Wargs on the Hillside - Round 1

[Eclecticon]

Situation: The companions are leading a small band of warriors that is trying to reach the safety of Ferthald's steading and escape the pursuing wargs. 

Combat Advantage dice:
• Esgalwen 1/1
• Gwaithlim 0/0
• Hathcyn 0/1
• Luindîs 0/0

Situation Modifiers:
• The Fellowship has the initiative.

Physical Modifiers (complications):
• The pouring rain makes ranged attacks nearly impossible.  All ranged attacks suffer a -4 penalty. 
• The Fellowship's followers are also engaged fighting other Wargs.  Periodically, each companion will need to make a Battle roll to determine casualties.

PC/NPC

PARRY

ARMOUR

HOPE

END

STANCE

STATUS

Esgalwen Gwaithlim Hathcyn Luindîs

• 6 ( n/a) • 7 ( n/a) • 7 ( n/a) • 5 ( n/a)

• 2d+1 ( n/a) • 3d ( n/a) • 3d ( +4) • 1d

• 15/15 • 12/13 • 14/14 • 12/12

• 27/27 • 30/30 • 29/29 • 27/27

Defensive Defensive Defensive Rearward

normal normal normal normal

ENEMY		PARRY		ARMOUR		HATE		END		NOTES
Slavering warg Grey-maned warg Scarred warg Snarling warg		• 5 • 5 • 5 • 5		• 2d • 2d • 2d • 2d		• 1 • 0 • 0 • 0		• 12 • 12 • 0 • 12		vs Gwaithlim vs Hathcyn, WEARY DEAD vs Gwaithlim, WEARY

STANCES

Forward - action order 1 Close combat TN 6+ parry Forward Maneuvers

Open - action order 2 Close combat TN 9+ parry Open Maneuvers

Defensive - action order 3 Close combat TN 12+ parry Defensive Maneuvers

Rearward - action order 4 Ranged combat TN 12+ parry Must be 2 other PC's in Close Combat; May not use if outnumbered 2:1 Rearward Maneuvers

From any Stance Escape combat Must start in Rearward or roll TN 10 + highest attribute level of opponents Athletics roll. On success, may safely flee from the scene of combat

[GandalfOfBorg]

Gwaithlim tarries at the rear of the group so as not to miss any stragglers, maneuvering his horse to intercept or ward off the outriders from the others.  The fierce elf-lord calls forth brandishing his own blade, "Marshall your fear and fight tooth and fang with steel!  These base creatures shall not hinder our errand!"

 
Stance: Defensive
Action: Command - for each success, 1 companion may use an extra success die

Battle -  1d12 : 3, total 3
Rolled 2d6 : 4, 3, total 7

I would like to call in the use of Fierce Distinctive Feature... what was the effect of this? I don't remember

[GandalfOfBorg]

  I think I've gotten similar results all too many times lately 

[tomcat]

I would like to call in the use of Fierce Distinctive Feature... what was the effect of this? I don't remember
[/color]

Unlike 2e, distinctive features only offer a favoured rating on a Hope point, right? It has been a while! 

Esgalwen will go Rearward since she has bow in hand. Atop her horse, standing by Gwaithlim as their people race inside the steading, she will loose an arrow at the slavering warg.

TN 17 great bow 4d
This dice roll has been tampered with!
1d12 : 1, total 1
Rolled 4d6 : 4, 3, 1, 4, total 12
7   edge: 10  injury: 16

[Eclecticon]

Dammit, I forgot to say earlier that those of you who are mounted can take advantage of the Riding in Combat rules from pp 135-138 of Horse-Lords of Rohan.  For those of you who may not have that book, I've summarised the bits most likely to be encountered at the top of the thread.  Other elements we'll deal with if and when they arise. 

For the purposes of the scenario, I'm assuming that the basic steed available to the Beornings is a travel-horse (radhors) trained for battle (or they wouldn't have given them to you three) but bred for hardiness and endurance rather than strength and ferocity. 

Doug, I'm happy to rewind Esgalwen's action if you like, especially as she's shooting a great bow that's likely to be at least five feet tall - likely too big to use from horseback. 

