmering in the glare of the midday sun on the horizon. He knows these waters well enough to know it’s a mirage and move on south.
E16-E19: (They enter seas they no longer know well)
POI Rolled: Medium Island
He spots an island in the distance, unknown to them. “Should I stop for supplies?” he thinks. (Roll d20 Reckless vs Cautious (12): 15=Cautious)
He decides to stop to search the island for food and supplies. They moor the ship and set up camp. (Rations -1: 1 left).
Day 4 - W: Warm
They forage the jungle, finding a bounty of fruits (+5 Rations)
POI Discovered: Hilltop that whispers secrets
While exploring, Khalid finds a strange hill that rises above the jungle canopy. he climbs it for a better view, as as he nears the top he starts to hear dissonant whispers in the winds…
(Can he hear what they’re saying? Oracle> Yes, but…) He can barely make out what the whispers are saying, but he makes out one word… (Oracle> Amulet)
The winds whisper about some amulet, but he cannot make out any other details.
(Pursue Amulet? Reckless vs Cautious (12): 4, Reckless!
Khalid decides to go back downhill and set up camp for the night, and set out to search for this mysterious amulet the next day (Rations -1= 5)
Day 5 - W: Light Rain
He discovers more of the island, just more jungle. (E22)
POI discovered: a well of clean water
He finds the overgrown ruins of a mysterious well deep in the jungle. He peeks in, and discovers to his shock that it’s filled with cool, clear water! How has this stagnant pool stayed pristine in the jungle? He decides to investigate the well.
(Find something? Oracle> Yes) (Found Amulet? Yes, but…) He spots the glint of a chain deep below, but it’s trapped under a heavy rock. (Roll STR+0): 10, Sucess!) He pushes the rock out of the way and pulls the chain, revealing an Amulet. He swims back up to the surface with the treasure in hand.
Found Treasure: Amulet of Clean Waters.
Khalid thinks this must be the mysterious amulet the winds whispered of, a magical one that purifies water. He decides to camp down near the well for the night. (Rations -1 = 4)
Day 6: W: Hot Weather (1/2 travel speed)
The sweltering heat of sun saps his strength, and he barely makes it halfway back to the ship before he has to rest again. (Rations -1 = 3)
Day 7: Warm
Khalid makes his way back to the ship and excitedly shows the amulet to Samir and Rafi, they prepare to set sail and soon leave this island to the rudder…
They’ve already discovered some treasure, yet the isle of the Black Palms is still far away!
End of Session
I’ll post more of these as Khalid explores and (playtests) the upcoming Al-Rathak setting book created by Charles F Bryant, II & me, SilverNightingale!
Looking forward to Al-Rathak
Great report!