Darkness Rising

[WaterMonkey314]

Since we're apparently going to rest before the fight, now would be a good time for Triage to put a new ward up on those of us with damaged ones.

I agree - if we rest, I'll burn all my remaining juice re-warding everyone.

[MarbitChow]

Triage re-wards everyone with his remaining Juice before Tod orders the end of the turn.

Dis City, Turn 4 : 2 Dark Archers pop. A balrug arrives from Tenebris, bringing a pair of royal guards to escort Wandereus and Junetta back to the capital. A pair of Dark Archers, assigned to Dis City, also ride in on the balrug, as well as another swarm of Brickabats. There are currently no enemy units in the Battlespace. Each member of the team gains 15.5 XP. Tod GAINS A LEVEL! (Note that Tod's leadership is currently capped at +3 / +3.) (Edit: Tod acquires Improved Leadership. Rolf aquires Well-armed.)

In light of the information gained about the next zone, the group takes some time to examine all their available resources, and determine where the items, scrolls, and potions will be best allocated. (OOC: A lot of the discussion about who was taking which items occurred before the skeleton scout revealed the next region, so I'd like you all to confirm where the items are going before the next fight.)



Player Stats
William Showend Tell (BLANDCorporatio): Archer {Lvl 3, 30.5xp} [ 14 Combat / 5 Defense / 18 Hits. Fire. Special: Well-Armed, Mighty Blow x2] (Ward-8)
Rolf (Werebiscuit): Warrior {Lvl 3, 30.5xp} [ 15 Combat / 11 Defense / 32 Hits. Attack. Special: Heavy, Well-armed.] (Ward-8)
Yuri (Exate): Warrior {Lvl 3, 32.5xp, 2 AP Banked} [ 11 Combat / 12 Defense / 32 Hits. Attack. Special: Heavy.] (Ward-8)
Tod (Swodaems): Spearman {Lvl 4, 35.5xp, 2 AP Banked, +1Com/Def Banked} [ 9 Combat / 8 Defense / 24 Hits. Strike/Lunge. Special: Leadership, Improved Leadership] (Ward-8)
Cupid (HerbieRai): Flier {Lvl 3, 31.5xp, 2 AP Banked} [ 8 Combat / 6 Defense / 16 Hits. Fire. Special: Fly] (Ward-8)
T. Coil (ETheBoyce): Caster {Lvl 3, 32.5xp} [ 7 Combat / 3 Defense / 12 Hits. Fire. Special: Shockamancy (Hiya, Hoboken, TooGeeWonCee). 24 Juice.] (Ward-8)
Triage (WaterMonkey314): Caster {Lvl 3, 33.6xp, +1Com/Def Banked} [ 6 Combat / 3 Defense / 12 Hits. Fire. Special: Healamancy (Revitalize, Renew, Minor Ward). 24 Juice.] (Ward-8)
Bill (The Colonel): Caster {Lvl 3, 32.5xp, 1 AP Banked} [ 6 Combat / 4 Defense / 12 Hits. Fire. Special: Croakamancy (Reanimator, Bone Puppeteer). 24 Juice.] (Ward-8) Scroll: Bone Puppeteer

Player Items
Scroll: Revitalize x3
Scroll: Renew x2
Scroll: Lucky Streak
Scroll: Hoboken
Scroll: Groove
Scroll: Regenerate
Potion: Restore Juice (Restore 20) x4
Potion: Renew (Heal 16 Hits) x4
Ring: +1 Combat
Ring: +1 Defense
Gem: 2000 Shmuckers
Gem: 5000 Shmuckers

(OOC : Note that new pricing for abilities / attack modifiers are not yet in effect. However, once they are in effect, I'll allow for some retconjuration for anyone who wants to rebalance their characters.)

[Swodaems]

Each member of the team gains 15.5 XP. Tod GAINS A LEVEL! (Note that Tod's leadership is currently capped at +3 / +3.)

Not anymore. I spend 1 AP on Improved Leadership, bringing my cap to +6/+6 and my current bonus to +4/+4. I assume I have also unlocked the "Lunge" ability that comes at level 4. (How does Lunge work with enemies that take up multiple squares?)

In light of the information gained about the next zone, the group takes some time to examine all their available resources, and determine where the items, scrolls, and potions will be best allocated. (OOC: A lot of the discussion about who was taking which items occurred before the skeleton scout revealed the next region, so I'd like you all to confirm where the items are going before the next fight.)

I'll still take both gems. I also would like to be holding one of the renew potions and I would like my defensive cockring back if no one sees a problem with that.

