Lord Arben Argonsson vs. He Who Has A Really Long Name: Fight!

[Yagathai]

Let's do this bad thing.

[Drekk]

The party of orcs marched into the large torchlit cave, hissing at the group of dwarves who had already arrived and taken their place on one side of the cavern. The seething mass of twisted orcish bodies was a marked contrast with the proud and noble dwarves, who watched disgustedly as the noxious group clanked and stomped their way to the other side of the cave. In the center of the vile group, their tall, broad-shouldered champion was unmistakable, for he was the only one walking fully upright and his large frame towered over the rest. The Born Great Head-taker stepped forward to address the dwarven champion, Lord Arben Argonsson.

“Dwarf! It’s been years since I’ve tasted the flesh of your kind. I wonder if you’ll be as full of gristle as the last one.” He cackled. “A bit of Dwarf Jerky will be a tasty treat for the march home, won’t it, lads!” The orcish contingent responded with a mix of laughter and raucous cursing.

[Yagathai]

Just to get the bookkeeping out of the way, are you wearing full armor? What will you be using to position? I'm starting with axe and shield.

Lord Arben pursed his lips in schoolteacher-like disapproval before lowering his mask and raising his shield.

"If you're quite done, orc, you'll find me ready," he said loudly. Then, under his breath: "Bloody awful people, orcs. Why didn't I listen to my wife?"

All around him his dwarven brethren clanged axe and hammer on shield, filling the cave with a deafening din.

[Drekk]

Full armor for me, 5d plated mail. As long as you're not trying to throw your axe, I'm positioning with axe and hatchet.

"Oh, you look ready, dwarf. I hope you'll live long enough for me tell you how your eyeballs taste when they're roasted on the open flame!" He Who Puts the Heads of Men on Pikes and Wears Their Ears Around His Neck licked his chops and paced aggressively, eager to engage the dwarf.

[Drekk]

Initial positioning, B8 (B5 speed + 1D + 2D aggressive stance): 1, 5, 6, 3, 1, 6, 3, 1 = 3 successes.

The orcish Head-taker raises his axe and creeps forward, measuring the distance between him and the dwarf.

[Yagathai]

Initial positioning:

Roll 1: 5, 3, 3, 5, 1, 3 = 2 successes

What's it going to be?

[Drekk]

OK, we start at optimal for our long axes.

The dwarf and the orc began circle each other. Brandishing his axe, the orc hissed, "I'm gonna take your head home with me an use it for a chamberpot, dwarf!"

[Yagathai]

Exchange 1 script:

Volley 1:
Positioning: Maintain
Action 1: Avoid
Action 2: Take Defensive Stance / Block


Volley 2:
Positioning: Maintain
Action 1: Avoid
Action 2: Block/Strike FORFEITED TO Stand & Drool


Volley 3:
Positioning: Withdraw
Action 1: Avoid CHANGED TO Get Up

[Drekk]

Here's mine:

E1 V1:
Close
A1 Charge
A2 Set

E1 V2:
Maintain
A1 Strike

E1 V3:
Maintain
A1 Set

[Yagathai]

V1 positioning: Close vs. Maintain
V1 A1 1: Charge vs. Avoid

I'm maintaining with Power + Avoid (vs your Charge + Close), which is 6 + 5 + 1D Reflex Bonus = 12D.

Roll 1: 1, 2, 6, 5, 3, 5, 1, 6, 4, 4, 1, 2 = 6 successes.

[Drekk]

V1 positioning: Close
A1 Charge

I'm charging with B4 power + 1D charge + 1D speed multi + 2D stance + 2D Unrelenting Savagery = 10D.
Roll: 5, 3, 6, 4, 6, 2, 2, 3, 3, 6 = 5 successes.
Using the call-on trait Spiteful Effort for the 5 traitors: 5, 3, 2, 5, 6 = 3 more successes.

8 total successes, wins by 2!

Suddenly, the orcish executioner bull-rushes Lord Arben, spitting out curses and bile. "I'm going to pull your entrails out through your anus, dwarf! Then I'm gonna strangle you with them!! Graaaghh!!!" He Who Wears Men's Ears Around His Neck slammed into the dwarf with the force of a buffalo, knocking the mighty dwarf flat on his back and drawing cheers and insults from the orcish side.

I won't bother re-rolling that last 6, since it won't affect the outcome.

[Yagathai]

V1 A2: Take Defensive Stance / Block vs. Set

Arben stifles a curse as he gets knocked bottom-over-teakettle by the angry orc.

