Barbarian Prince
a solo RPG game from the 80s
2021-04-18
a solo RPG game from the 80s
2021-04-18
The Barbarian Prince, Cal Arath, is the rightful heir to the throne of the Northlands Kingdom. Few humans can match his skill with trusty Bonebiter, his broadsword.
Evil events have overtaken the Northlands Kingdom. The old king, is dead - assassinated by rivals to the throne. These usurpers now hold the palace with their mercenary royal guard. Cal Arath has escaped, and must collect 500 gold pieces to raise a force to smash them and retake his heritage. Furthermore, the usurpers have powerful friends overseas. If he can’t return to take them out in ten weeks, their allies will arm and he will lose his kingdom forever.
To escape the mercenary and royal guard, his loyal body servant Ogab smuggled him into a merchant caravan to the southern border.
Barbarian Prince is a solitaire role-playing board game published by the Dwarfstar Games line of Heritage Models in 1981.
I’m can’t remember exactly where or when I heard of this game, but it was when I was reading about other solo rpgs like Sherlock Holmes and Thousand Year Old Vampire.1
The goal of the game is to raise 500 gold in 10 weeks so you can raise an army to take back your kingdom.
Gameplay is divided up into days during which you must take an action and then eat a meal. Seriously so much of this game is hunting and eating. You can’t starve to death, but you can starve to the point of being useless, which basically leads to guarunteed death.
I found the game on Tabletop Simulator, because TTS has friggin everything, and I did a quick playthrough. I found playing to be fun because you can spend as much or as little time with the game as you want. I would do a quick 30 minute session during the day during some downtime, and then dedicate an hour or two in the evenings if I felt like it.
TTS is kind of a lot though. The handouts are kind of hard to read and even harder to search or flip through. So when I discovered you can just download all the PDFs from dwarfstar’s website, I started using those more, and TTS less.
For my second playthrough, I created some slides in google docs for the map and a couple status trackers, and have just been playing locally. Not in TTS, that is. Which is nicer because it doesn’t make my laptop fan turn on. TTS is a beast.
The most satisfying way to play, I found, was to play a turn, and then kind of journal about it. Write down what Cal was doing and how he was feeling, and what his challenges were, etc.
Like I said earlier, the food mechanic is kind of overwhelming. You have to dedicate so much time and effort to food. Especially if you gain a lot of followers. Gotta keep ’em all fed! Or they’ll desert you.
Also, travel is difficult. Everytime you try to enter a new hex, you have to roll to see if you get lost. A streak of bad rolls means being lost in the wilderness for extended periods of time.
I don’t know if that all adds up to “gritty realism” or not, but I know that the survival simulator aspects of the game can be grueling and unforgiving.
This is the first game of Barbarian Prince I ever played. Full of betrayal, love, and tragedy. The story kind of hooked me and once it was over, I couldn’t wait to play again.
Week 1 Day 1
The merchant caravan dropped me off on the shore of the Trogath River early this morning. Thank the gods for faithful Ogab and his quick thinking. Without him I wouldn’t have escaped.
The Barrier Peaks are visible beyond the river, and past them through a forest lies the town of Cumry. My plan is to make it to Cumry to gather my own strength, and enlist some help in my endeavor.
Tried to cross the river, but the water was deep and the current strong, I was washed up again on northern bank.
The arrival of four mercenary Royal Guardsmen prevented any further attempts as they spent the day searching up and down the river bank. I spent the whole day in the reeds and in the mud eluding them. Didn’t have any time to look for food. I grow weak with hunger.
Week 1 Day 2
The guardsmen finally left, and I successfully crossed the Trogath. Hiked through the grassland, skirting the Barrier Peaks, toward the dark wood, through which lies Cumry.
Luck was on my side and I caught three rabbits. Ate my fill, and saved some for later.
Week 1 Day 3
Made it to the edge of the wood and stopped for the night. Found plenty of food again. In the morning I will continue to search for a path into the wood, but failing that I am prepared to strike forward and make my own path through. I must get to Cumry and start to raise forces to recover my kingdom!
