[Closed] 3, On the Road: Arriving at Beiden Pass

[Rex]

Edited previous post.

[Captain Kinkajou]

Aiko

ooc: Tactically, I think I ought to be going for the scarred woman but, in character, I feel Aiko would react to the violence immediately before her, so I will Iaijutsu strike at the old woman... Though with that roll it probably doesn't matter.

As Yiki's son collapses in a gurgle of blood, Aiko is confronted with the murderous old woman. Reacting on instinct, she makes to Iaijutsu draw her katana but she forgets her crippled arm. Pain jabs through her as she tries to follow through with the strike and protect her impaired left side.

Iaijutsu Strike (no raises): [1d10] = 6, [1d10] = 4, [1d10] = 3

ooc: So 13, which is probably a miss. I think I'm correct that Aiko's 5k4 is reduced to 3k3 due to her wounds. Let me know if I've got that wrong.

[ffilz]

Senichi

Beiden Hill Manor, Beiden Pass [map]
Evening
"Death Day" in High Week, 4th of Long Month [calendar]
Weather is mostly pleasant and clear

(4 hits healed overnight)

The day breaks to the same generally pleasant weather for this season, and you venture out of the castle with your escort. The party consists of Lord Nasu's court magician (a Third Rank shugenja from the Scorpion Clan School), and two samurai guards, both of whom are flying flags with Nasu's banner on their backs. Everyone is on horseback. Even your servant Saburo is given a pony to use, though he is very awkward on it.

About halfway down the mountain back to the village, you are attacked! A shady cluster of bushes rustles and out lumber eight decaying corpses, each wearing a lacquer mask in the form of a white face. Your party can reach them in one turn on horseback (two turns on foot), but they can only move at about half that speed.

The shugenja orders his samurai to fan out, but not attack yet. He dismounts, unfurls a scroll and begins to cast Tempest of Air (casting time 2 turns).

Actions?



登場人物

• Matsumoto Senichi, Unicorn shugenja: TN10, Init +2, wakizashi 4k3 (DR 4k2) | Hnr 3;2, Wnds (4) -2;0 | Void Pts 2/2 | Spells: F3 - A2 - W3 - E2 (double heal rate)
  • Saburo: 3E/3W/1F/1A/1V | TN5, Init +1, DR 1k1 | Hn 2;7 - Gl 0;0 - Wnds (6) 0;0 | Void Pts 1/1

I'm not sure what my penalties are now. Is Evil ward likely to be useful? If not, Biting Steel is probably my next best bet at this time.

[Starbeard]

I'm not sure what my penalties are now. Is Evil ward likely to be useful? If not, Biting Steel is probably my next best bet at this time.

Your wound penalties are now -2k0.

Good question about Evil Ward. I'm still a little vague on what having the "Shadowlands trait" is supposed to be. It might even mean anyone with Taint, since that's sometimes called the Shadowlands trait in really early products, before an actual mechanic was provided in the GM Guide. That seems a little too powerful, so we'll stick with "Shadowlands creatures." Zombies aren't Shadowlands creatures, but they are given life and are controlled by Shadowlands magic, so I'll say yes, Evil Ward does hit them just like any other Shadowlands creature.

Keep in mind that skeletons/zombies in this game aren't quite like the ones in traditional FRPGs, your character may discover that they have a trick or two up their sleeves… Rokugan undead have a reputation for being unstoppable, a bit like D&D trolls or zombies from the Living Dead movies.

[ffilz]

Ok, if I'm remembering the casting rules right, I'll spend a Void Point to have 5k4 - 2k0 for 3k3 to cast, taking no raises so TN 10. If that looks good I'll make the roll. Of course the 5 actions to cast may be too many...

Maybe 2 actions for Biting Steel would be a better choice.

[GreyWolfVT]

Osaru having managed to bypass the rushing crowd to get to the old woman will attempt to try and stop the casting or interrupt it by attacking her.

probably rolled too many dice here i still get lost with the #k blah stuff would be simpler to me if it just said 5d10...
Iaijutsu 3 [1d10] = 10 [1d10] = 7 [1d10] = 7
re-roll for 10 [1d10] = 4

[Starbeard]

Ok, if I'm remembering the casting rules right, I'll spend a Void Point to have 5k4 - 2k0 for 3k3 to cast, taking no raises so TN 10. If that looks good I'll make the roll. Of course the 5 actions to cast may be too many...

Maybe 2 actions for Biting Steel would be a better choice.

