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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

:vv:

HOPE

:<3:

END

:-X-:

STANCE

:##:

STATUS

Esgalwen Gwaithlim Hathcyn Luindîs

• 6 (:<|: n/a) • 7 (:<|: n/a) • 7 (:<|: n/a) • 5 (:<|: n/a)

• 2d+1 (:C|: n/a) • 3d (:C|: n/a) • 3d (:C|: +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	:<3:	END	:csu:	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

:-X-:

Forward - action order 1 Close combat TN 6+ parry Forward Maneuvers (https://rpg.avioc.org/webimages/lotr/tor/forward.jpg)

:-->:

Open - action order 2 Close combat TN 9+ parry Open Maneuvers (https://rpg.avioc.org/webimages/lotr/tor/open.jpg)

:<|:

Defensive - action order 3 Close combat TN 12+ parry Defensive Maneuvers (https://rpg.avioc.org/webimages/lotr/tor/defense.jpg)

:<->:

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 (https://rpg.avioc.org/webimages/lotr/tor/rear.jpg)

:<>:

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

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!"

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


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

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

Quote from: GandalfOfBorg on Mar 07, 2023, 12:40 PMI would like to call in the use of Fierce Distinctive Feature... what was the effect of this? I don't remember
[/color]

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

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
(https://rpg.avioc.org/boards/Themes/default/images/dice_warn.gif) This dice roll has been tampered with!
:00: 1d12 : 1, total 1
Rolled 4d6 : 4, 3, 1, 4, total 12
:dmg: 7   edge: 10  injury: 16

:ooc: 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. 

:ooc: 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. ;D

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.

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...


:ooc: 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. 

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

 :ooc: 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

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

 :ooc: All in all -- yikes, sad face for us

 :ooc: 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?

:ooc: 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. 

Quote from: GandalfOfBorg on Mar 09, 2023, 10:25 AM:ooc: 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...

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.

:ooc: Just have to do some quick rolling here...

[size=]Esgalwen[/size]


[size=]Gwaithlim[/size]


[size=]Luindîs[/size]

At the blowing of Hathcyn's horn, several of the wolves cringe and though they thereafter come forth once more, they no longer do so in a headlong rush.  This the Foresthelm's companions mark but distractedly, for it seems to them that in the moment when the horn's note rang forth, a spark was kindled and shone from the brow of his helm, reflecting from the very drops of rain about him. 

Though perilous foes press ever closer, still the hearts of Esgalwen and Gwaithlim lift as they recall the tales of the wrath and valour of the captains of the Númenóreans of old.  And then the wargs are among the company, springing over shields and spears alike to set bone-gnawing jaws to work. 


:ooc: The wargs attack! 

Slavering warg (vs Gwaithlim's horse TN 19)


Grey-maned warg (vs Hathcyn TN 19)


Scarred warg (vs Esgalwen TN 18)


Snarling warg (vs Gwaithlim's horse TN 19)

Gwaithlim's horse screams as the jaws of a warg, a great beast snarling with hunger and fury, suddenly close about its leg.  The poor animal tries in vain to rear and break free of the beast, and instead crashes to the ground...

:ooc: Right, the one hit from the wargs is on Gwaithlim's horse.  Horses don't have Endurance stats of their own, so non-Piercing injuries just require an Athletics test (for riding skill) with a TN equal to 10 plus the damage dealt.  In this case, though, the Warg's roll produced a Piercing injury, so the roll is instead to see whether Gwaithlim gets stuck beneath it.  The TN is 10+5-2 (for the Radhors' riding modifier) = 13. 

Gwaithlim's roll:

:ooc: Oooooh, not great.  I'll leave it up to you whether you want to spend Hope on that, Matt. 

 :o

:ooc: I'm going to give it another 12 hours or so (until morning my time) and then move things on.

:ooc: We're just waiting on Matt, right? We cannot attack this round because we just dismounted and then waited for the enemy to come to us?

If we can, I will roll an attack - otherwise ignore this or move it to the next round.

---

Though the rain washed down her face, Esgalwen could clearly see the monster that was now before her. It's face was scarred from many fights, an ear was clipped, and dark and thick was its pelt. Nimronyn shone in the night - as orcs were nearby - and it helped the woman to know where to strike.

:ooc: Target my scarred-warg:
TN 17 longsword 5d

:dmg: 10  edge: 8   injury: 16

:ooc: well damn! If that falls in this round or next, I think I have dispatched my antagonist.

That is a :%: :%: success for 22 :<3: loss and a  :+~: wound. The warg will need to make a TN 16 :<>: test.

 :ooc: Ya I'll burn a Hope to keep the poor beast along.

 :ooc: doug, we were waiting on the possible hope spend.

:ooc: Nice roll, Doug.  I'll use this as your attack next round, 'cause dismounting is an action.  Let's do a Protection roll for your warg, shall we?

Moving with the grace for which his folk are famed, Gwaithlim avoids his horse as the beast falls, the wargs already beginning to tear at its throat and stomach.  Its screams blend with those of Men as the wargs fall upon them, savage muzzles already red with hot blood.  But they do not do so unopposed, for Esgalwen strikes out with Nimronyn, splitting the skull of the wolf before her.  Above the fray rises her cry of victory.