Week 1 Day 4
Indeed, looks as though I must make my own way through the wood. No path was found into or through it. The canopy is thick and the sky is obscured, so I must be careful not to lose my way.
Fortunately game is plentiful and abundant here. I felled a large deer and there was so much food that I regretfully had to leave some behind. Food for the scavengers I suppose.
If luck is on my side, I could be at Cumry in as little as two days.
Week 1 Day 5
Spent the day wandering the forest. I think I’m going the right way? Not sure any more.
Starting to feel a little frustrated because Cumry is supposed to be only a five day journey from the river, and here I am, five days into my journey and seemingly lost in these woods. I’m going to end up spending all week just getting to the village! And time is a resource that I cannot be wasting right now!
I suppose travel is always unpredictable. At least there is food in abundance, and at least travel has so far been mostly uneventful.
Week 1 Day 6
Despair! Will I ever make it out of these cursed woods! Let every man fear the Barrier Peak Wood.
Week 1 Day 7
Wouldn’t you know it. Still lost in the woods. I keep walking past the same trees and the same rocks even though I know I must be walking in a straight line! Starting to lose my mind. There is some trickster or some magic in these woods forcing me to walk in circles. I know it to be true. At this rate, my kingdom is as good at lost.
Week 2 Day 1
I advance. I think I can at times just glimpse a flicker of light: the edge of the forest must lie ahead. Thank the gods!
Week 2 Day 2
Joy! Finally I escape that terrible wood! May I never step foot in it again.
Now I crest the surrounding hills. I can see the town of Cumry in the distance. Hopefully I will be able to hire some help and reclaim my kingdom. Father, I will avenge your death!
Week 2 Day 3
Distances are deceptive in these rolling hills. I descend, thinking to see the town before me, only to climb yet another hill. Always is the village visible from the top of the hill, but ever is it just another hill away.
Week 2 Day 4
Finaly! Cumry! Passed a band of five amazons on the way in. They looked rough and ready for a fight, but I was able to talk my way out of conflict. Five against one are risky odds, and I can’t afford injury to delay me in my quest.
Tomorrow I will try to get some information and hire some followers, and maybe meet with a local lord and beseech them for aide.
I will not tarry here long. I have much lost time to make up for.
Week 2 Day 5
Spent the day in taverns, streets, and markets. Learned the whereabouts of a local magician. I will call on him tonight and try to enlist his services and convince him to join me.
…that did not go well at all
I arrived at the magician’s house, and he welcomed me warmly and invited me inside. He fed me and shared his mead, and we ate and drank and spoke well into the night.
By way of a few reckless comments, it became evident to me that he has been using his wits and magicks to plunder local mercenaries, robbing them of their hard earned coin.
No hard matter to me. This simply means he values coin, and has no scruples about how he gets it. I’m convinced his services can be bought, and he will be able to contribute much wealth to his party.
Regrettably I made a fatal error in my assessment. The prideful wretch took insult at my observation and flew into a rage and attacked.
A magician in close melee is not much of a threat, but not incapable of getting a spell off, so I struck quickly and fell him in two blows. But not before the villain managed to stab me in the ribs with a shard of his shattered mead glass.
I will rest here the night and try to recover. I fear I may now have even less time to spend in Cumry than I thought: a town deprived of its magician is not a hospitable one.
Week 2 Day 6
New plan: I will flee Cumry in the early morning and follow the Nesser River south from here until I can cross it and continue to the farming village of Cawther. From there I have some options: roads can carry one to Donnat’s Temple to the east and to Huldra Castle to the south.
Before I leave, I search the magician’s shelves and find a small glass sphere with thin walls filled with a vile green swirling gas. I wrap it several times in a thick cloth and gingerly add it to my pack.
I sneak my way out of the village in the dim light of the early morning and make way way into the surrounding countryside when, curse my luck! The local constabulary catches up to me! Seven of them, on foot. No way I can take them all on, not weakened as I am by the gash in my side.
