Darkness Rising - The New Batch

[CroverusRaven]

Melissa could probably tank the other puppy, everyone else hitting it as hard as we can, and some of the melee fighters head down to get the jailers.

[bob the 6th]

true, another round should drop the other golem... but Zed 2 should trade places with wump, or better yet move ajacent to the golem so we can drop it faster.

not sure if we can other wise... 19+10 29 from archers, 9+9 18from melissa and rider... ok, sugestion withdrawn. we just have the casters fire and that thing will drop next round(casters dealing 2 ish each, probably only a net 4).

still I think we should pull wump back and get ready for the jailers to rush for a round. If they don't, their loss we can advance melisa and the melee forward uncontested and bring up archers. If they do we can still hit them with archers, and the melee gets a double attack.

[WaterMonkey314]

Perhaps we should swap Whump with me? I have 1 more def, more hits, and also a better Def boost if I keep blocking and dodging.

[MarbitChow]

Please note that the Jailers have delayed move & attack, and refresh on Phase 8 due to their combat scores; they'll get to act twice before most of you will be able to act again.
(Zed-Too should have been listed as having a delayed action. I'll correct this shortly.)

mistake I would note is that Rudy should have buffed Anexa fully, which works out to a net +1 hits...

Not according to the original instructions:

Code: Select all

Y: Rudy Eye (Coordinating -but not Supporting- Anex)

If you wish to override Nnelg's orders in the future, please make sure your orders are in bold.

[bob the 6th]

wonder why he would order that... missed it. will be more careful in future. but here it was irrelevant, the dog dropped either way.

also @ monkey: that was the idea, except the dog acts before any of you next round. and the people with over 10 attack can't quite drop it... so just got to pray for 1 out of 6...

[Nnelg]

I've got juice for ONE spell. Do I save it or use it to curse the remaining golem?

You already did curse that golem. But even if you hadn't, we should be able to kill it quickly enough that it wouldn't matter. Better to conserve that last point for the final battle, if we have one.

well I don't like the way the karma is tilted...

mistake I would note is that Rudy should have buffed Anexa fully, which works out to a net +1 hits...

but whump is useful, we don't want him to die. At the same time, rolling less then 4 is unlikely even with the a re-roll(6 out of 36, or 1 out of 6... about 17%)... so cut losses and just let it be?

It was worth it, though. That first golem would still be up if not for Fort's boost spell.

And I specifically didn't have Rudy buff Anexa all the way because, since we were moving in on phase 10, she'd only get one attack to Rudy's two. So it was better overall not to decrease Rudy's combat.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we'll be able to stop those marbit warriors if they try to get to Whump. So, Kilroy should stop dodging so that the marbits at least can't get by this phase. Zed2 should probably move to O13 as soon as he can, bull rushing if needed, so that Whump can fall back. (Marbit, if Zed2 prepared an action to Bull Rush any marbit that enters O13, would that go off before it got a chance to attack?)

Regus should probably move up to K8 or L8 now, but no further; Whump needs an open avenue for withdrawal. (I realize in retrospect that perhaps Zed2 should have been guarding Whump instead of Melissa...)


The Gobwin there is our objective, and nothing more. (Thankfully, the warriors shouldn't have orders to kill it yet, and they don't have the initiative to decide to do so on their own.) Once we get up to that chamber, Melissa will block the south passage as we work on getting that cage open. (Marbit, could Whump pry open those bars by himself?)

Once we've secured the gobwin, we can stand off for the night to rest and heal woulds. If we manage to free it, King Creeperum should be able to sense that he's suddenly got natural allies, and will likely contact us. If we're in luck, we may even have a half-dozen or so gobwins as fodder for next turn's attack.

[Nnelg]

also @ monkey: that was the idea, except the dog acts before any of you next round. and the people with over 10 attack can't quite drop it... so just got to pray for 1 out of 6...

You forget that everyone but Anexa actually used their last round's action for this blitz. So, everyone will be able to go again before the dogs do.



PS:
Marbit, is Nemo in a position where he could potentially veil Whump?



PPS: (I've got a bad habit of this... )
Actually, if Zed2 guards and interposes for Whump next round, the Dog will need to roll a 10 or better in order to croak Whump (unless Whump takes more damage in the meantime...). Accounting for the curse, this drops the risk down to 2.89%. So, it might actually be a better idea to have Whump move up, after all.

[WhirdCheese]

Fortunes will fire at GD1

We need a healer with us.

[MarbitChow]

(Marbit, if Zed2 prepared an action to Bull Rush any marbit that enters O13, would that go off before it got a chance to attack?)

Yes. If it succeeds, the marbit would not be able to attack Whump.