"Language! Language!" he calls as he raises his shield against an axe blow that never comes.

I'm forfeiting to change an action.

[Drekk]

OK, on to volley 2.

[Drekk]

E2 V2 Positioning: Maintain: B5 speed +1D speed multi = 6D.
Roll: 1, 3, 4, 2, 1, 5 = 2 successes.

What's my ob for my strike?

[Yagathai]

It's Maintain vs. Maintain, right? So no need to roll. We stay at Optimal.

V2 Positioning: Maintain vs. Maintain. No roll necessary.

V2 A1: Strike vs. Avoid

5D Speed + 2D Stance = 7D
Roll 1: 3, 6, 1, 6, 4, 4, 3 = 4 successes - 2 Ob for defending from the ground = 2 successes

So the Ob for your strike is 3.

ps. (reveal your volley so I don't feel like I'm cheating when I mouseover ;) )

[Drekk]

My strike (with the beak, hence the set action) is B6 + 1D brawling + 2D Unrelenting Savagery = 9D

Roll: 2, 2, 6, 2, 3, 2, 5, 2, 4 = 3 successes. Terrible roll!

So it's a B3 hit, VA 3. Where do I hit you?

Standing over his dwarven opponent, the orcish executioner kicked a pile of dirt into Lord Arben's face as he brought his axe-beak down. "I'll be feeding you pieces of your own lungs before we're done here, dwarf! I'll season them with my own vomit!" Seeing the telegraphed blow, the dwarf managed to roll over just enough to avoid the main brunt of the blow.

[Yagathai]

I'll take it on the chest.

Roll 1: 4, 2, 1, 1, 4 = 2 successes The dice are not with me either.

Phooey.

The orc's blow doesn't penetrate Arben's armor, but it's hard enough to bruise some ribs. Arben's gasps, but doesn't otherwise react.

That's a Supie to me.

On to volley 3!

[Yagathai]

V3 Positioning: Withdraw vs. Maintain

5D Speed + 2D Stance + 1D Reflexes = 8D

Roll 1: 2, 2, 3, 1, 3, 1, 3, 1 = 0 successes! TRAITORS! TRAITORS! TRAITORS!

I guess we're maintaining.

Looks like my Get Up goes off vs. your Set without any problem, so it's to Exchange 2! How 'bout we post that in the AM?

[Yagathai]

Exchange 2

Volley 1:
Positioning: Maintain
Action 1: Avoid
Action 2: Get Up


Volley 2:
Positioning: Close
Action 1: Avoid


Volley 3:
Positioning: Close
Action 1: Charge
Action 2: Set

[Drekk]

Sorry for the delay. I agonized over this one! :)

E2 V1:
Maintain
A1 Set
A2 Great Strike

E2 V2:
Maintain
A1 Defensive Stance

E2 V3:
Maintain
A1 Set

[Drekk]

OK, so we both maintain, no need to roll?

Set vs. Avoid = nothing

Great Strike (+1 VA) vs. Get up: B6 + 1D Brawling + 2D Unrelenting Savagery = 9D

"Get up you pathetic ball of Troll feces, so I can knock you on your stubby little ass again!" The orc roared as he cocked back his axe-beak. "What's pink and red and has three legs? You, crawlin' around after I've torn your arm off and slammed it into your eye socket!"

Roll: 6, 5, 1, 3, 6, 4, 5, 3, 4 = 6 successes! That's a superb blow, B9. Assuming you offer the chest I'll move it to the arm.

EDIT: I forgot to copy Yagathai on the above roll. Crap. Re-rolled, I got: 1, 1, 3, 3, 6, 1, 3, 3, 2 = 1 success! Gah, what a waste of a great roll. Where do I hit you?

[Yagathai]

V1 A2 Armor Check:
Roll 1: 4, 1, 3, 2, 3 = 3 successes

Another supie for me!

Arben rolls to his feet as the orc's axe scrapes against his chest.

[Yagathai]

V2 positioning: Close

5 Speed + 1 Reflex die + 2 Stance = 8 dice

Roll 1: 6, 1, 6, 2, 3, 4, 4, 6 = 32. = 5 successes - 1 Ob from wound = 4 successes

[Drekk]

E2 V2: Maintain: B5 + 1D speed multi = 6D
Roll: 3, 4, 4, 2, 4, 2 = 3 successes.

You close. Drat!

[Yagathai]

Arben didn't even flinch as the orc's axe thudded harmlessly into his arm, and he didn't pause once he gained his feet. Carrying his momentum through, he surprised his opponent and wound up face-to-mask with the reeking orc.