I can’t image that enough time has elapsed for anybody to have found the magician’s body and also alert the authorities, so I decide to greet them and again rely on my wits to talk my way out of any possible potential unpleasantness. Though I must admit I do not like that mean gleam in their eyes. I answer their questions, trying to seem as direct and honest as possible. They seem satisfied and allow me to continue on my way. A narrow escape!
Week 2 Day 7
An uneventful day of traversing the open countryside. Slow going because of the wound in my side.
I arrive at a spot on the Nesser that is not bordered by mountains: I can see more countryside beyond the far bank. This is where I will cross in the morning.
If I can put this river between me and Cumry, I will allow myself some rest.
Week 3 Day 1
Great fortune!
Just as I’m about to try to cross the river, a friendly raftsman appears, and ties up his raft on the bank. He agrees to let me join him as he sails downriver.
We will sail in the morning.
Week 3 Days 2 - 4
We sail all day and tie up to camp each evening. Feels great to be able to relax a little bit while traveling. My side wound starts to heal a little bit.
Week 3 Day 5
We tie up for the night in Branwyn’s forrest. I will leave my helpful raftsman here and visit the temple in the morning. Cawther is only a few day’s walk from here, so will continue there from the temple, and from Cawther traveling on foot will be easier on the road. Perhaps I will be able to hire a mount in Cawther.
Week 3 Day 6
What a development!
I decide to start by making an offering at the temple. I spend one gold piece for proper herbs and sacrifice, and spend the day preparing, and waiting in line to get to the altar.
When I get there, stars of my sky! Moon of my night! The altar priestess is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen! If anything in the world could distract me from my quest even for a moment, it is her.
Our eyes meet, and my heart is no longer my own. It is hers. Birgit, priestess of Branwyn.
I distractedly make the sacrifice, and she motions for me to follow her into an alcove off the altar room.
I confess my love for her, and–rejoice!–she hers for me. I tell her of my quest and she promises to help me raise the army I need to reclaim my throne and my kingdom. The priesthood won’t allow her to leave, so we must escape.
Birgit steals several temple treasures, and we sneak out and hide out in the woods to the south of the temple.
I think from here we are best sneaking through the woods and then crossing the river and trying to make it to Huldra Castle. With our wealth from the temple treasures, surely we can raise some support at the castle.
Week 3 Day 7
Spent the day traveling in the thick woods. With the temple treasures, we have less space in our packs for food. And now that there are two of us, we are eating double. We’ll have to hope that hunting remains plentiful.
Week 4 Day 1
More trekking through the woods. Found plenty of food tonight though.
Week 4 Day 2
Starting to have flashbacks to my time in the Barrier Peaks wood. What is it with these cursed forests! At least this time my dear Birgit is here with me. In her arms I am comforted.
Week 4 Day 3
I was able to follow the sound of the river toward the edge of the forest. If we can just make it to the river bank, we can cross and then meet up with the road to Huldra.
Week 4 Day 4
Finally made it to the edge of the forest. Camped for the night on the banks. We cross in the morning.
Week 4 Day 5
We find a suitable place to cross the river, and no sooner are we on the opposite shore when we are confronted by a huge stone-skinned Troll!
It was a gruesome battle and it nearly ended me. But in the end, thanks to Birgit’s bravery, I was just barely able to defeat the foe.
We camp for the night on the shore, and I skin the troll. I’m sure its stone skin will fetch some coin at Huldra.
Week 4 Day 6
Slow trekking through the countryside. I am weak from the fight. The road to Huldra is ahead.
Week 4 Day 7
We make it to the road and are set upon by three bandits! The currs surprise us and one manages to strike me in my weakened state. I see an exit and can flee the fight, but I cannot leave my Birgit behind.
They strike me again, and I still can’t find a way to extract both of us from this fight.
They close in around me as the light begins to fade.
And that is how I, Prince Cal Arath, son of the North and heir to the throne, weak from fighting and slaying a stone troll, outnumbered and ambushed by bandits, at the side of Birgit my love, lost my life and my kingdom before the walls of Castle Huldra.
