Darkness Rising

[The Colonel]

What does Fix the Dead do?

[Exate]

T. Coil will ... either spell up the towers or make scrolls, since he can't use his juice for anything else.

We need rules on these, I think. We also know it's possible to make various magical traps completely independent of city towers, as well- dirtamancy and shockamancy, at least; not sure about other disciplines. It would be nice to cover the field in front of the walls with magical mines or similar, or to set enspelled ambushes on the enemies' approach.

This is a rather serious issue to decide between now and the next battle, as it could impact it a great deal. How casters constructively burn their juice on turns when they're not in combat has always seemed just as critical to Erfworld strategy as what units are being popped, and we've got a heck of a lot of juice to burn here.

[MarbitChow]

What does Fix the Dead do?

There is no "Fix the Dead". Please check the 1st page of the Rules thread (link in my sig) to see what spells are currently available. I think what you're aiming for here is to purchase the Healamancy "Renew" spell, which, as a Croakamancer, you could use to heal both the living and the uncroaked. Note that you also have the option of not spending your AP at all now, and buying the 2 level-4 spells (Uncroak and Bone Warlord) next level. Bone Archers, for example, on your battlements would have a very significant defense against fire attacks, and would be out of range of melee.

We need rules on these, I think. We also know it's possible to make various magical traps completely independent of city towers, as well- dirtamancy and shockamancy, at least; not sure about other disciplines. It would be nice to cover the field in front of the walls with magical mines or similar, or to set enspelled ambushes on the enemies' approach.

This is a rather serious issue to decide between now and the next battle, as it could impact it a great deal. How casters constructively burn their juice on turns when they're not in combat has always seemed just as critical to Erfworld strategy as what units are being popped, and we've got a heck of a lot of juice to burn here.

Caster upgrades to the tower should, I think, only impact tower vs. flier scenarios. I've held off from implementing them because fliers are already pretty easy to drop, as the last scenario showed.

Non-caster units don't have much to do between turns, other than the leader determining the pop queue, so I haven't felt it necessary to give the casters something to do.

That said, this is your game as much as mine, so I'm open to suggestions as to what you'd like to see.

[Swodaems]

Let's do 2 turns of imps and then move on to popping 2 regular archers a turn.

[ETheBoyce]

Croakamancers, Luckamancers, and Healamancers all have things to do on off turns with their juice <_<

Also fliers may die easily, but spelling up towers frees up archers to shoot land targets.

[MarbitChow]

Fair enough. We'll officially add the following feature to the Towers:

Air Defenses : Casters with Shockamancy can imbue a tower with stored defensive abilities.

5 Juice : Caster can store energy that can be added to any caster's Fire basic attack against any flying unit. Each unit of energy stored in this manner can be used to add +1d6 to a single Fire attack. A caster can use as many units of energy in each attack as they have levels. Each tower can store a max of (2 x City Level x City Level) energy in this manner. Using the stored energy requires that the caster expend 1 Juice per 2 units.

10 + (3x Spell Cost) Juice : Caster can store any Shockamancy spell they can cast in the tower. Any caster in the tower can cast a stored spell against any flying targets in the hex, even if they do not know the spell. Using the stored spell requires that the caster expend 1 Juice. Each tower can store 1 spell per City Level.

[The Colonel]

Fair enough, I'll save up.

[ETheBoyce]

Fair enough, I'll charge up energy, 4 charges a turn!

[MarbitChow]

[ETheBoyce]

Question, can only Shockamancers use stored tower juice?

[WaterMonkey314]

Croakamancers, Luckamancers, and Healamancers all have things to do on off turns with their juice <_<

Also fliers may die easily, but spelling up towers frees up archers to shoot land targets.

Wait - I have something I can do with my juice? (Is it assumed that I'm burning all my juice warding everyone? Do MInor Wards last indefinitely?) If not, what's the rules on scroll creation?