When I resolve conflicts, moves and attacks are treated as sort of 'microphases'. Each move or attack is its own subphase, so what would happens that on the Marbit's movement phase, Zed2's attack triggers. If it succeeds, it resolves at the end of the micro-phase. The next microphase, the original target is now out of range, so the marbit cannot attack Whump any more.

I'll probably also update the rules so that it's clear that if a unit is bull-rushed away from its intended target, it can choose to attack the unit that bull-rushed it - it doesn't just automatically lose its action.

(Marbit, could Whump pry open those bars by himself?)

No. The bars are a structure, and you guys are using the new beta rules. Regular units can't damage structures unless they can inflict structural point damage.

Marbit, is Nemo in a position where he could potentially veil Whump?

Yes, just barely. Please note that Veil (being a low-level spell) is not intended to be used to conceal wounds. It's Bogroll hiding as Parson.

I know that illusionists are typically given a lot of flexibility, which is why we play-test. All spells are only able to do what they say, and no more. Hiya, for example, cannot be used to disarm someone by blasting the weapon out of their hand, and Veil can't make it appear as if the wounds are healed.

It sounds like having illusionary versions of spells could be very useful to you, though, so I'm open to adding an additional skill tree to the Foolamancy structure, where you can purchase a spell that mimics a number of predefined spells from other schools. Spells that stun or calm a target (making him *think* he's acting when he's really standing still) might also be a possibility. Since Foolamancy is your school, please feel free to suggest alterations to it that you think would make it more enjoyable.

[0beron]

Please note that Veil (being a low-level spell) is not intended to be used to conceal wounds. It's Bogroll hiding as Parson.

Veil - Change the appearance of up to 8 units in the same stack to look like any unit on the same side.

To me this actually seems like a perfect application of Foolamancy, and even an easier one to pull off than a "normal" Veil. As Jack describes it, a Foolamancer must see the world as it truly is, see it as others see it, and see it as he wishes to see it, in order to make everyone see the latter. Therefore, to me it seems that it should be very easy for Nemo to "disguise" Whump as a healthy version of himself because the desired image is so close to the reality. And the above description of the Veil spell supports this to boot, because Whump is a unit on the side, and the spell says "any unit".

As for Foolamancy duplicating other actual spell effects such as stun, I think we need to be very careful there so Foolamancy doesn't become the everything school. Instead, I think it would be more fitting if for example you could make a target's allies THINK it was Calmed, so they run over to try and wake him up, wasting their action.

[Nnelg]

Please note that Veil (being a low-level spell) is not intended to be used to conceal wounds. It's Bogroll hiding as Parson.

I know that illusionists are typically given a lot of flexibility, which is why we play-test. All spells are only able to do what they say, and no more. Hiya, for example, cannot be used to disarm someone by blasting the weapon out of their hand, and Veil can't make it appear as if the wounds are healed.

It sounds like having illusionary versions of spells could be very useful to you, though, so I'm open to adding an additional skill tree to the Foolamancy structure, where you can purchase a spell that mimics a number of predefined spells from other schools. Spells that stun or calm a target (making him *think* he's acting when he's really standing still) might also be a possibility. Since Foolamancy is your school, please feel free to suggest alterations to it that you think would make it more enjoyable.

Well, this actually raises some interesting questions...

Now, if I veiled the wounded Whump as, say a gobwin, would that mean the gobwin would have to appear wounded as well? And if so, how am I to make the enemy ever believe that a dozen-odd battle-weary and tattered spearmen are actually a fresh host of elite knights? If I can change the appearance of a unit's nature, does that not include it's state of health? If I can make them appear stronger, tougher, more dangerous, why not healthier as well?


With Foolamancy, I change the appearance of things to deceive, misdirect, and confuse my foe. Now, the question to ask is this: does veiling a unit as an unwounded version of itself not satisfy these criteria? But more importantly for our case, does it do so to too great an extent for a level one spell?

For this, I would like to compare veiling a unit to appear healed to another level one spell... Actual healing. A level one spell for a Healomancer would not only produce the desired effect (keeping whump from dying) with more certainty, but also have a greater impact further on in the battle (since that healing would stick with him in combat, unlike a veil).

So, veiling a unit as an unwounded version of itself is in no way overpowered. In fact, it may be underpowered... Although, since veil can do other things as well, it's more of a trade-off between specialized power and generalized flexibility.


On the subject of new spells, I have a whole host of ideas for restructuring Foolamancy. I hadn't brought it up yet because I think you've got a very solid trio of core spells in veil, crypsis, and phantasm.

[LTDave]

Wegio shuddered as his gladius ripped open the Golem Dog's jugular seam and white fluff started pouring out. Whump and the Cat's attacks had wounded the behemoth, and the Casters joined in, downing the puppy. Now for the other one...