The End
The second time I played, I won the game on the last possible day, creating one of the most satisfying gaming moments I’ve ever had. I probably messed up some of the starvation rules and maybe some of the combat rules, so the win could be contested under close scrutiney. But it’s my game and my win, and I was thrilled about it.
Week 1 Day 1
Evil events have overtaken my Northlands Kingdom. To escape the mercenary and royal guard, my loyal body servant Ogab smuggled me into a merchant caravan to the southern border, while poor Ogab faces the wrath of the royal guards back home.
At dawn I roll out of the merchant wagons into a ditch, dust off my clothes, loosen my swordbelt, and find myself at the border town of Weshor, on the Tragoth River.
I don’t have enough money to buy food or lodging here. Nor do I have time to stop and dally with the royal guard so close on my heels. I will head straight on.
I’m about to cross the Tragoth, but before I can get to the bridge I spot one of the royal guard riding toward me! The same vile royal guard who killed my father! Trusty Bonebiter strikes him down in one blow. I search him and find four gold. Lucky me. At least now I can afford some food and a room.
I will rest here and leave in the morning.
Week 1 Day 2
I cross the river into the swampland but lose my way crossing into the marsh. I hear horses approaching and spot 5 more mounted royal guards! What cursed luck!
I blindly plunge deeper into the swamp and escape them.
Caught some fish and ate my fill. Found a hollowed out log for shelter.
In the morning, I will head into the mountains and try to find the Northern Pass to Zhor.
I feel safer already with a river between me and the North. I think I won’t see any more of the royal guard from here on out.
Week 1 Day 3 - 5
I wander aimlessly, lost in the swamp.
Week 1 Day 6
Finally make my way out of the bog into the open countryside. The mountains are before me and just on the other side should be the northern pass.
Week 1 Day 7
Deep into the mountains now. No game to be found anywhere. Good thing I stocked up so well.
Week 2 Day 1
Lose my way in a steep pass coming down the mountain and encounter a wizard and his man mounted on horses!
I cautiously approach, thinking to ask them to join me, but the villainous wizard suddenly hurls a fireball at me! I leap to the side, and then deflect an attack from the henchman. The wizard fires again but I duck under and strike him down. Then the henchman and I for some time are unable to land a blow on each other, but finally I knock him down too.
I search the bodies and find 49 gold pieces and a healing potion. My situation is much improved!
I take the wizard’s horse with me and feed us both from my pack.
Week 2 Day 2
I lead the horse out of the winding mountain passages and onto the North Pass. Finally! Between the road and the horse, going should be much easier. Or at least faster. Hopefully we will reach the Temple of Zhor soon.
We ride most of the day when amid the howling winds on a craggy cliff we find caves, and within the caves the tombs of an ancient race.
I wish to explore and pay my respects to the ones who came before me.
Deep in the caves I find a massive stone altar. I don’t understand the runes or glyphs, so I pay my respects and then leave.
Back just off the road, I find some grass for my horse to graze on, and forage some food for me, and we camp for the night.
Week 2 Day 3
We strike out in the morning and meet a band of dwarfs on the road. Turns out their loyalty is for sale for 6 gold each. I pay. This is the beginning of the army with which I will take back the north.
My dwarfs are not mounted, so we make camp and will head to the temple in the morning on foot.
Week 2 Day 4
We make it to Zhor’s Temple in the evening after a days hike. Pay for dinner and rooms for all of us.
Week 2 Day 5
I decide to make an offering at the temple. I spend a gold piece preparing the appropriate herbs, and spend most of the day waiting in line to get in.
Once I get to the altar, I make my offering and burn the herbs and then scatter some ashes. The altar priestess interprets the smudges and must see something promising in my future, because she announces that I and my party will have free food and lodging tonight.
Week 2 Day 5
Spend the day seeking news and information. Feel at home, learn nothing, but make some solid contacts.
We’ll spend one more day here and then we’ll have to move on. Almost out of food and money.
Week 2 Day 6
Spend the day in taverns, streets and the market talking and learning about goings on.
Discover local thieves’ guild, I am “invited” to join. Not that I have much choice.