[MarbitChow]

Question, can only Shockamancers use stored tower juice?

No, any casters in the tower can use the stored energy. Note that the energy is NOT Juice - it cannot be used to power other spells. It can only be used to add damage to your Fire basic attack. You must spend your own Juice to access this Energy.

Wait - I have something I can do with my juice? (Is it assumed that I'm burning all my juice warding everyone? Do MInor Wards last indefinitely?) If not, what's the rules on scroll creation?

Minor wards last until destroyed. It is not assumed that you're warding everyone - you must state as much.

There are currently no rules on scroll creation. You can only get scrolls if your Overlord grants them to you, or if you find them in a scenario.

[MarbitChow]

Dis City begins to pop Imps at the rate of 4 per turn. After 2 turns, it switches to popping Archers.

Dis City, Turn 1 : 4 Imps appear, and begin scouring the surrounding area. Triage casts Minor Wards on himself and his companions, as well as the 4 Ram Warriors guarding Junetta and Wandereus. T. Coil charges up the Left Tower with 4 Energy. Bill plants 6 corpses in Row 5. Triage discusses Healamancy with Junetta. Junetta asks Triage how he can justify serving a side that has such a complete disregard for Life. Coil taunts Wandereus. Wandereus responds that it won't be long before the Elves utterly crush Coil's upstart side. William convinces a Dark Warrior to balance an apple on his head. Tod oversees the Hex's production, resulting in bonus shmuckers for the side. There are currently no enemy units in the Battlespace.

Dis City, Turn 2 : 4 more Imps pop. The imps expand the area of their patrol. Triage casts Minor Ward on the remaining 4 Ram Warriors and all of the Dark Spearmen. T. Coil charges up the Right Tower with 4 Energy. Tod oversees the Hex's production, resulting in bonus shmuckers for the side. There are currently no enemy units in the Battlespace.

Dis City, Turn 3 : 2 Dark Archers pop. The imps report that they've discovered a Ruin Hex that has popped nearby. (Ruin hexes contain a portal that leads to a number of increasingly challenging guardians. Defeating these guardians rewards the side with shmuckers, minor magic items, and even artifacts. The portal only permits a single stack to enter, however, so the units that will be sent should be chosen carefully.) The Ruin hex is 1 full turn's move distance from Dis. Units leaving on Turn 3 could arrive in the Ruin Hex this turn, and (if they survive) return on Turn 4. There are currently no enemy units in the Battlespace.



Player Stats
Tod (Swodaems): Spearman {Lvl 3, 20xp, 2 AP Banked} [ 8 Combat / 7 Defense / 20 Hits. Strike. Special: Leadership] (Ward-8)
T. Coil (ETheBoyce): Caster {Lvl 3, 15xp} [ 7 Combat / 3 Defense / 12 Hits. Fire. Special: Shockamancy (Hiya, Hoboken, TooGeeWonCee). 24 Juice.] Scroll: Revitalize x3. Scroll: Renew x2 (Ward-8)
Yuri (Exate): Warrior {Lvl 3, 17xp, 2 AP Banked} [ 11 Combat / 12 Defense / 32 Hits. Attack. Special: Heavy.] (Ward-8)
Rolf (Werebiscuit): Warrior {Lvl 3, 15xp, 2 AP Banked, +2Com/Def Banked} [ 10 Combat / 11 Defense / 32 Hits. Attack. Special: Heavy.] (Ward-8)
Cupid (HerbieRai): Flier {Lvl 3, 16xp, 2 AP Banked} [ 8 Combat / 6 Defense / 16 Hits. Fire. Special: Fly] (Ward-8)
William Showend Tell (BLANDCorporatio): Archer {Lvl 3, 15xp, 2 AP Banked, +1Com/Def Banked} [ 13 Combat / 5 Defense / 18 Hits. Fire. Special: Well-Armed] (Ward-8)
Triage (WaterMonkey314): Caster {Lvl 3, 16.1xp, +1Com/Def Banked} [ 6 Combat / 3 Defense / 12 Hits. Fire. Special: Healamancy (Revitalize, Renew, Minor Ward). 24Juice.] Scroll: Hoboken (Ward-8)
Bill (The Colonel): Caster {Lvl 3, 15xp, 1 AP Banked, +1Com/Def Banked} [ 6 Combat / 3 Defense / 12 Hits. Fire. Special: Croakamancy (Reanimator, Bone Puppeteer). 24 Juice.] Scroll: Bone Puppeteer. Scroll: Lucky Streak (Ward-8)

