Darkness Rising - The New Batch

[tigerusthegreat]

speaking of undocumented stuff, how much xp do we need to level? Is that 2xp per character, or 2 divided among the entire team? Do we level only after the battle, or can we level mid-battle?

If we have unspent AP, can we spend that AP in the middle of battle, or just before entering the hex?

[0beron]

How much xp do we need to level? Is that 2xp per character, or 2 divided among the entire team? Do we level only after the battle, or can we level mid-battle?
If we have unspent AP, can we spend that AP in the middle of battle, or just before entering the hex?

Level 1 is 5 XP I believe. XP earned during battle is split among the surviving members after battle, so you can't level mid-battle. (and it also means you don't waste XP on units who die) You also cannot level on Role Play XP alone, even if you get enough of it to level, you still have to go through a combat for it to take effect.
As I understand it, AP needs to be spent on character creation and level-up. You can't use it up at other points.

[MarbitChow]

On the one hand, this is true, no offense Marbit but you do kinda have a tendency to not document actual "mechanics" rules. It seems that about half of how combat actually works isn't written in the Rules Post.

Understood. This is a work in progress, after all. There are probably a number of mechanics that were determined through the Darkness Rising thread that were never back-filled. There are other mechanics (such as falling damage) that are deliberately not documented. As the rules evolve, I do make an effort to revise the rule sets each time. You are actually playtesting several new rules - luckamancy, dollamancy and foolamancy, in particular. Having new sets of eyes on the rules also helps a great deal.

Once the Dis City combat completes, I'll be updating the rule set with all of the latest rules. Please, if you see things you're not clear on, drop a note in the rules thread to remind me to add them for future reference.

speaking of undocumented stuff, how much xp do we need to level? Is that 2xp per character, or 2 divided among the entire team? Do we level only after the battle, or can we level mid-battle?
If we have unspent AP, can we spend that AP in the middle of battle, or just before entering the hex?

XP was supposed to be an undocumented mechanic, but since I didn't want to keep track of XP secretly, the players have determined that Level 2 is 5xp, Level 3 is 15xp, and Level 4 is somewhere mid 30s. They have not yet determined the Level 5 threshold. You level at the end of the turn, so potentially after one or more battles.

You can actually spend AP at any time, including right before you make an attack that the AP would help boost. Once spent, you can't reallocate it unless I make rules changes that significantly impact your character. (Triage, for example, is going to have the opportunity to redo his character once the new Healamancy rules take effect.)

[tigerusthegreat]

Really think we need to go all in on this one, bring in the archers to shoot the mice (or their archers), and bring in the casters and the rest of our legionaires....I don't think we can gain any further advantage by delaying...maybe we'll get lucky and the enemy will think that these units are all veiled as well.

[bob the 6th]

But... the danger to the archers/casters remains. there was a reason they are being held back... low hits/defenses. I say toss in the remaining leige to bait a mouse, and take the loss of one unit.

[Nnelg]

Err, uh oh it looks like there was a typo somewhere along the line... Kilroy needs to be in H8, not G8; both to take advantage of the cover and to prevent the mice from sneaking in through I7-H6. Can we have a mulligan on that, or should we just deal with it?

I still recommend that Kilroy and Moe go to G8 and J5 (veiled as Anex and Rudy).

Kilroy and Moe will be veiled as Anex and Rudy. Are there any other veils you want to place while all units are still outside the hex?

Yes, the final veils would be to make Fort and Nemo look like random legionnaires. That would be all, I think; I don't think I could justify anything more.

Are you trying to get me killed?

No, I'm trying to cordon off the bottom-left corner of the map so the archers can move in without fear of mice. And they'd both have to explode next to you to have a decent chance at croaking you, which is somewhat less than likely than just one mouse killing both archers at once. Besides, someone's got to be on the front line.

[tigerusthegreat]

We need the archers in this fight, specifically to counter theirs. On combat 7 they get three shots at us and can hold their action to pose the same danger. The mice can be tied down by blocking their path with legionaires

[Nnelg]

Right. If we can get the archers distracted, we might be able to take them all down before they can fire a second salvo.

I suggest we hold back our remaining forces a phase or two. Hopefully the marbits will think nothing more's coming, and take their shots.

[MarbitChow]

Err, uh oh it looks like there was a typo somewhere along the line... Kilroy needs to be in H8, not G8; both to take advantage of the cover and to prevent the mice from sneaking in through I7-H6. Can we have a mulligan on that, or should we just deal with it?

No problem. I was already planning on retconing that when I updated BLAND's contribution, actually, whether anyone mentioned it or not.

[bob the 6th]

yes, but the oposing archers can probably drop anexa if they all get a chance to fire on her.

[WhirdCheese]

I've been reading through past posts and still have no idea what's going on. Should I enter the hex or bless/curse units?

How are we keeping archers from attacking Nemo and I? If seems like thats a one hit kill. And if they see through the veils...

Could I bless/curse across a hex border?

[bob the 6th]

no... casting needs to be in hex I think.

what is going on is we keep waiting for the marbit archers to act, and they have been doing bugger all.

[CroverusRaven]

What if OUR ranged people moved in and focused their crossbowmen, and have Nemo on the kitty screening for them? And have them behind kitty so that the mice would have to stop when they move up next to the kitty and won't be able to blow up and hit our archers.