You can also make raises to decrease casting time by 1, so 4 actions at TN 15 and 3 actions at TN 20. At 3k3 it's risky though. Your call.

[Starbeard]

Osaru having managed to bypass the rushing crowd to get to the old woman will attempt to try and stop the casting or interrupt it by attacking her.

probably rolled too many dice here i still get lost with the #k blah stuff would be simpler to me if it just said 5d10...
Iaijutsu 3 [1d10] = 10 [1d10] = 7 [1d10] = 7
re-roll for 10 [1d10] = 4

Nope, you rolled too few dice!

Your iaijutsu skill is 3, but you roll Reflexes+Iaijutsu, so you actually roll 6 dice (Reflexes 3 + Iaijutsu 3), then drop all but 3 of them (since you have Reflexes 3).

The "Roll & Keep" method is: Roll "Trait + Skill", then drop all but "Trait."

So, for example, "4k3" is the same as rolling stats in AD&D: roll 4 dice, and keep the 3 highest.

[Captain Kinkajou]

Osaru having managed to bypass the rushing crowd to get to the old woman will attempt to try and stop the casting or interrupt it by attacking her.

probably rolled too many dice here i still get lost with the #k blah stuff would be simpler to me if it just said 5d10...
Iaijutsu 3 [1d10] = 10 [1d10] = 7 [1d10] = 7
re-roll for 10 [1d10] = 4

Doh! Ed!

Though, with awesome rolling like that, who needs the other 3 dice!

[ffilz]

Ok, I'm going to cast Biting Steel, and take a raise (now TN 10) to reduce to 1 action to cast.

[1d10] = 8[1d10] = 5[1d10] = 5 = 13 so it is successfully cast.

[GreyWolfVT]

Osaru having managed to bypass the rushing crowd to get to the old woman will attempt to try and stop the casting or interrupt it by attacking her.

probably rolled too many dice here i still get lost with the #k blah stuff would be simpler to me if it just said 5d10...
Iaijutsu 3 [1d10] = 10 [1d10] = 7 [1d10] = 7
re-roll for 10 [1d10] = 4

Nope, you rolled too few dice!

Your iaijutsu skill is 3, but you roll Reflexes+Iaijutsu, so you actually roll 6 dice (Reflexes 3 + Iaijutsu 3), then drop all but 3 of them (since you have Reflexes 3).

The "Roll & Keep" method is: Roll "Trait + Skill", then drop all but "Trait."

So, for example, "4k3" is the same as rolling stats in AD&D: roll 4 dice, and keep the 3 highest.

I had 6 in there initially then removed the roll thinking it was too many. Here they are though.
[1d10] = 5 [1d10] = 2 [1d10] = 2

[Starbeard]

Alrighty. I'll give RotFuchs and SanguineAngel another day, then we'll move forward with the combat.

I had 6 in there initially then removed the roll thinking it was too many. Here they are though.
[1d10] = 5 [1d10] = 2 [1d10] = 2

Well, I guess the dice already knew! Even with those extras, you'd only be keeping the first three you rolled anyway.

[SanguineAngel]

Koga is at once alarmed and frustrated by the sudden escalation. Instinctively he takes his katana and attempts to distract the younger woman in order to disarm her with a blow from his saya and stop the ritual.

"Restrain them!"

OOC: I would like to make a called shot to disarm the knife wielding magic user. I am aware this a called shot so I won't roll - as a discretionary number of raises will be required. I would actiually want to restrain her but I couldn't see any particular mechanic for that so would it be involved in the subsequent contested roll?

Initiative 1d10+Air Rank 2
[1d10] = 5+2

[Starbeard]

Sorry folks, got unexpectedly swamped over the weekend. I'll run through the turn this evening.

OOC: I would like to make a called shot to disarm the knife wielding magic user. I am aware this a called shot so I won't roll - as a discretionary number of raises will be required. I would actiually want to restrain her but I couldn't see any particular mechanic for that so would it be involved in the subsequent contested roll?
[1d10] = 5+2

Good question. By the book (p. 107), disarming an opponent requires 3 raises, and if the attack is successful then you must still win an opposed roll of your Water+weapon skill vs their Earth+weapon skill. It seems like one of the writers really wanted to discourage disarming attacks without a special school technique!

From the sound of it, my guess is that you would be happy simply to disrupt her casting and then restrain her, whether or not she actually drops the knife. That would be 2 raises to attack a limb, but I will reduce that to 1 raise since she is in the process of cutting herself rather than using the weapon to parry attacks. If the attack lands and disrupts her, then a quick wrestling check will also restrain her (we'll just use the normal Strength+Wrestling contest, since your scabbarded sword and her dagger level the playing field).