We eat dinner from our cache because we’re low on money, and then I leave the dwarfs and go do the job for the thieves.
I end up stealing 200 gold from the temple. Guess the priestess read the smudges wrong.
We burn our bridges and escape escape in the night. I will never return to the temple of Zhor. We flee into the very same mountains where I escaped the wizard’s fireballs.
I think from here we should head straight south past Zhor, skirting the Kabir Desert, to the Ruins of Pelgar. Rumors are there are treasures to be found there.
In which…
Week 2 Day 7
Oh yeah, I remember being lost in these mountains before..
Week 3 Day 1
We stumble across the fortified tower keep of a Goblin King. The area is swarming with hundreds of Goblins. We should escape, but a band of Goblins has already seen us. They charge forward with screams and howls.
We flee down the mountainside into the flatlands. A small goblin party lead by a large hobgoblin follows us.
We make our stand.
We take out the hobgoblin first and then, nearly beaten unconscious, we finally take out the last of the goblins who all decided to stay and fight to the death.
We find 9 pieces of gold between them all. Little reward for almost losing our lives.
Even in my weakened state after fighting, I can carry more food than my small dwarf companions, so I go out and get us some food. Much less than we eat, unfortunately.
Despite the dangers of the goblin king, and the angered priests of Zhor, I think we still must continue around the mountains of Zhor to the south.
At the end of the day, after eating, I drink the potion I found on the wizard, and my wounds all magically heal.
Week 3 Day 1
Progress blocked by another band of goblins. Spend the day hiding out.
Go out hunting and bring back only enough for us all to eat. We are out of food.
Week 3 Day 2
Find the trailhead of the North Pass. We will follow it past Zhor and onward.
Find enough food for us all to eat and have some left over. I’ll feel much better if we can start to build a little bit of a reserve.
Week 3 Day 3
On the north road. Food is scarce. I feed my dwarfs and go without food myself.
We will stay here instead of moving on to hunt more game. We’ll be of no use if we’re all starving.
Week 3 Day 4
Spend all day hunting. Again, find enough for my dwarfs but not for me. Starting to feel faint with hunger. We go on. Can’t afford to stay here
Week 3 Day 5
Spend the day on the road. No food. Two of my dwarfs desest, including the stout warrior. Three remain.
Week 3 Day 6
We skirt past the temple. No bad signs from that direction fortunately.
Find enough food to feed two of my dwarfs. The third and myself go hungry. Starting to feel very weak from hunger.
Week 3 Day 7
Left the North Pass and entered the mountains. No food here. Everybody goes hungry.
My three dwarfs stay though starving. Their loyalty is surprising, as they only originally joined me for pay. Perhaps they merely have nowhere else to go.
Week 4 Day 1
Down the mountains and into the hills. Find enough food for one. Feed one of the dwarfs and the other two leave.
We press on. The Ruins of Pelgar are meant to be just on the other side of this next mountain ridge.
Week 4 Day 2
Into the mountains. No food here. The last of my dwarfs has left me. I am alone again and can barely move, so hungry am I.
Week 4 Day 3
Lost in the mountains.
Week 4 Day 4
Now that I’m on my own, I can ride my horse instead of leading it. Hopefully I can make up for lost time now.
Emerge into the hills and into the ruins of Pelgar.
Week 4 Day 5
I spend the entire day fruitlessly searching the ruins and find nothing.
It was all for nothing.
Still no food
Week 4 Day 6
Riding along the South Pass I am ambushed by three bandits.
They attack and wound me severely. I am far too weak to fight, and flee into the mountains, barely escaping with my life.
Week 4 Day 7
Riding along the South Pass into the hills. Too weak to even look for food at this point.
Week 5 Day 1
Emerge from the hills. The town of Tulith is ahead. I hope I can make it.
Week 5 Day 2
Stopped by heavy rains outside Tulith. The cold penetrates my bones and I catch cold.
Week 5 Day 3
The rains continue. My faithful horse catches pnemonia and dies.
Outside Tulith I meet a fugitive Priest who begs to join me, little protection I could offer him in my state. He gives me half of his wealth in gratitude (12 gold) and offers to act as a guide.
