Wolves at twilight - round 2

[tomcat]

Situation: While exiting Mirkwood, the companions have been set upon by a pack of wargs (3) and their wolf allies (5)

Wargs and Wolves

Combat Advantage dice:
• Grimbeorn 2 dice
• Rorin 1 dice


Situation Modifiers:
• the Company has initiative as the defenders
• Grimbeorn and Arbogast, along with the mass combat roll for the farmers, may not engage until round 4


Physical Modifiers (complications):
The rainy day has made things slippery. If a character rolls an    in combat, they must roll a TN 12 Athletics roll or fall prone

PC/NPC		PARRY		ARMOUR		HOPE		ENDURANCE
Arbogast Bandy Esgalwen Grimbeorn Rorin	• • • • •	6 (shield +3) 9 (shield n/a) 6/9 [skirmisher] (shield n/a) 6/9 [giant strength] (shield +4) 4 (shield n/a)	• • • • •	2d (headgear +1) 1d (headgear n/a) 1d (headgear n/a) none (headgear +1) 5d (headgear n/a)	• • • • •	12/16 16/18 10/12 10/12 9/10	• • • • •	26/26 22/22 22/27 WOUNDED 31/31 29/34

COMBAT STATUS by PC

PC	ENEMY	PARRY	ARMOUR	END	HATE	NOTES
Arbogast	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd	• running to hill, may attack in round 4
Bandy	none	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd	• on hilltop, fighting from Rearward
Esgalwen	Wolf 1 Wolf 2	5 5	2d 2d	DEAD DEAD	1/1	• on hilltop in melee
Grimbeorn	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd	• running to hill, may attack in round 4
Rorin	Wolf 3 Wolf 4 Wolf 5	5 5 5	2d 2d 2d	DEAD DEAD DEAD	1/1 1/1 1/1	• on hilltop in melee

STANCE	TN (+parry)	PC / LMC	Options...
Forward - action order 1 Close combat	TN 6+	Esgalwen	Forward Stance maneuvers
Open - action order 2 Close combat	TN 9+	none	Open Stance maneuvers
Defensive - action order 3 Close combat	TN 12+	Rorin	Defensive Stance maneuvers
Rearward - action order 4 Ranged combat Must be 2 other PC's in Close Combat May not use if outnumbered 2:1	TN 12+	Bandy	Rearward Stance maneuvers
Any Escape combat Must start in Rearward or roll TN 10 + highest attribute level of opponents Athletics roll		none	May safely flee from the scene of combat

MASS COMBAT
	One of the Viglundings is slain. If rolled again in the following round, Argil is gravely wounded.
1, 2	The allies are hard-pressed to hold the enemy back. One of the Viglundings is wounded – or, if any are already wounded, then one of them is slain.
3	The Viglundings hold their line and keep fighting.
4, 5	The allies fight bravely, pushing the enemy back. Warg and Wolf blood spills across the hilltop. If this result is rolled twice in a row, then the allies slay one of the wolves!
6, 7	One of the wolves is slain.
8, 9	Two of the wolves are slain.
10	A warg is slain.
	Saradag is gravely wounded.

[Eclecticon]

Through the thickening rain, Arbogast sees the figures atop the hill burst into motion, and snatches of snarls and cries carry to the Men even now tearing across the fields.  Though he has to give most of his attention to the uneven ground, he lifts his gaze in time to see the tall figure that can only be Esgalwen stagger and fall.  Meanwhile, the thick grass parts around the great wargs as they make their stealthy advance up the hill. 

Beside him, Grimbeorn runs tirelessly, his axe and shield even now at the ready.  Arbogast curses breathlessly as he tugs Lafdag's shield on to his arm and draws the Warden's Axe from his belt, then redoubles his efforts to reach his friends. 



I'll make an Athletics roll, because rolling dice makes me feel like I'm being useful.  Doug, feel free to ignore it, obviously. 

1d12 : 7, total 7
Rolled 2d6 : 6, 3, total 9

[Telcontar]

Bandyfelt the sword at his side and resisted the urge to draw his blade a d rush to the Gondorians aid. He waited however, he knew while less personal he could do more aid with bow then with blade. He drew and took aim.