When I gave the advice for the casters to hold duplicate scrolls of their disipline to conserve juice, I was expecting for us to go a longer stint without resting. That advice is invalid now and the casters should call dibs on the scrolls as they see fit. (Note: Bill will probably be using up his juice to reanimate corpses before entering the next room. He might be a good choice for carrying some of the duplicate scrolls.)

I still think using up 2 of the potions and Bill's juice to make 16 dancefighting minor uncroaked is going to be required to dust this thing in a safe manner. If I knew what those portals were capable of, I'd be a bit more thrifty with our limited resources, but without that knowledge, I'm going to favor ending the fight as soon as possible.

[ETheBoyce]

Bill should probably get most of the scrolls, I think I should still get the Combat ring as that's an additional point of guaranteed damage every round.

[WaterMonkey314]

I don't want to be holding very many of the Healomancy items just in case I go down; we'll need a backup healer in that case to revive me (or take over if it's a total disaster). Aside from that, I'm not too concerned about item distribution.

[Werebiscuit]

OOC So far I agree with the scroll distribution, Bill should get most of the scrolls as he will be the least likely to have fixed casting options. T Coil will be casting shockamancy spells and Triage should be keeping us in the fight as much as he can by healing thus should have limited access to the healing scrolls with the bulk going to Bill . I'd trust T.coil with one incase we need to triple heal at any point. This also means that T.Coil and Triage should get the extra juice potion each. Limiting Bill to just scroll casting, the only problem being there will be no reinforcements apart from the bone puppeter scroll. I'd rather have a chance of dead bodies (which can't be damaged) being available for raising as reinforcements later in the fight but, so be it. Can't have everything
As we're trying to shorten the fight I plan to spend my banked 2AP on Well Armed raising my com to 15
What about the healing potions? It'd be my inclination to give Rolf and Yuri one each so they can self administer if things go awry. The others I'd give to T. coil and quite possibly Tod by preference. Trusting Bill and Triage to look after themselves , Will and Cupid.
/OOC

[MarbitChow]

(How does Lunge work with enemies that take up multiple squares?)

If there is an enemy unit behind the multi-square target, and you are adjacent to the multi-square target, you can strike the secondary unit as well, even though it would normally be out of your range.

[Werebiscuit]

OOC Thanks For the 15 combat marbit...but it now means i don't have the 2AP banked...which you forgot to remove /OOC

[BLANDCorporatio]

Well, I'm ready to run around shooting uselessly at skellies. When's clobbering time?

I am a bit sorry that Junetta left though. Maybe if we brought her the head of Trogdor as a trophy, she'd see we are a fair side.

If we win, can we keep the head of Trogdor as a trophy?

[MarbitChow]

I am a bit sorry that Junetta left though. Maybe if we brought her the head of Trogdor as a trophy, she'd see we are a fair side.

Junetta hasn't left yet. Her ride arrived on this turn, using up the majority of it's move. It will be leaving next turn.

If we win, can we keep the head of Trogdor as a trophy?

Under normal circumstances, skeletons completely dust when killed. Fortunately for you, the Bone Dagron is no ordinary skeleton, and the skull will be left behind.

[The Colonel]

So raise some dancers and do some disco?

[Werebiscuit]

A-go-go tutu it !

[MarbitChow]

Keep in mind that you'll have to arrange your zergs in front of the portal, and each will have to move into the room. I'm assuming you don't want to cluster too much (to avoid guaranteed burninate), so you'll need to decide how your zergs spread out.

Every unit has to pass through one of the squares in Marbit room U10, V10, or W10, and will 'appear' in Trogdor room C10, D10, or E10. You only have 8 squares to move. So, someone who starts in Marbit-V10 has moved 2 squares already when they appear at E10, and can move 6 more squares. Trogdor K4 is the farthest you can venture forward. If you want to make sure every unit is at least 3 squares apart, so that only 1 unit can be hit by Burninate, you can only move at most 12 units into the room in one turn.

Cupid get some special considerations - he can move 12 squares in Trogdor room, but note that changing elevation up requires 2 squares, and every 2 squares he moves in Marbit room counts as 3 towards his 12-move total.

You can certainly cluster units closer together, but I'll need to know the final layout you wish to move into.

For reference :




And - one last bit of GM generosity - I REALLY was tempted to move the champions to B9, D7, and F9, making a nice little 3x3 square that you'd get stuck in, but I didn't. All units in the room are back to their starting locations.

[ETheBoyce]

I am still of the opinion we should Groove the dargon for the first two rounds <_<

[The Colonel]

Three skellies attacking each champ, surrounding them in a V formation, the rest two for each corner of the bone dragon?