[tomcat]

Just as an FYI, I have been playing it that Esgalwen still has her horse that she got in Dale when she served there. It was when I was GM'ing and I had her out of the game for awhile and she was serving Bard in Dale's outriders. I saw it as a regular riding horse, but you interpret it how you want it to be, Paul. I will gladly take the better riding mod and option for combat!

That said, I would also love to do a retcon.

And that would be to ignore the bowshot and for her to dismount. She is really not a strong horse-person, unless it is to ride for travel. She will assume a Defensive stance and wait for an enemy to approach.
Esgalwen slid from her saddle, pulling Nimronyn from its scabbard, as she did. The Ranger knew she was not a mounted-fighter and that her best bet would be to face this enemy on her own two feet.

[Eclecticon]

With a wordless cry to Man and wolf alike, Luindîs unslings her bow and nocks a shaft, defying the pouring of the rain and the rushing of the wargs to throw off the keen aim of an archer of Mirkwood...


Luindîs is new, so she's going to take the -4 penalty rather than try to rely on her other weapon skills.  The total TN is 21. 

1d12 : 4, total 4
Rolled 3d6 : 1, 4, 4, total 9

[Eclecticon]

... but the arrow flies over the head of the massive, snarling beast that now rushes headlong toward her. 

[Telcontar]

  I believe we agreed you could spend a combat die as a special action. If so I am doing so now to use Intimidate. Then combat action to follow.

Hathcyn yanked more than turned his horse around. He was not often in the saddle and he had no particular relationship with this beast or its use in battle. He knew only that his command was likely to be over run. He vowed to himself not to see a repeat of the battle of the steading all those years ago with Harhold and Grimbeorn.

Hathcyn faced his foes and lifted the ram horn of the mountain to his lips. The blast would alert any friend that was near that battle was joined and also perhaps cause the wargs to question their dedication and chances.

The silver rimmed horn rang and the fox ring of fire gold shone in the mirky rainy half light of the day. The sprig of forest bough bounced and shone brightly against the dark grey of the sky.

"CARROCK!" And then the horn blew.

Awe

Rolled 1d12 : 8, total 8

Rolled 3d6+1 : 6, 3, 1 + 1, total 11

[Telcontar]

  great Success? If so enemy looses 3 points of hate.

[GandalfOfBorg]

  All in all -- yikes, sad face for us

[Telcontar]

  since they all have 1 hate point that should make three of our foes weary.

Paul, since Hathcyns spear was originally designed to be big and used mounted will that do anything for me if I give them the ole couched lance charge?

[Eclecticon]

That is so, Socrates.  Three of the wargs are now Weary (well, they're demoralised but the mechanical effect is the same). 

As for the charge, if you can make a successful Athletics roll against TN 14 and then an attack roll against TN 17 (12 + the wargs' Parry, and remembering that you can't roll more dice than your Athletics skill) you'll get bonus damage from  your horse.  I'll tell you upfront that it's not going to be a huge amount - +3 to the total - but then, these aren't purpose-bred warhorses. 

I'll let you decide whether to go ahead with that, or use Hathcyn's action to dismount like Esgalwen has done. 

All in all -- yikes, sad face for us

Don't leap to conclusions!  Hathcyn has set you up well against these guys, and may have fortuitously revealed something...

[Telcontar]

The Longspear looked at those around him, most were on foot. His gambit to make it to the steading had failed. While the horse may save him the others would be left behind. The decision was quickly made.

Hathcyn was no horse soldier. He dismounted from the horse and let it go where it will in the fight to come. He took position among those who looked the most scared or most ill prepared among the Beornings. He reached to his throat and touched a parting gift from Aestid. Around his neck he now wore a black hair braid cut from his wife's long locks. The terminals were of a small silver fox and silver mouse respectively and their entwined tails formed the clasp. He thought of her and then gripped the shaft of his spear, the Foresthelm once more.

[Eclecticon]

Just have to do some quick rolling here...

[size=]Esgalwen[/size]

1d12 : 5, total 5
Rolled 3d6 : 5, 5, 3, total 13

[size=]Gwaithlim[/size]

1d12 : 10, total 10
Rolled 2d6 : 6, 5, total 11

[size=]Luindîs[/size]

1d12 : 10, total 10
Rolled 2d6 : 5, 5, total 10