Goblin menace - opening volleys

[tomcat]

Situation: The company has traveled to the troll hole only to find it with one more occupant. Battle is engaged when the creature is called out...

GOBLINS

Combat Advantage dice:
Arbogast 1
Bandy 1

Situation Modifiers:
• Company has initiative

Physical Modifiers (complications):
• Early evening - low light (moderately hindered) - TN's all increased by +2

PC/NPC	PARRY	ARMOUR	HOPE [HATE]	ENDURANCE
Arbogast Bandy Esgalwen Grimbeorn Rorin	6 (shield +3) 9 (shield n/a) 6/9 [skirmisher] (shield n/a) 6 (shield +4) 4 (shield n/a)	1d (headgear +1) 1d (headgear n/a) 1d (headgear n/a) none (headgear +1) 5d (headgear n/a)	14/16 16/18 11/11 11/12 10/10	0/26 0/22 0/25 7/31 0/34
Goblin Archer 1 Goblin Archer 2 Goblin Archer 3 Goblin Archer 4 Goblin Archer 5 Goblin Archer 6 Goblin Archer 7 Goblin Archer 8 Goblin Archer 9	2 for all	2d for all	1 for all	DEAD DEAD 5/8 0/8 0/8 0/8 0/8 0/8 0/8

STANCE	TN (+parry)	PC / LM-NPC	Options...
Forward - action order 1 Close combat	TN 6+	none	Intimidate - may forgo attack and make Awe or Battle roll to remove 1 or more Hate from enemies on success; fail PC loses 1 Hope
Open - action order 2 Close combat	TN 9+	Esgalwen	Rally - may forgo attack and make Inspire or Song roll, restore 1 or more Encumbrance to all PC's on success; fail PC loses 1 Hope
Defensive - action order 3 Close combat	TN 12+	none	Prepare Shot - spend an entire round aiming shot, if your attack succeeds in the next round, you achieve a Called Shot
Rearward - action order 4 Ranged combat Must be 2 other PC's in Close Combat May not use if outnumbered 2:1	TN 12+	none	Protect Companion - choose a companion in Open or Forward, if they are hit you may spend 1 Hope and become the target of the attack instead

[tomcat]

Bandy could see the small group of goblins as they ran, chittering and laughing to themselves as if to draw the ire of the defenders.


A - a crowd of townsfolk call and struggle at the river gorge's wall
B - a granary burns
C - goblins scurry here up the mountainside

[Telcontar]

The reluctant warrior bent his bow again at the vermin, the Wilderland was proving to be mich more dangerous than Bandy had thought. Quickly he drew his bow and fired twice.

Rolled 1d12 : 10, total 10

Rolled 1d12 : 4, total 4

Rolled 4d6 : 1, 3, 5, 1, total 10

Rolled 1d12 : 6, total 6

Rolled 1d12 : 9, total 9

Rolled 4d6 : 4, 6, 3, 1, total 14

[GandalfOfBorg]

  No volleys for Grimbeorn, he just moves as fast as he can to help the men chasing after the goblins.

[Eclecticon]

The man standing next to Arbogast suddenly cries out and drops to the ground, a black-fletched goblin arrow protruding from his thigh.  Arbogast picks up the wounded man's spear and hurls it at the half-seen archer. 

Rolled 1d12 : 9, total 9
Rolled 2d6 : 4, 1, total 5

Arbogast, of course, doesn't have a spear of his own any more, and it doesn't seem to me like a frugal film would have many lying around to give away to strangers.  But this is nice and dramatic, and that justifies a roll, right?

[Eclecticon]

I can't edit the above post without raising red flags about the die roll, but 'film' should read 'folk'. 

Feel free to disregard the roll and have the spear whistle uselessly off into the mountain twilight, if that suits your purposes better.  Otherwise it's 5, Edge 9, Injury 14

[tomcat]

Results

Bandy rolled a 20 Success and a 23 Great Success
• the 20 roll causes 7 Endurance loss and was equal to his edge, causing an armor save
TN 14 goblin armour 2d

1d12 : 1, total 1
Rolled 2d6 : 1, 6, total 7

• the 23 was a great success which causes 7 Endurance loss plus ranged damage bonus of 2, which is 9 and a kill

Arbogast rolled a 14 which is 5 Endurance loss

Insight (or Battle) test for all characters:
TN 12 Battle ♦♦♦○○○

Arbogast 1d12 : 5, total 5
Rolled 3d6 : 3, 3, 2, total 8

TN 12 Insight ♦♦○○○○

Bandy 1d12 : 8, total 8
Rolled 2d6 : 6, 3, total 9

TN 12 Battle ♦♦○○○○

Esgalwen 1d12 : 12, total 12
Rolled 2d6 : 4, 1, total 5

TN 12 Insight ♦♦♦○○○

Grimbeorn 1d12 : 5, total 5
Rolled 3d6 : 4, 4, 3, total 11

TN 12 Insight ♦♦♦○○○

Rorin 1d12 : 9, total 9
Rolled 3d6 : 1, 1, 6, total 8

If you have a success on the above tests, I have updated your sheets for AP 

[tomcat]

Bandy's arrows were once again on target and the fast-drawing archer put two arrows in the necks of two goblins - both of the creatures fell, left behind by their running comrades. Still the mountain-men gave chase to the remaining goblins with the better part of the Company following behind.

Arbogast donned his armour as quickly as he could, watching the distance grow between himself and his friends as they ran up the steep mountain side. He heaved a fallen man's spear in frustration and had the satisfaction of seeing one of the fiendish-folk fall, though it was not slain. The Fire-watcher looked as the remaining goblins all turned to jeer and taunt Hartfast's men, who took the bait and charged faster to close the distance and melee.

That is when it dawned on Arbogast - as well as his other companions - like a bolt of lightning out of the sky. The small band of goblins were drawing Hartfast's men away! The company, too.

Mountain Hall was well-populated with many strong men and their families, but like most Woodmen settlements, the populations were small and scattered. A good part of the town's strength was being drawn up the hill!

Even as Arbogast gave a shout to his friends, each knowing his concerns, the mine entrance belched forth a seething mob of the maggot-folk. The numbers that came forth seemed limitless and the Mountain-men would be hard-pressed to say the least. Horns started to blow and cries echoed in the coming darkness of night.

"TO THE TOWER! TO THE BURG!" shouted those men and women that stood within the village. The metallic sound of swords being drawn and rattling of spears joined the cacophony.

The tall tower just west of Mountain Hall was raised by a great chieftain of these folk, in ages past. It was strong and made of stone and wood, but it had a dark history. It was said the daughter of the great chieftain, was the most beautiful maiden ever seen in Wilderland, and she cast herself from the top of the tower when her lover was slain in battle with Dwarves. Her body was never found; one story claims that the remorseful Dwarves found her and placed her drowned, half-dead body in a crystal coffin, where she sleeps until her lover returns from beyond the land of the dead.

[Telcontar]

The Halfling noted the deluge of Goblins as they poured from the cave entrance and the distance of his friends from the safety of the burg. He was closer, but seeing the distance he wondered if they would make it in time.

"Well Bandy," thought the Hobbit to himself. "I'm no warrior, but perhaps not being besieged in the tower I'll be able to help friends. Probably best if I stay out of sight, us Hobbits often go unnoticed by most folks. "

With the arrival of the horde of goblins from the cave the Hobbit Archer made himself inconspicious in the detritus of the village and kept an eye on his friends.