I'll keep delaying, maybe try moving back towards the legionares to make it look like I'm trying to get back to my guards to get them to refocus me.

[Nnelg]

We've already successfully cordoned off an area for the archers to enter free of murine harassment: when Anex and Rudy finally move in, they can go to H1 and H2. There will be way for the mice to get to them there (in one round, at least).

However, the sticking point is the marbit archers. They haven't fired yet, and they'll get to fire on the same phase as our archers if we move them in. So, basically what we have here is a mexican standoff, so we'll see who breaks first.

Overall, I think the best move would be just keep delaying Anex and Rudy. If they keep delaying on through Phase 2, then the marbits will only have one phase left to act. And so, they'll probably take the targets in-hex than gamble and shot targets entering. This, at the very least, should give our archers some cover bonuses.

Also, Whump isn't going to get any more use out of that veil. Better to lose it and Whump something, methinks.

[Werebiscuit]

Ok... It's kind of like I feared. The marbits appear to be waiting out our veils. (Note our veils drop when we take an action).
Not exactly like I feared but still... the marbits crossbows haven't fired

* sigh*
Veil me as an ordinary legionaire and I'll enter the hex. ( even though this will get me killed) Chances are the maribits will hold off fire and I'll get to a spot where I can target SMO2 and a crossbowman.

Veil Rudy as an ordinary legionaire . My hope is he'll enter the hex and find a spot where he can target The other 2 crossbowmen. Bob as the highest com and lowest def Anex is probably the one they'll aim at once the veils drop so don't drop yours before she acts.

dismount nemo from kitty and send it to block and attack SM01( it will get in 2 attacks before SM01 can move ( this round and next)) thus taking out SM01. who will probably explode if kitty doesn't kill it outright. if kitty enters on D6 it can get to L9 where it threatens both mice

Both Rudy and I will keep dodging till phase 1 when we can both unleash on the crossbow men. if we both attack the same guy at 2d6 for me and 2d6-3 for Rudy then we've a chance of taking it out if we both roll average or above. If I survive their retaliation then SM02 is toast as it's facing 2d6 +4 damage on phase 10 of round 2. If Rudy survives he can probably take out another crossbow and leave kitty to take out SM02 (or at least block it so it can't get to anyone else) since kitty goes before it.

That strategy should see kitty take both mice and the archers take at least 1 possibly 2 bowmen for the loss of Anex.

P.S. it's much too dangerous for casters to enter and do anything as veils would drop and the caster would then be the target. Since they can't do anything in hex they might as well stay out.

[CroverusRaven]

I still find it intersting that unled troops are even using delay actions. To my mind, delaying requires tactical thinking, and unled troops autoengage. They're acting liek some highly intelligent strategic leader is giving them orders from a distance

In other words, delaying seems like something non-led units shouldn't do. They see enemy units enter their hex, they move to engage and attack. Suspicion or not. The only reason they would hold fire is if they are ordered to..

Just my 2 cents

[MarbitChow]

Unled troops have to fight. They won't surrender. They won't retreat (if they even can). They'll fight to the death. They will never let an attack go unused, if they can help it (which is why the spearmen 'wasted' their attacks on Phase 6 - they were about to lose them anyway). They don't have to fight *stupidly*, though.

If you're fighting beasts, or constructs or uncroaked, they'll take the attacks as soon as they can. If you're fighting warriors, spearmen, archers, or other intelligent units, they're going to behave a bit more tactically. They're NOT going to shoot at units who are both dodging and behind cover: that's +10 defense, which means that they will, on average, do almost no damage to a standard unit, no matter what type.

Now, just because the units won't fight stupidly, doesn't mean I try to make them always fight optimally, either. In this phase, a more optimal move for the Marbits would have been to continue dodging until your attacks resolve, and THEN (on the next phase) all take swings at Wegio. The Pig would probably still be up in that case. But the melee units' conditions were to attack any non-dodging units - they did so as soon as one wasn't dodging.

[tigerusthegreat]

If you make a rule where unled units cannot delay, it turns into a game of kill the leadership. Atm leadership special is well balanced against cost and effectiveness. If you made it necessary for tactics, then it would no longer be balanced.


I think we need the archers in play now. The kitty would be good as well.

Tactics question marbit: does starting your action next to an ememy mean you have 0 move or is it just enterring an adjacent square that drops it

[0beron]

If you make a rule where unled units cannot delay, it turns into a game of kill the leadership.

He didn't say Unled units can't delay. He just said they won't waste an attack if possible. So they'll Delay if it seems advantageous, but if they're about to lose an Delayed action because their turn is next anyway, they'll use that delayed action if possible.

[MarbitChow]

Tactics question marbit: does starting your action next to an ememy mean you have 0 move or is it just enterring an adjacent square that drops it

Just entering. You can start adjacent to an enemy and take your full move away from them, but if they have a readied move and were anticipating that you would run, they could follow you, and after you each moved one square, you'd both be adjacent again, thus ending the move. If your move is at least 2x their move, though, you can move 2 squares to their 1, and escape. (The simultaneous move example hasn't really come up much, if at all, so I wouldn't worry about it much; just note that a readied enemy unit could cut off your escape.)

If you make a rule where unled units cannot delay...

He didn't say Unled units can't delay...

I think tigerus was responding to Croverus, not to me.