"Haha!" he cried.

Onto V3!

[Yagathai]

V3 Positioning & A1: Close!

6D Power + 2D Stance + 1D Charge + 1D Closing last volley + 1D Reflex Bonus = 11D

Roll 1: 5, 2, 4, 5, 4, 6, 3, 5, 3, 2, 6 = 45 = 7 successes - 1 Ob from Supie wound = 6 successes

[Drekk]

E2 V3 Maintain: B4 power + 1D speed multi +2D stance + 2D Unrelenting Savagery = 9D
Roll: 5, 4, 2, 1, 4, 1, 1, 5, 4 = 5 successes.

Spitting fury, the orc raised up his axe, screaming, "Get good and close, dwarf! All the better to feel your warm blood on my arms when I carve out your spleen!"

[Yagathai]

My Charge succeeds by 1, which means that you get a +1 Ob your next action, we're back to Optimal again, and I've lost my stance.

V3 A2: Set vs. nothing. Succeeds.

Arben continues his forward motion and headbutts the orc right in the chest. Mask clangs against breastplate, though the noise is almost lost in the din of the dwarves cheering their champion's unexpected recovery. The squat, heavy orc staggers backwards as Arben rears back for a mighty blow.

[Yagathai]

Exchange 3


Volley 1
Positioning: Maintain
Action 1: Avoid
Action 2: Block/Strike


Volley 2
Positioning: Close CHANGED TO Maintain
Action 1: Take Aggressive Stance CHANGED TO Lock
No Action 2


Volley 3
Positioning: Close
Action 1: Charge
Action 2: Take Defensive Stance FORFEITED TO Stand & Drool

[Drekk]

OK, after much agonizing, here is my Ex 3:

E3 V1:
Close
A1 Counterstrike
A2 Counterstrike

E3 V2:
Close
A1 Charge

E3 V3:
Maintain
A1 Set

[Yagathai]

V1 positioning: Maintain

5D Speed + 1D Reflexes advantage

Roll 1: 1, 1, 5, 5, 3, 4 = 19. = 3 successes -1 Ob Supie wound = 2 successes

[Drekk]

E3 V1 Positioning: Close: B5 +1D speed multi +2D stance = 8D
Roll: 3, 1, 6, 2, 1, 1, 3, 2 = 1 lousy success! I am the worst dice roller ever!!:rolleyes:

Yag, are you closing or maintaining? Your script says one but your post says the other.

[Yagathai]

Sorry, what the script says. Maintain.

A1: Avoid v. Counterstrike. Nothing happens.

A2: Block/Strike vs Counterstrike
Which side are you putting your odd die into?

[Drekk]

OK, counterstrike, I have B6 + 1D Brawling + 1D parrying weapon + 2D Def Stance + 2D Unrelenting Savagery = 12D total. But your VA 2 reduces my Shield to 0, right? And my VA 1 reduces your shield to 2D.

So I have 11D. As to your question, I don't quite understand. Is there a rule in the arena about splitting dice evenly?

Edit: Upon further review, shields can't be reduced below 1D, and I assume this also goes for parrying weapons. So I guess I have 12D.

[Yagathai]

You don't get the parrying die on a Counterstrike without Shield Training, only on Block, but the VA on my axe would have reduced it anyway.

And no, you can split your dice however you like. I was just assuming you'd split evenly. How will you split them?

[Drekk]

Sonofa[...], I guess you're right about not getting shield dice on CS without training. My games have been doing that wrong this whole time. :sheepish:

On the same page, though, it says that shields can never be reduced below 1D by VA. No matter, since He Who Wears Ears and Hates Everyone isn't trained. :)

My dice split is in white:
7D Defense, 4D Riposte (including US)

(I'll wait until you've posted to reveal.)

[Yagathai]

6D Skill + 1D Boxing FoRK + 1D Dwarven weapon die + 2D shield = 10D

Dropping 3D into block and 7D into Strike

Block Roll: 6, 4, 6 = 3 successes - 1 Ob Superficial wound = 2 successes.

Strike Roll: 4, 2, 4, 5, 1, 2, 1 = 3 successes - 1 Ob Superficial wound = 2 successes.

Looks like the Ob for your Strike is... 1 base + 1 from the Charge + 2 from my block + 1 moving quickly penalty = 5 Ob.

[Drekk]

Looks like the Ob for your Strike is... 1 base + 1 from the Charge + 2 from my block + 1 moving quickly penalty = 5 Ob.