[Swodaems]

Units leaving on Turn 3 could arrive in the Ruin Hex this turn, and (if they survive) return on Turn 4. There are currently no enemy units in the Battlespace.

Is the imps' patrol area big enough that we'll get at least a turn's worth of warning about an impending attack?

[MarbitChow]

Is the imps' patrol area big enough that we'll get at least a turn's worth of warning about an impending attack?

Probably. 8 Imps are sufficient to cover enough area to guarantee at least 2 turns notice, assuming units are moving at a normal rate. Slower-moving units (carrying rams or pushing siege towers) may be spotted 3 or 4 turns out, but an all-flier force might be able to get here in a single turn.

[Swodaems]

Is the imps' patrol area big enough that we'll get at least a turn's worth of warning about an impending attack?

Probably. 8 Imps are sufficient to cover enough area to guarantee at least 2 turns notice, assuming units are moving at a normal rate. Slower-moving units (carrying rams or pushing siege towers) may be spotted 3 or 4 turns out, but an all-flier force might be able to get here in a single turn.

Then this is going to be one of those times where the realistic character reaction differs from the player reaction. As Tod, I'd probably try to leave a couple of the casters, and maybe William, behind to act as flier defense. As a player however, I know that not choosing to bring the party members will cost us later, and that it may not be possible to get people to decide to stay behind.

Since Wandereus used to be the commander here, I'll ask him if he know anything about these ruins. (He had to get that magic sword from somewhere.) He might have some idea about what we'll face in there.

[BLANDCorporatio]

Of course, Will is itching to explore the ruins.

But I doubt Wandereus will be very reliable when it comes to warning us of danger.

[WaterMonkey314]

Of course, Will is itching to explore the ruins.

But I doubt Wandereus will be very reliable when it comes to warning us of danger.

Agreed on Wandereus's trustworthiness.

Triage asks Junetta to clarify her perception that my side has a "disregard for life". "We are just trying to survive and thrive, like any living thing - and her elves are trying to kill us as well."

[ETheBoyce]

Right now the only thing keeping the love of his life out of my clutches is Tod. I can only imagine the horrors I will inflict upon her if given the chance; lying to Tod would be bad for him <_<.

But yeah I'm all for us all going, can our Heavies carry corpses through the portal?

[MarbitChow]

Each heavy could carry 1 corpse through the portal.

Wandereus is not very forthcoming. He claims that the sword was crafted by an Elven Dollamancer working with an Elven Fabricator as a reward for his turns of service. He also claims that the Ruin Hex must have popped very recently, since his scouts did not report it.

It is common knowledge that Ruin Hexes very infrequently pop a portal, but once they do, the portal will remain until fully plundered. If the portal remains active, barbarian monster units may spawn and roam the surrounding area. These monster units will not typically attack a well-defended city, but may raze surrounding features like Farm Hexes.

If you take all of the Free-Willed units with you, you will still leave behind 2 archers, 8 warded heavies (2 of which can man the ballistas, with the others standing by in case the 1st ones are croaked), and 1 flier, all of whom can be guarded and bodyguarded by the dark warriors and spearmen. That's a very durable combination. They may only be able to drop a few fliers each round, combining the cover bonus and the guard/bodyguard protection, it's unlikely that they will be croaked very easily.