Spider vs. Orc discussion thread

[Yagathai]

And here we can kibitz, analyze, bicker about rules and so on.

[Kublai]

As long as the Spider wins positioning, he should DOMINATE this match! Use your lasso! Use your lasso!

[TimP]

Are these characters posted somewhere, or am I being dense?

[Verrain]

Yes they are in the thread Tobias started asking for fighters. But here they are for you to look at.

Gorrack, the oft-beaten 'lesser brother'
Vengeful lesser brother to 2 masters of Eight. Vengeance starts now!

Age: 44

Lifepaths: Born Chattel, Forge Slave, Ravager, Night Seeker, Black Hunter, Bears the Lash, Whisperer

Circles: 2
Resources: 0

Affiliations: 1D with the Clan

Relations:

Minor, Hateful, Family: Thormak, Master of Eight, oldest brother
Minor, Hateful, Family: Bhi'skag, Master of Eight, older brother
Minor, Love interest: She Whose Hips have Cast forth Man-Eaters

Wi: 4
Pe: 5

Ag: 4
Sp: 6
Po: 4
Fo: 6

Health: 4
MW: 11 (4,7,8,9,10,11)
Reflexes: 5
Steel: 7
Hate: 6

Skills:

Brawling 3
Intimidation 3
Back-Breaking Labour
Orienteering 3
Stealthy 3
Climbing 3
Bow 4
Black Bile Poison
Command 3
Sword 5
Poisonous Platitudes 4
Falsehood 2
Persuasion 5
Ambition-wise 2
Cartography 2

Traits:
Enemy of the Sun
Pain Life
Numb
Pack Hunter
Tasting the Lash
Where there's a whip...
Forked Tongue
Cannibal
Cold Black Blood
Breeder
Fanged & Clawed
Loathsome & Twisted
Lynx-Eyed
Vile Language

Gear:
Superior Quality Plated Leather
Run of the Mill Bow
Rags, Gear, Boots, Whip
Dwarven sword (Spoil of War)

Beliefs:
I'll destroy my brothers one spider at a time
Once my brothers are gone, they'll need new blood in the ranks of the Servants - that will be me.
Dwarves have what should be ours - Fireforge hold shall belong to my clan.

Instincts:
Vomit on my weapons before the fight
Make my point (always put at least 1 point in each DoW exchange)
Pay them a compliment when they might think they've hurt me


Eclavdra, the Untamed
She follows the Masters of Eight on her own terms

Age: 30

Lifepaths: Broodling, Wall-Crawler, Stalker, Strand-Hunter, Devourer, Hunter-Seeker

Circles: 2
Resources: 0

Affiliations:

Relations: Intermediate Thormak, Master of Eight

Wi: 5
Pe: 5(6)

Ag: 6
Sp: 6
Po: 4
Fo: 5

Health: 4
MW: 11 (4,7,8,9,10,11)
Reflexes: 6
Steel: 6
Hesitation 5

Skills:

Climbing B4
Stealthy B4
Male-wise B3
Snares B3
Lariat B6
Brawling B6
Intimidation B5
Interrogation B6
Throwing B3

Gear: Silk Net

Traits:
All Common Spider Traits
Middling Stature
Vile Language
Chitinous
Strand Runner
Single-minded
Patience
Elongated Forelegs
High Speech

Beliefs:
- All but spider kind is prey, I shall devour the Masters of Eight at my leisure.
- My alliance with Thormak is currently useful, I shall dispose of his troublesome brother.
- The path to strength is to cull the weak, I shall hunt and kill all weak males.

Instincts:
- Drop a drag line.
- Always have a lariat ready.
- Always have a net ready.

[Yagathai]

My call: The spider in four volleys.

[luke]

Spiders are really, really ugly in Fight. This one is particularly nasty. Only thing I could see beating it is spellcraft.

[Tobias]

Yeah, I voted for the spider as well! :)

But I'll give it a good orcish go!

[luke]

Avoid DOES NOT reduce missile weapon successes. It simply adds a +1 Ob to the opponent's roll to hit you.

[Tobias]

Oh dear.

[Verrain]

Books are are home and brain is failing me, does the two aiming actions add +2D or reduce the Ob by 2?

[Thor Olavsrud]

It adds +2D.

[mtiru]

i vote for the underdog.

[Kublai]

In regards to the moving quickly Obstacle penalty, you only get the penalty if you Close or Withdraw, not Maintain. So if the orc closes and the spider maintains, only the orc suffers the +1 Ob. Sure, this may not seem logical because the spider has to move the same distance in the same amount of time in order to maintain, but that's how it goes.

[Verrain]

Unless they are using a throwing weapon, Kublai, in which case maintaining does impart a +1ob to the throw.

[Kublai]

Dude, you totally PASSED my test! Awesome!

[Verrain]

hmm, a 2d lock... I had close, strike scripted. I believe I cannot abort to breaking lock, right?

I believe there is an option to lose an action from next exchange to change a third volley action. In any case, breaking free from spider silk is not the same as breaking a traditional lock. The webbing must either be cut (and spider silk can take some punishment before fraying) or I believe its an Ob8 power test to break free. Nasty stuff spider silk.

[Kublai]

See page 171 of the Monster Burner for more info on escaping from nets. And see page 166 for the material strength of strands.

[Tobias]

Hey, I'm screwed, but that's not unexpected.

So... what should I've done? Taken a Troll to that spider? :)

[Verrain]

That would be interesting. The spider would still dominate positioning but taking down the Troll would be tricky.

Oh, breaking free from the net would be an Ob4 Power check, an Ob equal to twice the dice of the web lock.

OK, court of popular opinion time in regards to the Extended Forelegs trait. Under classic rules this allowed a spider to strike and grapple at distances like a spear attacks. So under classic the spider could perform moves done only on the inside from two paces away instead of one. So under revised I would think that a spider with extended forelegs could do inside moves from an optimal distance without the usual penalty. Does that sound right?

[Kublai]

That sounds reasonable. It's that or more simply the spiders' legs would be considered Longest weapon length like a spear. But the latter wouldn't get you the same result as in Classic, so I'd go with your ruling.

[Kublai]

So... what should I've done? Taken a Troll to that spider? :)

White Fire!!

Maybe a Wolf could get Inside first and tear it to bits with a Locking Bite?

[luke]

Elongated Forelegs does not allow you to break the locking distance rules!

[Yagathai]

I'll take a troll up against the winner of this bout. Not until next week, though.

[Verrain]

Elongated Forelegs does not allow you to break the locking distance rules!

I knew that was too good to stay in the new edition. No biggie.

[Yagathai]

Any interest in the Troll vs. Spider fight, Verrain?

[Verrain]

Ready, willing and able. Never did get my rematch against the monk but this will do nicely. :)