Wegio Attacks GD1.
Melissa Attacks GD1.

"Guard me, Zedtoo! You're my only hope!"

[Nnelg]

Hm, don't tick forwards the round counter just yet, Marbit... We've still got some delayed actions to work on.


Oh, and by the way, a gladius is a sword made specifically for stabbing, for a footsoldier. For a slashing sword to use while mounted, you'll want a spatha.

[LTDave]

You are correct. But Wegio is a foot soldier - a Principes. That he is mounted is a surprise to him as well. Especially on a Cat.

[Nnelg]

Hm... I've decided on a plan.

Nemo's oration:
"We're going to let Melissa tank it on this one, so everyone needs to move behind her.

Regus, I'm sorry but it looks like you're going to get caught in the log jam of everything, here. I'll need you to stick to the south wall if you move up.

Fortune, I need you to step behind me before you fire at the second golem. If you don't, neither Regus nor Whump will be able to get where they're needed.

Kilroy, you're going to need to stop dodging if you want to plug the corridor effectively. Also, I recommend you save your next move, unless you want a Hero's Death. You can fall back once everyone else behind you has withdrawn.

Wegio, keep hacking at that beast.

Whump, as soon as you've got a clear path to get behind Melissa, take it as far as you can.

Zed Too, prepare to Bull Rush any Marbit that tries to get to Wump. At least one will, I guarantee it. Also, you are to move to Rudy's current location as soon as it becomes open.

Rudy, hold fire to see if Zed2 succeeds in his bull rush. If he does, wait for Whump to pass before repositioning behind Anexa. If he doesn't, reposition yourself immediately, as Zed2 will need to move to your current location before Whump may fall back."

Nemo will veil Whump as an unwounded version of himself, if you've decided that's allowable.

[BLANDCorporatio]

"Those Guards are tough. Wait, you want me to bull-rush one?"

OOC: so, who's Zed-too supposed to Guard? Whump or Wegio? Or no one, because that would interfere with the BR? (I know that the BR would cancel Guard in subsequent phases, but that's something else; Zed-too should be able to wait Guarding). /OOC

[MarbitChow]

Now, if I veiled the wounded Whump as, say a gobwin, would that mean the gobwin would have to appear wounded as well? And if so, how am I to make the enemy ever believe that a dozen-odd battle-weary and tattered spearmen are actually a fresh host of elite knights? If I can change the appearance of a unit's nature, does that not include it's state of health? If I can make them appear stronger, tougher, more dangerous, why not healthier as well?

With Foolamancy, I change the appearance of things to deceive, misdirect, and confuse my foe. Now, the question to ask is this: does veiling a unit as an unwounded version of itself not satisfy these criteria? But more importantly for our case, does it do so to too great an extent for a level one spell?

The comic has established that foolamancy isn't as effective if the changes being made are observed. Jack needs a flash mob to distract from his casting at Exposition Bridge, after all.

My preference for spells is to limit them as narrowly as possible - to design them as if for a computer game, in which what they do is spelled out exactly. Veil isn't able to hide wounds - a missing limb is still a missing limb, no matter what the unit looks like. I realize that I also left off a size restriction from Veil - units need to be similar sized, so Whump can't be veiled as a gobwin.

That said, I'm not averse to allowing spells to have multiple functions, like the dollamancer's Accessories. We can certainly revise Veil to include the ability to mimic other spells, such as healing, but at present it can't.

Please feel free to bring up any restructuring suggestions in the Rules thread. You all are playtesting the new rules that will be applied to the entire campaign world, so your feedback is invaluable.

As to strategies for the next phase, note that switching the target of Guard can only be done at the start of the round unless an action is spent to change targets, just like restacking. Note also that dodge can be dropped at any time without spending an action.

[tigerusthegreat]

Regus will move next to Anex and delay action/dodge

[Nnelg]

Please take that order back, tigerus... If you move there, there won't be enough room for everyone on the wrong side of Melissa to fall back. And then someone will die, because they'll have three jailers attacking them at once.

[Werebiscuit]

Please take that order back, tigerus... If you move there, there won't be enough room for everyone on the wrong side of Melissa to fall back. And then someone will die, because they'll have three jailers attacking them at once.

Nnelg... I'm not sure you understand the movement rules. Allies units do not pose obstacles to movement of other allied units. Otherwise how do you think those units will get past Melissa who appears to be blocking the corridor ?

Also currently the only way to get to the square in front of Whump is to bull rush as Kilroy stop movement at the square diagonally adjacent to him without anyone bull rushing. So it would be hard to get 3 on 1 attacks