Ooc: waiting for Esgalwen and Rorin before its my turn to fire

[disench4nted]

The snarling wolves facing him are as fast as lightning, and as he swings at one, the other's mouth latches onto his armored leg. But his Dwarven plate was thick and it found no flesh. With a grunt Rorin shoved the wolf back towards it's wounded companion and reared back his hammer for a mighty blow.

 
Rorin switches to Forward stance to use Sweeping Blow

TN 11 Sweeping Blow

Rolled 1d12 : 1, total 1
Rolled 3d6 : 4, 6, 6, total 16

Sorry I wasn't there for the last round, my house sprung a small leak last week so I was pretty preoccupied dealing with that and forget to check in here. All is well now (I think!).

[tomcat]

Well that was a crushing attack, Steve! Nicely done.

Esgalwen attempts to stab at the wolf over top of her...
TN 11 longsword 4d

1d12 : 8, total 8
Rolled 4d6 : 4, 6, 6, 1, total 17

7   edge: 9   injury: 18

[tomcat]

NICE!

Results...

• Esgalwen hits wolf 2 with a 24 extraordinary success for 19 END loss

• Rorin hits wolf 3 and 4 with a 17 extraordinary success for 22 END loss each

[tomcat]

I think i might have my first edit for the new Stance options. I am not going to call it into play for this round, but i think I will limit the damage to the second, third, etc. opponent of a Sweeping attack to just the base damage - only the initial target will receive the bonus damage from great or extraordinary results.

Although it is certainly heroic, I do not want a whole line of low-level bad guys to all have their head knocked off due to an extraordinary success.

What do you all think?

[tomcat]

Actually Paul, I like the use of the skill. I am going to allow you the obvious AP for the great success but also say that it reduced the number of rounds that it takes you to get there by 1 round - so you may attack the wargs in round 3.

Grimbeorn is welcome to offer up an Athletics roll, too. You will need at least a great success to attack in round 3, otherwise, Matt, you will begin your attack actions in round 4.

To save time, I will roll it for you now, Matt.

Athletics roll
TN 12 Athletics 3d

1d12 : 2, total 2
Rolled 3d6 : 6, 3, 3, total 12

[Telcontar]

  All the wolves dead?

[tomcat]

Grimbeorn makes it, too!

Tom, if Bandy can give me an TN 14 awareness, he can make a ranged shot at the three wargs rushing in.

Arbogast and Grimbeorn 

[Eclecticon]

I think i might have my first edit for the new Stance options. I am not going to call it into play for this round, but i think I will limit the damage to the second, third, etc. opponent of a Sweeping attack to just the base damage - only the initial target will receive the bonus damage from great or extraordinary results.

What do you all think?

That sounds sensible.  I'm in favour of things that keep 'low level' enemies challenging. 

[disench4nted]

 

I think i might have my first edit for the new Stance options. I am not going to call it into play for this round, but i think I will limit the damage to the second, third, etc. opponent of a Sweeping attack to just the base damage - only the initial target will receive the bonus damage from great or extraordinary results.

Although it is certainly heroic, I do not want a whole line of low-level bad guys to all have their head knocked off due to an extraordinary success.

What do you all think?

As loathe as I am to nerf Sweeping Blow for poor Rorin, that sounds like a pretty fair change. If this were DnD then it makes sense for our heroes to smear 3 baddies in one fell swoop, but this is LOTR and that doesn't make as much sense.

Maybe we remove the bonus damage, but if a is rolled then that applies to all enemies?

[Telcontar]

Rolled 1d12 : 12, total 12

Rolled 2d6 : 3, 5, total 8

[Telcontar]

Bandy saw his companions running towards him and then noted what it was that they saw. Three giant beasts running on all fours towards the three of them on the hill. He drew another arrow and called out to his friends.

Wolves, Giant ones!"

OOC: I'll aim for the leader if I can determine which that is, otherwise random.

Rolled 1d12 : 8, total 8

Rolled 1d12 : 11, total 11

Rolled 4d6 : 5, 5, 6, 3, total 19

[Telcontar]

Great success!