Chapter I: Damring Fortress, Part 2

[Keehnelf]

This thread continues the action of Chapter I: Damring Fortress, Part 1.

At this time we find our intrepid adventurers facing off against a very large snake on the ground floor in the ruins of Damring, attempting to kill the creature before it does the same to them!

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Conflict Captain: Agrom

Snake disposition: 6
Party disposition: Health + fight roll
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12 Brightmorn, 814 - Ruins of Damring, an Old Armory
Agrom, Sword and Shield in Hand (1 Check)
Raizenbrayne, Afraid with Dagger and Torch (1 Turn) in Hand (1 Check)
Harlan, with Sling and Candle (4 Turns) (2 Checks)

[sulldawga]

Fighter 4 + 1d for assumed help from Harlan. Only 2 successes, plus Agrom's 5 Health, for a total of 7.

[1d6] = 4, [1d6] = 6, [1d6] = 1, [1d6] = 1, [1d6] = 1

Make sure you all subscribe to this new thread!

[Keehnelf]

OK:

Party disposition: 7
Snake dispositon: 6

Go ahead and assign the odd Hit Point (you have 2 per character, plus one) and discuss your desired course of action for the first three exchanges. I have mine already planned out.

[sulldawga]

How does this work with Raiz? Does he not act at all?

[Keehnelf]

Raizenbrayne can act, and he can be Helped by the other characters when he acts. He is just restricted from offering Help and from trying his hand at Beginner's Luck. He is too Afraid to put himself out there for those types of actions.

[Simon]

Harlan will definitely be helping.

As soon as the snake slithers out of its hole, Harlan will load his sling and get his back to the wall.

[Keehnelf]

I understand if you want to manage discussion of action sequence (Attack, Defend, Feint, Maneuver) in PM but you can also discuss here before Agrom makes declarations for everyone. That's the next step.

[Starbeard]

I guess if Keehnelf's already picked his actions, we could just discuss them here. Of course, that also means he'll have future insight into the pathos of our action-planning decisions. I'll PM you guys

[Simon]

Sounds good. Hurrah for hidden information!

[Keehnelf]

I guess if Keehnelf's already picked his actions, we could just discuss them here. Of course, that also means he'll have future insight into the pathos of our action-planning decisions. I'll PM you guys

very clever

[sulldawga]

Harlan gets 3 disposition points, the other guys get 2.

1. Harlan Maneuver (Sling)
2. Raiz Attack (Dagger)
3. Agrom Defend (Sword & Shield)

[Simon]

Alia Alea iacta est!

Oops. I guess it's been awhile since AP Latin.

[sulldawga]

Agrom will stomp his feet and wave his sword around in front of the snake in an attempt to distract it while Harlan maneuvers into position.

This is Agrom helping Harlan. Also didn't note it before but Agrom is using his Shield for his Defend.

[Simon]

Harlan will be using his sling to maneuver. I'll give description and the dice roll as soon as we get the Snakes action.

[Keehnelf]

First, let me note that you get +2D on a Defend action using a Shield, so you may want to alter the weapon selection for Action 3 (only time I'll mention it!) so feel free to do that soon if you want to, before we finish resolving Action 1. never mind you noticed it already

Harlan has scripted a Maneuver vs. the Snake's Maneuver!

When scripted against one another, Maneuver tests are independent and they are Health-based for PCs.

That's a base 3D for Harlan, +2D for the Sling, +1D for Agrom's help. All success can be used to "buy" one or more of the results from the following list (can only buy each one once):
Impede: -1D to opponent's next action (1s)
Gain Position: +2D to your team's next action (2s)
Disarm: remove weapon or disable trait for the rest of the fight (3s) (the snake has two trait/weapons: Fangs (+1D Attack) and Lithe Coils (+1D Feint and Maneuver))

The snake has a base 4D roll +1D for its Lithe Coils: Snake Maneuver [5d6s4] = 2

I love the success-tallying macro for this dice-roller, but I'm not sure how to get it to display robustly so you can see when you've got 6s. Thankfully for the snake it doesn't matter.

The Snake will elect to take a +2D on its next action. I'll narrate the results of this round once you all have a die roll and have decided how to spend successes.

[Starbeard]

Raizenbrayne, of course, will be sitting around like a scaredy cat and not do anything until it's his turn.

[Simon]

Harlan circles the snake, hurling smallish stones at and around its serpentine head, trying to keep it out of striking distance. Back foul beast, fork'd tongue'd fiend! Ag! Distract it! Raize you...you keep it together over there. And watch it's tail! Harlan, feeling he's beginning to get the better of the snake, begins to solidify his position, advancing a step or so as he pelts the viscous thing. However, as he takes the last step, the snake whirls and looks him in the eye, his reptilian gaze showing no fear of the bite-sized halfling... Harlan may have plumbed his Hidden Depths too far...

That's base 3D Health + 2D for the Sling + 1D from Agrom - 1D Hidden Depths = 5D + 1s for relative might.

[1d6] = 2, [1d6] = 3, [1d6] = 6, [1d6] = 5, [1d6] = 1

So that gives us a total of 3 successes and a check if that justification flies with Keehnelf.

Harlan, realizing that the snake has taken him a bit too far in, quickly darts back out of the snakes range and shouts to Raizenbrayne Raize! Now!
Spend 1s to Impede the Snakes next turn and 2s to grant 2D to our next move.

[Keehnelf]

Well, who can blame him? It is a pretty damn big snake.

[Keehnelf]

I feel like that's a bit of a stretch on the check for that specific trait, given how it's presented in the narrative. Sorry!

I'll give you an extra die roll though to make up for it: Hidden Depths Compensation Roll [1d6] = 5

Never mind--I re-read it and I'm convinced. Nice work, subtle and clever.

[Keehnelf]

Raizenbrayne is well-positioned to strike with his dagger from behind as Harlan draws the vicious snake out from its hiding-spot among the rocks, retreating slowly with sling in hand. Agrom, who had been jumping up and down initially to allow Harlan the opportunity to get into position, now is economical with his movements, trying not to alert the snake to his presence as he gets within sword's reach. The snake, for its part, has moved forward methodically and without overstretching its body, allowing itself its full range of motion and extension as it crosses the chamber in pursuit of Harlan.

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The snake and Raizenbrayne have both scripted Attack actions for this round, which means that as Raizenbrayne takes his action the snake whips around suddenly, catching sight of the wizard's shadow and striking out wildly with its vicious fangs! This makes both sides Independent actions, where every success inflicts damage.

Snake has a base 4D, +1D for Fangs, +2D for gaining position, -1D for being Impeded: Snake Attack with Fangs [6d6s4] = 4.

Raizenbrayne doesn't have Fighter, and can't use Beginner's Luck due to being Afraid so it looks like he is boned when the snake whips around to face him!

I'm reluctant to make this an uncontested Attack by the snake, but that's the way the rules are leaning--if someone can point to a rule that would change this situation, please speak up!