[Starbeard]

The Rest of the Party

Eta Compound near Soft Wind Village, Beiden Pass [map]
Early Afternoon (Hour of the Horse)
"Evening Day" in High Week, 3rd of Long Month [calendar]
Weather is mostly pleasant and clear

OOC: Whoops! In the last full post I accidentally said Koga was the closest to the "younger" spell-casting woman, but I mean for that to be Kenta, since he had specifically been mentally positioning himself to make a beeline to her. As such, I'm afraid that Koga would have to make his athletics check to push through the throng and attack her this round. Fortunately a quick skill check shows that he makes it just fine (see rolls below).


COMBAT ROUND 1
Initiative rolls:

1. Osaru initiative: [1d10+3] = 10+3 = 13, 10's reroll: [1d10] = 7 = 20
2. Maho eta #1 [1d10+3] = 8+3 = 11
3. Kenta initiative: [1d10+2] = 8+2 = 10 (polearm gives 2k1 for initiative, other roll was Kenta initiative: [1d10+2] = 4+2 = 6)
3. Maho Woman [1d10+3] = 7+3 = 10
4. Maho eta #2 [1d10+3] = 6+3 = 9
5. Koga = 7
6. Aiko initiative: [1d10+3] = 5+3 = 8 - 2 = 6
6. Old Woman [1d10+2] = 4+2 = 6

Fast as the South Wind, Osaru flies through the small crowd, snow kicking up under his feet as he descends upon the maho-tsukai sorceress by the pyre. His blade sings as it leaves his scabbard for a decisive cut, making a near-perfect strike to the head! The woman falls back, rattled.
(16 hits to the head, dropping her to Wound Rank -2).

Osaru combat rolls…
Her TN to be hit is (surprisingly) 20, so your Reflexes+Iaijutsu roll of 28 hits!
Damage Roll (Strength+Katana, 6k2): [1d10] = 9, [1d10] = 6, [1d10] = 6 [1d10] = 7, [1d10] = 4, [1d10] = 3
Total damage: 16

Hit location: [2d10] = 15
+4 for being in melee and having a height advantage (she's kneeling, you're standing)
Total: 19 = hit to the head!

Kenta the hulking monk is right behind, but his way is suddenly blocked by a peasant man, lunging at him from the side with a crude knife! The cultist's weapon stabs deep into his left forearm, drawing blood from elbow to wrist!
(15 hits to arm, dropping Kenta to Wound Rank -2;3).

The monk of Shinsei pushes through, thrusting his naginata forward into the witch's weapon arm, cracking bone and forcing her to drop her vile knife! The woman involuntarily hunches over grasping at her wound! She continues trying to incant her foul spell, but the pain is too great to maintain concentration.
(20 hits to weapon arm, disabling it and dropping her to the "Down" wound rank (36 hits total).

Maho-tsukai combat rolls…
1-3 Koga, 4-6 Aiko, 7-8 Kenta, 9-10 Osaru: [1d10] = 7
Attacking Kenta.

Athletics check (5k3) vs 15: [1d10] = 7, [1d10] = 4, [1d10] = 4 [1d10] = 5, [1d10] = 2
Total 16, passed.

Attack with tanto knife (3k3), vs TN 5, but I'll give +10 TN for being a fast moving target rushing by, and +5 TN for bad footing/amidst swirling chaos:
[1d10] = 10, [1d10] = 7, [1d10] = 7
10's reroll: [1d10] = 8
Total: 32, a hit!
Damage (Strength+Tanto, 4k2): [1d10] = 1, [1d10] = 8, [1d10] = 8, [1d10] = 3
Total: 16 damage

Hit location: [2d10] = 13 +2 for melee… 15, strike to forearm!

Kenta's combat rolls…
Attack roll 32, dropped to 27 because of -2k0 penalty = still a hit!

Damage roll (6k3 - 2k0) = [1d10] = 9, [1d10] = 6, [1d10] = 5, [1d10] = 1
Total damage: 20 hits

Location: [2d10] = 13 + 4 = 17… strike to the arm!

Is it her knife arm? Odds say yes… [1d10] = 1

Witch's combat rolls…
Pitiful attempt to finish her spell (5k3, -4k0 penalty, TN 10): [1d10] = 5
Failed.

"Restrain them!" Koga shouts in his heroically commanding voice, drawing his katana still inside of its scabbard. He rushes over to the witch and raps her with it, ensuring that she has no chance of continuing her spell, and binds her good arm so that she cannot pick up her dagger.

