Cynthia's Challenge

[neverstatic]

Cynthia Cohen sizes you up, a glint of steel in her eyes. Carefully, she removes a leather glove from her left hand. She strikes you across the face with it. "You are a liar and a cad! I demand satisfaction."

Name: Cynthia Cohen
Concept/Bio: Fighter - A noblewoman in love with the stableboy
Lifepaths: Born Noble, Lead to Noble Court, Page, Squire
Age : 21
Stats: Wi: B4, Pe: B4, Po: B3, Fo: B5, Ag: B5, Sp: B5, Speed Mult.: x3.5
Attributes: Ref: B4, Ste: B6, Hes: 6, Hea: B5, MW: B10, Circles: B2, Resources: B1
PTGS: Su: B3 Li: B6 Mi: B7 Se: B8 Tr: B9 Mo: B10
Beliefs:
I will have satisfaction!
Traits: [Dt] Mark of Privilege, [Char] Pragmatic, [Char] Your Lordship
Skills: Armor Training, Axe B3, Brawling B2, Crossbow B2, Disguise B2, Etiquette B4, Inconspicuous B2, Knives B2, Poetry B2, Read B3, Riding B2, Shield Training, Sword B2, Write B2
Affiliations: 1D Lord Cohen's family
Reputations: 1D The girl who would be knight
Relationships: Robert - the stable boy (Minor, romantic love, forbidden)
Gear: Clothes, Shoes, Traveling Gear, Light Axe, Dirk, Sword, Reinforced Leather, Riding Horse, Paper, Ink, Crossbow (Poor)
Property:
Spells:
Weapons:
Bare Fisted I:B2 M:B3 S:B4 Add 2 VA 0 Fast Shortest
Light Axe I:B3 M:B6 S:B9 Add 2 VA 1 Slow Long May Great Strike
Dirk I:B2 M:B4 S:B6 Add 1 VA 0 Fast Shortest
Sword I:B3 M:B6 S:B9 Add 2 VA 0 Slow Long May Great Strike

I'm trying to get more familiar with the combat rules and between games don't have a lot of opportunity to practice with the rest of my gaming group.

[Marius]

Brians hand drops to his axe. "You shouldn't have done this girl. I will teach you one or two lessons about life!"

Name: Brian
Concept/Bio: Young corrupt village guard sergeant.
Lifepaths: Village Born, Village Guard, Corrupt Sergeant
Age : 18

Stats: Wi: B3, Pe: B4, Po: B4, Fo: B4, Ag: B6, Sp: B4, Speed Mult.: x3.5
Attributes: Ref: B4, Ste: B4, Hes: 7, Hea: B4, MW: B10, Circles: B1, Resources: B1
PTGS: Su: B3 Li: B5 Mi: B7 Se: B8 Tr: B9 Mo: B10

Beliefs:
I will teach this girl a lesson.
Belief 2
Belief 3
Instincts:
Always fight dirty.
Always fight defensivly.
Always treat noble with disrespect.

Traits: [Char] Thug, [Char] Predatory, [Dt] Cold Blooded

Skills: Axe B4, Brawling B3, Bribe-Wise B2, Criminal-Wise B2, Guard-Wise B2, Intimidation B1, Knives B3, Shield Training, Spear B3, Village-Wise B2, Wealthy-Wise B2

Affiliations: 1D village guard

Gear: Clothes, Shoes, RoMQ Arms (Light Axe, Spear, Dirk), RoMQ Leather Armor & Buckler
Property: a small cottage

Weapons:
Bare Fisted I:B2 M:B4 S:B6 Add 2 VA 0 Fast Shortest
Dirk I:B3 M:B5 S:B7 Add 1 VA 0 Fast Shortest
Light Axe I:B4 M:B7 S:B10 Add 2 VA 1 Slow Long May Great Strike
Spear I:B3 M:B6 S:B9 Add 2 VA 1 Fast Longest Two Handed May Great Strike

Armor Coverage:
Head: 1D
Chest: 2D
Right Arm: 1D
Left Arm: 1D
Right Leg: 1D
Left Leg: 1D
Shield: 2D

[neverstatic]

Initial Positioning assuming both initially unarmed: 4D vs 4D
Initial Positioning roll: 5,3,1,6 - 2 successes

"Lessons are for those who have things left to learn. My father has already ensured I received the best education."

Also, in case it wasn't clear in my stat block, I'm wearing the reinforced leather, but have no shield.
Armor Coverage:
Head: 3D
Chest: 4D
Right Arm: 3D
Left Arm: 3D
Right Leg: 3D
Left Leg: 3D

[Marius]

I'm wearing my shield. It's only a small buckler so it's always strapped to my arm.

Initial Positioning roll: 6, 4, 3, 4 - 3 successes.

I won, so I determine that we are starting outside striking distance.

Then lets start scripting, right?

Because of my instinct I always start in defensive stance

Exchange 1

Volley 1: Maintain/Draw.../...Axe -> I'm using my stance dice for positioning.
Volley 2: Maintain/Block
Volley 3: Maintain/Counterstrike

[neverstatic]

Exchange 1
Volley 1: Close; Draw..., ...Axe; "You on the other hand..."
Volley 2: Close; Avoid; "...have so much..."
Volley 3: Maintain; Strike "...to learn"

Close: 1,1,5,3 - 1 success

[Marius]

Exchange 1
Volley 1: Maintain/Draw.../...Axe -> I'm using my stance dice for positioning +2D

Maintain: 3, 2, 2, 6, 6, 6 - 3 successes

Brian steps aside as Cynthia rushes forward and holds the distance. "Maybe you should stop talking..."