Week 5 Day 4
The priest refuses to enter Tulith, insists he wait outside the town. Odd fellow.
I pay for room and board, and eat and eat and eat and eat.
Week 5 Day 5 - Week 6 Day 5
I spend the next week recovering my strength
Week 6 Day 6
A traveling caravan arrives in town. I go to see it, and meet a friendly merchant. My opinion of him sours when I catch him trying to swindle me out of 10 gold. I leave and go back to my room.
Week 6 Day 7
I discover cheaper lodging and food. I move into a room at another inn that costs half as much.
Week 7 Day 1
I discover the residence of a local magician. I call on him and he insists that I stay the night and tell him of my travels. I ask if he will join me, but he is not interested. He does give me a healing potion for my travels though, for which I am very grateful. I was saved by one already once, after defeating the goblin hoard.
I will need to leave Tulith now. I fear I have already staid too long.
I think I must go north from here to Huldra Castle. Should take a few days now that I’m on foot.
I miss my horse.
In which…
Week 7 Day 2
On the road through the farmlands of Tulith.
Week 7 Day 3
Easy day on the road. It’s kind of nice to be on my own again and not have to worry about feeding so many mouths.
Though I do miss my dwarf companions.
Week 7 Day 4
Castle Huldra is ahead.
Week 7 Day 5
Make it to the castle. I ask to have an audience with the Baron but am refused. I will try again tomorrow.
Week 7 Day 6
I encounter the Master of the Household and am put in a position where I must buy his favor or never meet the Baron. 10 gold is not too much to pay. I hope.
Week 7 Day 7
Finally meet with the Baron!
Don’t get any men, but he gives me 50 gold, which more than pays for what I had to pay to bribe the master of the household.
I think Huldra has given me what it can. Tomorrow I will continue south.
Week 8 Day 1 - 4
On the road
Week 8 Day 5
Outside Tulith I meet six mounted warrior monks who charge me 10 gold to pass.
Seems most of the Baron’s gold may go to bribes.
Week 8 Day 6
On the road
Week 8 Day 7
Heavy rains. I catch another cold and am running a fever.
Week 9 Day 1
Rains clear. Continue on my way.
I miss my horse.
Week 9 Day 2
I should make it to Lullwyn in a couple days. I don’t know if I’ll make it to Aeravir in time though.
Week 9 Day 3 - 4
On the road
Week 9 Day 5
Arrive in Lullwyn. Not even going to stay here the night if I can help it. I must continue straight to Aeravir for help.
Week 9 Day 6 - Week 10 Day 2
On the road. Crossing the farmlands of Aeravir.
Week 10 Day 3
Aeravir. This is likely the end of my journey one way or the other. I have mere days before the usurper’s army arrives in the north and my kingdom is lost forever.
I pay the seneschal a bribe of 30 gold. The last of the Baron’s gold. And am told to come back tomorrow.
Week 10 Day 4
The seneschal escorts me to see Lady Aeravir. She favors me and gives me 80 gold pieces and a nerve gas bomb.
This brings me to 300 of the 500 gold I need to raise an army, and only three days to find the remaining 200. I fear I have already failed.
Week 10 Day 5
Desperate I try to seek out any news or information. I attract the attention of the castle guard. Seven of them to be exact. They give me a look but allow me to pass since I carry the Lady’s favor.
Week 10 Day 6
Taking the Lady’s offer to heart, I find another comfier room in the castle.
Week 10 Day 7
I steal 200 gold from the castle and run away in the night, fleeing into the surrounding farmland.
I hate to break Aeravir’s trust like this, after she was so kind to me. I will pay her back tenfold once I have reclaimed my throne.
Now I will go raise my army and take back my kingdom.
THE END
The game is fun. It holds up well considering its age. I don’t think it’s been updated since it was published in 1981. I can definitely see myself playing it now and then for some punishing survival fantasy.
It makes me curious to play dwarfstar’s follow-up game, Star Smuggler. I love me some space trading and exploration!
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