Amid the mayhem all around her, Aiko alone ignores the witch and her blood curse. The scene of familial bloodshed before her jolts her into instinctive action, and even as the crazed old woman turns to lunge for Aiko's throat with the strength of a demon, she sidesteps thoughtlessly as her hands guide her sword as if in zen meditation. The blade slices cleanly through the wrist of the old woman's off hand, severing the thumb as she stumbles by.
(11 hits to the forearm, dropping her to Wound Rank -2).
(The old woman's attack missed).

Koga's combat rolls…
Athletics check (4k3): [1d10] = 1, [1d10] = 8, [1d10] = 7, [1d10] = 3
Total 18. Pass.

Attack roll hits (TN 5, since she's prone).
Wrestling attempt is pretty much guaranteed.

Aiko's combat rolls…

Iaijutsu Strike (no raises): [1d10] = 6, [1d10] = 4, [1d10] = 3

ooc: So 13, which is probably a miss. I think I'm correct that Aiko's 5k4 is reduced to 3k3 due to her wounds. Let me know if I've got that wrong.

Your roll is correct, 5k4 - 2k0 would drop to 3k4, effectively becoming 3k3. Fortunately, the woman had made a full attack, so her own TN was dropped to 5, and you hit!

Damage (4k2 -2k0 wound penalty): [1d10] = 2, [1d10] = 9
Total: 11 hits

Location: [2d10] = 11 +4 for melee & height advantage…
15 = hit to arm, disabling it!
(needed 10 to disable based on her Earth x5)

Was it her weapon arm? Odds say yes… [1d10] = 4

Old Woman's combat rolls…
Taking on a point of Shadowlands Taint to gain +3k3 to her rolls…

Tanto knife attack (1k1 +3k3 = 4k4, but -2k0 wound penalty), vs TN 20: [1d10] = 1, [1d10] = 8
Total 9, missed.

The crowd has dispersed now, fleeing into the trees. All who remain are the captured witch and her demon-possessed mother, the man who attacked Kenta, and another man, standing off to the side and drawing blood from his own hand! The foul smell of the Shadowlands stings the air as his blood drops boil in the snow. His eyes glaze over and glow with a dead fire, his mouth begins to shake and convulse in wild bloodlust… and you see that the same happening to the old mother and the man attacking Kenta!
(For the sake of transparency and to help you plan your actions, the targets of a Blood of Midnight maho spell roll +4k0 on all attack and damage rolls for 8 rounds; each foe slain prolongs the bloodlust by 2 rounds, but a round must be spent savagely butchering the corpse. The bloodlust may cause them to attack friend or foe).

Maho-tsukai #2's rolls…
Casting Blood of Midnight maho spell, casting time 1 round.
TN 10, 2 raises to target +2 people.
Skill roll is Earth+Taint Rank (5k2), vs TN 20: [1d10] = 8, [1d10] = 5, [1d10] = 5, [1d10] = 10, [1d10] = 4
Passed!

Actions?!

To sum up, the current known opponents are:

• Maho-tsukai cultist #1 (bloodlusted)
• Maho-tsukai cultist #2 (bloodlusted)
• Old mother (bloodlusted, Wound Rank -2)
• Witch (constrained, Wound Rank -4 & actions limited to crawling and whispering)

Everyone can reach everyone else in one move, now that the crowd has fully dispersed.



登場人物

• Kenta, monk: TN10, Init +2, naginata 7k4 (DR 6k3) | Hnr 2;7, Wnds (6) -2;3 | Void Pts 2/2
• Kitsune Shōe, Fox shugenja: TN10, Init +2, wakizashi 5k3 (DR 4k2) | Hnr 2;5, Wnds (4) -0;0 | Void Pts 2/2 | Spells: F2 - A2 - W2 - E2
• Mirumoto Koga, Dragon bushi: no armor+daisho (TN15), Init +2, daisho 2k2/6k3 (DR 5k2) | Hnr 2;7, Wnds (4) 0;0 | Void Pts 2/2
• Mirumoto Aiko, Dragon bushi: no armor (TN20/5), Init +3, daisho 5k4/6k3 (DR 4k2) | Hnr 3;6, Wnds (4) -2;0 | Void Pts 1/2 (crippled left arm; double heal rate)
• Yoshida Osaru, ronin: no armor (TN15), Init +3, katana 6k3/6k3 (DR 5k2) | Hnr 2;7 Wnds (4) 0;0 | Void Pts 2/2

[Starbeard]

Senichi

Beiden Hill Manor, Beiden Pass [map]
Evening
"Death Day" in High Week, 4th of Long Month [calendar]
Weather is mostly pleasant and clear

Three combat rounds go by as you prepare and cast Biting Steel (who do you want to cast it on, yourself? Also, the book only gives it a duration of 2 rounds, which seems really silly compared to similar spells, so give it 10 rounds), and the court shugenja casts Tempest of Air (2 actions, 1 raise to reduce casting time, plus a free raise from his school add another target).