[Werebiscuit]

I am still of the opinion we should Groove the dargon for the first two rounds <_<

OOC I seriously doubt you can groove him before he burninates you so we're going to have to make him burninate before we can groove. The question is what bait do we give him ? Any volunteers ?

Marbit, Does Bill think we can damage or destroy those ... structures ?/OOC

[MarbitChow]

Three skellies attacking each champ, surrounding them in a V formation, the rest two for each corner of the bone dragon?

You can't reach them this round - see my notes on movement above.

Marbit, Does Bill think we can damage or destroy those ... structures ?/OOC

Anything is possible. Magic items can be destroyed, but they're usually more resistant than equivalent normal items. The structures appear to be made from stone, so they may be as tough as a castle wall, although probably not as many Hits.

[Werebiscuit]

And - one last bit of GM generosity - I REALLY was tempted to move the champions to B9, D7, and F9, making a nice little 3x3 square that you'd get stuck in, but I didn't. All units in the room are back to their starting locations.

OOC P.S. I was rather hoping you might have been tempted. Rolf and Yuri would have just eaten that up Yeah you would have burninated both of us but.... you can see that's what I'm trying to do, make him SPEND THOSE BURNINATES BADLY. /OOC

*Rolf suggests* Since their bone warriors want to protect those... *shakes his head* ..whatever they are. Our first move should be to attack those. we need to make that Bonedrake use that flame of his. If we can time it right, that is the turn before he can re-light his flame, we get 5 turns out of our peace scroll.

OOC/ In my counting Rolf can make L10 within 8 moves not K10 and that's counting coming through as 1 move. Presuming we can move from U10 or even v10 to E10 . I dont see why a diagonal move is impossible through the portal./OOC

[Swodaems]

OOC P.S. I was rather hoping you might have been tempted. Rolf and Yuri would have just eaten that up Yeah you would have burninated both of us but.... you can see that's what I'm trying to do, make him SPEND THOSE BURNINATES BADLY. /OOC

*Rolf suggests* Since their bone warriors want to protect those... *shakes his head* ..whatever they are. Our first move should be to attack those. we need to make that Bonedrake use that flame of his. If we can time it right, that is the turn before he can re-light his flame, we get 5 turns out of our peace scroll.

OOC/ In my counting Rolf can make L10 within 8 moves not K10 and that's counting coming through as 1 move. Presuming we can move from U10 or even v10 to E10 . I dont see why a diagonal move is impossible through the portal./OOC

I agree with you on how to deal with the buriniate. Intentionally providing the Dagron with a relatively low value target that can only be hit with with Burninate on the first round is the way to go if we want to bring in the zerg. Stick a couple of PCs together to take the heat, then bring in the zerg right after Trogdor uses his fire. (Being burninated isn't actually that bad in comparison to what else that dagron can do. Besides ignoring our def, burninate also ignores Trogdor's considerable combat score of 20, so it does 3-18 damage with the odds saying 8-13. Strikes from Trogdor will do far more than singe a ward off with a few extra damage. He can hit a single target for 22-32 (ave:27), meaning that, despite their wards, he has a good chance of 1 shotting Will or the casters into negative hits should he ever get a chance. (We'll need to coordinate our mid round actions to make sure he doesn't get to them by delaying his action until he sees an opening.) The uncroaked members of the dance zerg will be 9/9/14 warriors, so they'll each have ~83.8% chance of surviving a burninate should they be hit. Against his strike, they'll have a 1/36. While his AOE will do more total damage to the group when he does get it off, he'll actually be able to take our units out of the fight using his normal strike. (MarbitChow, can you explicitly state if burninate has to deal with our wards or not?))

However, I don't think the groove scroll will be as useful as you think it is. The rules say it can "prevent up to 3 adjacent targets from acting for a turn." I don't it can be used to prevent 1 for acting for 3. (Or were you thinking that the Dagron has to have an uninterrupted recharge for his burninate and grooving him would stop that? I don't believe that was ever stated.)

We need to have 2 plans. One possibility is that Trogdor will be content to stay in the back of the room, firing burninates at us. The other is that he takes a more proactive approach and decides to try his hand at directly attacking us. We need to worry about each.

[MarbitChow]

(Or were you thinking that the Dagron has to have an uninterrupted recharge for his burninate and grooving him would stop that? I don't believe that was ever stated.)

After Burninate is used once, 2 full rounds must pass before it can be used again; that's the only restriction. If the Bone Dagron Burninates on Round 1, and is stunned on rounds 2 and 3, he can Burninate again on round 4.

(MarbitChow, can you explicitly state if burninate has to deal with our wards or not?)

Wards act as essentially bonus Hits. All damage inflicted on a target, whether that damage ignores defense or not, is subtracted from a Ward first before being applied to the target.