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Wuxing
11-15-2004, 09:41 AM
So we're getting close to a climax for our Burning Midnight campaign. The group decides they are going in a mine. They hear gutteral language, obviously greenskins. Then they hear throating, deep growling. Oh, must be dogs. Well, two great wolf mounts straight from the back of the BW book come out. They were'nt really expecting big ass, intelligent wolves so they had a cool effect. What was not so cool to them was ferocious charge.

So the way it reads in the book, they can charge and instead of tackle they try to land a simultaneous charge/strike/lock combo from up to 6-7 paces out. Sounds easy enough. The problem foxandwarlock had with it was that it violated two BW rules. I can't remember both, but I do remember one problem. He gets no natural defenses to the strike (charge?) portion, only the lock portion. At least how I read it.

I'm not interested in strenghts and weakness. I see a huge weakness in the creature, no armor. He will certainly chime in with his opinion. But I guess my basic question is did I handle that right? I can see a different way to handle it based on another read, but I'll post it later.

To facilitate discussion here's the text from the BW book:
These huge wolves have a particular (and vicious) method of engaging an enemy. If they are able, a warg will charge his enemy, starting at about 6 paces away and clearing the gap in a single volley. This is not a typical overbearing attack. Rather it is an elaborate feint used to get their tremendous jaws quickly around the necks of their victims. The ferocious charge gives the wolf +2d to his Savage Attack.

In effect, this attack counts simultaneously as a Strike as well as a Lock--successes count for both the Lock and the Strike. Lock successes must be shrugged off by the defender's Natural Defenses. If the defender fails to shrug off the warg's successes, then the wolf has succeeded in getting his jaws around the throat or an exposed limb. The wargs next action.....(not important to this discussion)

luke
11-15-2004, 12:01 PM
Sorry about that.

Yes, the BW wolf is a bit broken. You might check out page 242 of the Monster Burner for the fixes to the Ferocious Charge. And use the wolves in the Creature Codex in the future -- they're better balanced.

let me know if that helps,
-L

Kublai
11-15-2004, 12:39 PM
To defend against the ferocious charge as described in the rulebook, you could script a block. This would reduce the wolf's sucesses. Then you'd also get to roll your Natural Defenses to reduce the remaining successes. That's how I play it.

Wuxing
11-15-2004, 01:21 PM
Well he had a counterstrike scripted, so we used the block portion to block as much of the strike part of the attack as possible and natural defenses for the lock.

Thanks for the heads up Luke. Funny enough, I decided to get out the Monster Burner this morning after posting and noticed the difference (essentially the removal of the charge). This is much more palatable to everyone. They still don't have to get inside before the strike/lock manuever, but the removal of the 6-ish pace insta-charge is huge change.

Of course I also noticed that they move at greater paces per volley and exchange than the players, so they can avoid out and regroup much easier than the players. So still very very deadly. :twisted:

foxandwarlock
11-15-2004, 01:54 PM
To answer Wuxing's reference to my two issues:

1) They are "sprinting" (since they are "charging) and are not incurring a +4 sprinting penalty to their strike/lock, or to their get inside.

2) They automatically get inside with an "elaborate feint". That was, quite frankly, INSANE.

Glad to see that its all resolved. Can I get my Artha back, W? :twisted:

Wuxing
11-15-2004, 02:21 PM
Glad to see that its all resolved. Can I get my Artha back, W? :twisted:

Suck it up, the fiction will be all the better for it (as you have already admitted). Besides you all earned a deed point for that suicidal stunt, what more could you want?!? :twisted:

foxandwarlock
11-15-2004, 04:21 PM
Two.

mike_ravenwood
11-18-2004, 04:38 AM
Funny how players never count living through an encounter as one of the rewards for a job well done. :D