Heh, I totally forgot about the moving quickly penalty. But, don't you have a +1 ob for avoiding during this volley? So presumably you'd only have 1 net success on the block, and same for the strike.

Also, I believe the +1 ob from the charge only applied to Action 1 of this volley, not Action 2.

So I think my ob for the strike is 3, base 1 + 1 moving quickly + 1 block.

Defense roll: 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3 = no successes.
Riposte roll: 5, 6, 1, 6 [last 6 open-ended, re-rolled for a 2] = 3 successes, so a B4 to wherever you offer.

My chest is on offer.

[Drekk]

Confounded his own failed attempt to close the distance, the orc parried the dwarf's strike and lashed out in futility with his axe against the annoying dwarf. "Curse your dung-heap stature, you rat-inseminating clump of troll-fodder!! I'll gut you like a dire cockroach!"

[Yagathai]

Hm. I'm not sure about the Charge thing, but let's play through for now. And yes, chest. It's a B5, VA 2 to you.

Armor check:

Roll 1: 6, 3, 4, 5, 4 = 5 successes. Tonk!

"Do you kill and eat your mother with that mouth?" Arben grunts as he returns the orc's blow with one of his own.

[Drekk]

Actually, please see my PM and corrected post. Neither blow lands.

[Yagathai]

Wait a second. Not rerolling when you mess up the roll is one thing. But then you did reroll, posted those rolls, and now you want to switch back to the first roll after you've seen the results? You can't cherry-pick which set of results you want to keep. I cry foul.

[Drekk]

Wait a second. Not rerolling when you mess up the roll is one thing. But then you did reroll, posted those rolls, and now you want to switch back to the first roll after you've seen the results? You can't cherry-pick which set of results you want to keep. I cry foul.

Let's continue this in the commentary thread.

[Drekk]

B5 VA 2 to my chest, an ob 3 armor test for my 6D breastplate.
Roll: 6, 1, 5, 5, 6, 1 = 4 successes. Where were those successes before?! But now my "free 1" on my chest is gone. Next time I roll a 1, it may damage the armor.

On to Volley 2!

[Drekk]

Positioning for E3, Volley 2:
B4 + 1D charge + 1D closing last volley + 1D speed multi + 2D stance + 2D Unrelenting Savagery = 11D
Roll: 5, 1, 6, 5, 2, 6, 5, 3, 5, 6, 5 [last 6 re-rolled for a 6, re-rolled again for a 2] = 9 successes. Again, were were these before?

Natural Defenses (Power): B4 = 4D (no Unrelenting Savagery)
Roll: 4, 5, 1, 5 = 3 successes, -1 for moving quickly = 2 net successes.

Color to follow after the net result is determined.

[Yagathai]

V2 Positioning: Maintain

6D Power + 1D

Roll 1: 1, 6, 4, 6, 1, 3, 6 = 4 successes - 1 Ob Supie wound = 3 successes

[Drekk]

The orcish Head-taker, feeling the clang of the dwarf's axe against his breastplate, shuddered as the dwarf's earthen smell filled his nostrils. Revolted and enraged, the orc vomited upon his own armored torso and arms, screaming at Arben, "Come close again, dwarf! I'll show you this mouth! I'll bite out your tongue and choke you with my vomited bile!! It will be YOUR mother I'll be eating!!" Bellowing this last epithet, he launched himself at the dwarf.

As he crashed into the dwarven lord and knocked Arben to the floor of the cave, the orc saw and felt the dwarf's arms grappling him. "Aaagghklk! Get your pathetic soft and stubby limbs off of me!" The lustre of the beautiful Dwarven Mail filled his eyes with a shining gleam that curdled his malice; DAMN the pretty things and the hated races who wear them!! With a cry of unbridled rage, he spat a bloody mass of mucus and bile into the eyes of Arben's mask, tore his arm away from the dwarf's grasp, and hurled the dwarf away.

[Yagathai]

V2 A1: Lock!
Roll 1: 1, 5, 2, 2, 6, 5 = 3 successes -1 Ob Supie wound = 2 net successes.

[Drekk]

V2 A1: Lock!
Roll 1: 1, 5, 2, 2, 6, 5 = 3 successes -1 Ob Supie wound = 2 net successes.

Not that it matters, but I believe we're at optimal, since that's where a successful Charge leaves us. So you'd be at +2 ob for your lock. But I had 2 net successes on ND anyway, so it doesn't actually make a difference.

On to volley 3!