The Narrows of Mirkwood

[tomcat]

Esgalwen watched the Beorning run into the fray and she squeezed tightly on the pommel of her weapon. It was not her way to run from any conflict while her companions run to face it. She could see the same look on the other woman's face who was a proven shield-maiden of the Black Tarn.

Throughout the area of the woods, Ceawin and his own people drew swords and ready themselves to engage the creatures that had ambushed them. Rorin and Bandy took up positions near the Lord of Sunstead, which allowed his own people to move forward to where Arbogast, Grimbeorn and the other remaining scout battled.

"What is the plan?" shouted Ceawin over the rising din.

"To survive," was Esgalwen's simple answer. "We must hold the rear and keep an opening for which to escape if the forward line should falter."

Unfortunately for the caravan, this was not a normal enemy - these creatures could use both the land and trees against their prey and it was this that suddenly put Idunn and Esgalwen into the conflict. Two large spiders dropped from above, trying to pounce on the rear guard, as they did.

Esgalwen's horse screamed and reared throwing the woman to the ground. The Dúnadan woman felt the breath in her lungs explode from her chest as she hit the ground hard, but instinct told her to roll. In pain and coughing through her breaths, she quickly went from her hands and knees to her feet - her sword in hand and in front of her. The horse stamped and whinied and blocked Esgalwen from seeing what happened to Idunn.

She slapped her mount's rump and the horse bolted. In front of the ranger, a coarse-haired, eight-legged monster stared at her through a cluster of eyes atop its carapace. There was a twang of a bow and then the horror was charging her.
You made an excellent post and plan, Matt, but the spiders had no intention of creating a forward combat area. They fall down from the trees all around, within, and on top of the caravan. The One Ring combat system also makes it hard for me to run - what to me would be - a normal combat. Due to the stances and each character having to say what they are in, it breaks normal combat for me.

To me it should be, if Bandy wants to fire his bow he can - not that he needs to be rearward and he must have at least two other companions in a melee combat stance. I like TOR for many things, but I am starting to have problems with the combat scenes.

Anyway, it was already my intention to have the spiders come from multiple points and from above, so as much as Grimbeorn's plan was solid - it could only work against an enemy that would attack from one front.

[Telcontar]

  doug, I think you are doing a great job. Keeping things generic means that the stances make more sense. When we start pin pointing enemies it gets hard to conceptualize when we are used to little lead guys to tell is where everyone is. The spiders all around us works and when the numbers warrant it simply nix the rearward stance.

[GandalfOfBorg]

  No worries, Grimbeorn's experience wouldn't be from fighting them deep within the forest but at its outskirts near the plains of his lands anyway.  He just wants them to push to a clearing or space where there is less undergrowth to hamper movement if they were to run.

Btw, in regards to Stance, Grimbeorn would be Open if makes sense to declare one.

[Telcontar]

Bandy stood by the dwarf and watched as the spiders, verry much like the flies had done, swarmed the party. The Hobbit bent his bow and attempted to get off two shots as fast a possible in order to even the odds.

   i will be using twin shot at -2 dice.

Attack one:

Rolled 1d12 : 1, total 1

Rolled 1d12 : 9, total 9

Take best

Rolled 2d6 : 1, 1, total 2

Attack two:

Rolled 1d12 : 1, total 1

Rolled 1d12 : 1, total 1

Rolled 2d6 : 2, 6, total 8

[disench4nted]

 

      

Those rolls...oh my god.

[Telcontar]

     loss of parry rating on next attack against him.

The Hobbit was unsteadied by the sight of the spiders and his haste proved his undoing. The two arrows he attempted to shoot went off into the woods, striking neither beast, nor tree, that any one ever came to tell of. In fact in the Shire it would have been said that they ne'er cut even the air.

[tomcat]

You didn't roll an , just scored an 11 - which is a miss, but nothing detrimental.

[Telcontar]

  i keep thinking 1 is 

[Eclecticon]

Arbogast swung a leg over the pommel of his saddle and dropped to the ground.  Unslinging his shield and drawing his axe, he ran to the aid of the beleaguered scout.  Behind him, unheeded, his horse rolled its eyes madly as it tried to reckon which way to bolt. 


I can't leave you guys alone for five minutes, can I?  I'll be in Open stance unless otherwise stated.