We both have drawn our axe. We were outside striking distance before with our fists (shortest weapons), are we no both in optimal (long weapons) or am I missing something?

Exchange 1
Volley 2: Maintain/Block

[neverstatic]

Volley 2: Close; Avoid; "...have so much..."
Close: 4,1,5,5 - 3 successes

There's a positioning thread (http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?10070-Fight!-Positioning-Procedure&highlight=longest%2B1) I was reading recently. I'm still not sure what the official answer is.

Thor had said that he often treats distances as plastic and lets people choose what kind of "outside" or "optimal" they mean. So, I guess it depends. When you initially positioned us outside, did you mean optimal for long weapons? Or did you mean outside for everything?

But Thor also said this might actually constitute rules drift and indicated that the "right" answer is that you are the furthest back for your weapon length. So, "outside" when positioning with fists is "outside-for-all". Optimal when positioning with a sword is "outside-for-fists".

I'm fine using either system.

Fuseboy had a useful chart here (http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?10070-Fight!-Positioning-Procedure/page9&highlight=longest%2B1). If we're using plastic distances, then it sounds like you wanted us to be at Distance 3. If we're using static distances by RAW, my understanding is that we are at Distance 6. Let's use plastic distances for now. They seem like they give more meaningful choices. So, yes this would put us in axe-optimal.

[Marius]

Yes, I read the same thread some time ago and in the end was only more confused. IMO Plastic distances complicate things a bit but let's use them for now.

Maintain: 4, 1, 4, 4 - 3 successes

A tie, so distances don't change.

Avoid vs. Block - nothing happens

Brian covers behind his shield.

Exchange 1
Volley 3: Maintain; Counterstrike

Maintain: 1, 5, 5, 1 - 2 successes

[neverstatic]

Volley 3: Maintain; Strike "...to learn"

Maintain: 1,5,6,1 - 2 successes (but we both maintain anyway)
Strike: B3 Axe + 1D (Brawling FoRK) vs Ob 1

How many dice allocated to defense?

[Marius]

I have B4 Axe, +2D Stance Dice, +1D Shield (+2D - 1 VA of your Axe) and +1D for fighting dirty (I'm pushing and kicking the whole time) that are 8D total. I'm making it 4D (3D Axe + 1D Brawling FoRK) and 4D (1D Axe +1D Shield + 2D Stance Dice)

Block: 1, 2, 5, 2 - 1 success
Strike: 2, 5, 3, 4 - 2 successes vs Ob 1

If I have everything right that means that 1 success of your strike will be substracted and that I hit you and can move the location. I guess you offer your chest, right? Than I'm moving the hit to your legs. Now you have to test your armor (3D vs Ob 2) or take a B4 wound.

[neverstatic]

Strike: 5,3,2,3 - 1 success reduced to 0 vs Ob 1.
Cynthia's axe swing is deftly parried by axe and shield.

She hopes to take the brunt of the blow to her fortified leather jerkin...
But I assume that you'll move it.

Armor: 2,6,1 - only 1 success vs Ob 1+1VA
Armor damaged (where you moved the blow - let me know)
B4 - Superficial wound - ouch

2nd Exchange:
Volley 1 - Maintain; Aggressive Stance, Strike "If I fall..."
Volley 2 - Maintain; Feint; "...I'm taking you..."
Volley 3 - Maintain; Strike; "...to hell with me."

[Marius]

I moved it to your right leg.

Brian howls as he deflects Cynthia's axe and strikes his own into her leg. "I told you that you should stop talking!"

Exchange 2:

Volley 1: Maintain; Block
Volley 2: Maintain: Avoid, Disarm
Volley 3: maintain: Counterstrike

[neverstatic]

Volley 1 - Maintain; Aggressive Stance, Strike "If I fall..."

No need to roll positioning. Nothing to block.

Strike: B3 Axe + 1D (Brawling FoRK) +2D Aggressive Stance = 6D vs Ob 1+1 (Sup wound)
3,6,1,4,6,5 - 4 successes

I'm not going to move it. That's an Ob 2 Armor test.

Cynthia screams in a rage built of pain and frustration, willing her axe to strike true.

[Marius]

Ouch - I realised after posting that my script was lame, but you exploited it totaly. ;)

Okay, I'm going to take it in the chest. That are 2D vs Ob2:

Armor test: 3, 3 - 0 successes.

That's a mark, right? B6 - light wound - ouch!

Her axe strikes true and sinks deep into Brians side.

That means I have to make a steel test. That are 3D (4D - 1D light) vs. Hesitation 6 (7 - 1 because I'm cold-blooded):

Steel: 6, 4, 5 - 3 successes
Open ended dice: 3 - 0 successes

I'm hesitating for 3 actions. That's enough for you to kill me, so I fall to my knees and beg for mercy.

"P-please! Don't..don't kill me...have me-mercy your Lordship!" stutters Brian with pain in his voice.

[luke]

Nice. Short, sharp exchange.
Always fun to realize your mistakes just before the blow lands.

[Marius]

Yeah. It was the first time that I used Fight! and it's nice to see how short and brutal it can be if you make a mistake. But it also doesn't have to be lethal because you always have the option to beg for mercy or just run screaming.

[luke]

Yes, that's perhaps the most satisfying part. You're injured, and this fight is over, but you'll recover (and quickly from a Light wound).

[neverstatic]

Sorry I didn't post to spare your life. I was out of town for the weekend. Great Fight!

Cynthia slings her axe back into its strap. She extends her hand to you laughing. "No hard feelings, I hope."

[Marius]

Uncertain Brian takes her hand and mumbles "Thank y-you my Lord."

Yes, it really was a great Fight! Should we try it again? If you're interested, I would burn up a charakter and post a challenge.