When he casts the spell, he sends a gust of wind that knocks two of the skeletal zombies off of their feet, blowing off their masks which shatter when they hit the ground. As soon as each mask is blown away, its zombie stops moving.

The second round, he redirects the gust to destroy two more zombies.

On the third round, he redirects the gust yet again, taking out two more zombies.

Court Shugenja combat rolls…

[1d10] = 7, [1d10] = 4, [1d10] = 4, [1d10] = 9 [1d10] = 2, [1d10] = 9, [1d10] = 9
Total roll = 27, success

Just as he is about to call for everyone to swarm the remaining two skeletons, a horde of goblins come spilling out of the trees! It's an ambush! Five goblins on either side of the road, and three from behind. The ones closing off the retreat look larger and uglier, and one of them is wearing the great helmet of a fallen samurai and carrying his blood soaked banner in mockery.

All of the horses except yours are immediately spooked by the Shadowlands creatures.



Actions?



登場人物

• Matsumoto Senichi, Unicorn shugenja: TN10, Init +2, wakizashi 4k3 (DR 4k2) | Hnr 3;2, Wnds (4) -2;0 | Void Pts 2/2 | Spells: F2/3 - A2 - W3 - E2 (double heal rate)
  • Saburo: 3E/3W/1F/1A/1V | TN5, Init +1, DR 1k1 | Hn 2;7 - Gl 0;0 - Wnds (6) 0;0 | Void Pts 1/1

[ffilz]

Ah, should have cast the other spell... How many do we have accompanying us? Maybe it's worth taking the time to cast Evil Ward if there's enough Samurai to shield us while I get it cast.

[Starbeard]

Ah, should have cast the other spell... How many do we have accompanying us? Maybe it's worth taking the time to cast Evil Ward if there's enough Samurai to shield us while I get it cast.

You have two veteran samurai (all traits and combat skills are Rank 3, no techniques, light armor for TN 20), the shugenja (about the same, plus a good arsenal of scrolls), then there's you and Saburo.

An intelligence roll of 20 jogs your memory from school studies ([1d10] = 2, [1d10] = 9, [1d10] = 9):

Goblins/bakemono are pretty frail (3k2 attack, 4k2 damage, TN 10 to be hit, 12 hp), but with strength of numbers they really pack a punch. Five bakemono against a single samurai doesn't look good for your guards on either side.

You also note that their stratagem seems unusually sophisticated. Goblins are pretty simple, their main tactic is to swarm the enemy recklessly, hoping to slay as many humans as possible before they all die. Either this goblin warmonger is extraordinarily clever, or they are being led from afar by someone/something much smarter than they are (and dominant enough to control their reckless impulses).

Edit: The flanking goblins will reach the bushi guards in 2 rounds, or 1 round if they pass an Athletics check vs 15. It will take them a full 3 rounds to reach your shugenja group in the center, but they are all obviously swarming the bushi. The rear attack is coming straight for your center, but it will take them 2 moves to reach melee. The 2 remaining zombies are randomly moving toward the bushi as well, leaving the way forward open (lucky roll there, there was an even chance for each one to be moving toward the right/left/center).

[ffilz]

Hmm, either we ride like the wind or we go down heroically... What are the honor ramifications of the shugenja riding like the wind? May not look good for my servant either...

[Starbeard]

Hmm, either we ride like the wind or we go down heroically... What are the honor ramifications of the shugenja riding like the wind? May not look good for my servant either...

I don't think retreating in this particular case warrants any loss of honor, even if you blatantly desert. The bushi are supposed to protect you with their lives, and the court shugenja is definitely their superior anyway. Now, if you choose to run while the shugenja stays, that might count as deserting, since he's your superior too.

The GM Guide doesn't list cowardice or desertion in the honor loss table, other than perhaps "betraying a trust" which would be 2-4 points for a Unicorn. I'll say that in this case, if you desert by yourself and are found out later, then that would cause a glory loss of 3-6 points, which will automatically hit your honor by the same amount.