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[Sir Knight]

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Now to see just how complicated this can get.  Starting with rolls, then escalating to rolls.

Spoiler: Who's feeling observant today? (click to show/hide)

Result: 3, Succeed weakly!

Gary and Dustan have a conversation of alternating antagonisms, but the combination of distant shouting, the departure of the one other swordperson standing nearby, and certain "get moving already" hand gestures from same, gets them in motion after the crowd.

In the northern dig, Alyssa makes a firm request for "an explanation for what has happened and why"--just as firm as your attitude that you will not be involved in this nonsense if it comes to blows.  The swordsfolk are fanning out in front of you, and Dwain is cautiously approaching the body.

"We have welcomed the beasts of the underground with open arms.  Walls fell before the might of sparkstone, and nature was freed to prey on humanity!"  ("We took a step out of range at that point" remarks another.)

"When we heard your return, we suspected nothing short of the ruin of your civilized 'building' would repulse you, and so we set it ablaze!"  ("Which was nice because it drew the big ones over there and not here" says the other in addendum.)

"This is nothing but careless destruction!" retorts a warrior from Salt.

Dwain has reached the body to find that it, too, is an older corpse long-chewed by wildlife.  It has been vaguely-mummified by sheer presence of rock salt.

The group as a whole is already looking aggressive when Tohil comes up behind shouting about beasts as "just one of the challenges we must overcome, separating the weak from the strong."  There's a small explosion of some sort, and a scuffle breaks out!



(It's not a very large explosion.  It's the "dust" next to the warrior at the southwestern tip of the northern dig.)

Spoiler: Combat round order (click to show/hide)

4, 5, 1, 3, 2

. . . Magician A, magician B, swordperson C, swordperson I, swordperson D, at least for those involved at this point.

Spoiler: Scuffle plus magic (click to show/hide)

Magician's combat table, sparkstone spells:

1: Fail terribly
2: Succeed weakly
3: Succeed
4: Succeed greatly
5: Fail by succeeding

Magician A attack roll: 2, Succeed weakly!
Damage roll (1d4-1): 3-1 = 2!
Swordperson C, HP: 4/10

Magician's combat table, iron mace, target is armored against blunt attacks:

1: Fail terribly
2: Fail
3: Fail
4: Succeed weakly
5: Succeed
6: Succeed
7: Succeed greatly
8: Fail by succeeding

Magician B attack roll: 6, Succeed!
Damage roll (1d6+1): 2+1 = 3!
Swordperson D, HP: 7/10

Swordperson combat table as before

Swordperson C attack roll: 7, Fail by succeeding!
Damage to magician A (1d6+1): 1+1 = 2!
Magician A, HP: 8/10
Damage to self (1d6+1): 1+1 = 2!
Swordperson C, HP: 2/10

Swordperson I attack roll: 7, Fail by succeeding!
Damage to magician B (1d6+1): 3+1 -2 (paralysis) = 2!
Magician B, HP: 8/10
Damage to self (1d6+1): 1+1 = 2!
Swordperson I, HP: 5/10

Swordperson D attack roll: 6, Succeed greatly!
Damage roll (1d6+6): 6+6 = 12!
Magician B, HP: 0/10

On the near lip of the dig, immediately next to an approaching warrior, a rock explodes with a teeny tiny boom and showers him with needle-like shards!  It's a magic spell!  Other warriors meet one of the interlopers in the middle of the pit, and he starts swinging a mace with bloody accuracy.  The warriors themselves stumble in response, particularly one still dealing with the effects of rock hydra saliva, but in the end they behead him outright.

Magician B has been struck down!

Solde reaches the lip of the dig and calls out "Take them alive!"  He halts in witness of the bloodshed before him.  "Or try to, anyway."

[ziizo]

you heard the boss run towards the closest cultist and tackle/hug him/her to spread my paralizing robe effect in him/her

[Dustan Hache]

"I'll take this one all on my own!"
Charge and drop-kick magician A to take him out of the fight!

[randomgenericusername]

"You were warned! And now, you will face the cleansing flames of our Sun!"

Lunge at Magician C and chop it's head off! If he's too far, move as closely as possible and use my sling.

[Dustan Hache]

"You were warned! And now, you will face the cleansing flames of our Sun!"

Lunge at Magician C and chop it's head off! If he's too far, go for Magician A (unless Dustan refuses).

please avoid magician A.

[randomgenericusername]

Sure, I edited my action.

[Sir Knight]

(Aww.  You people are great.  Pity I didn't give you even more miscreants to tackle in various ways.)

(Yet.)

[randomgenericusername]

I have a question: If I took bloodbinding, would that prevent me from learning/taking any other powers that exist in the underground? For example, the magic these cultists are using or the wastrel magic?

[Sir Knight]

Some of that is already known.  Bloodbinding is "the shortcut to magical power."  Titan and Europa explained over here:

"Our society survives because of the bounty of the underworld's minerals; indeed, many thrive on healthstone alone.  There are lessons to be learned within them; a philosophy of life.  With years of study you may draw upon their powers, but in gratitude for your good service, we can offer you bloodbinding."

In context, I'm more than willing to remind you of this conversation.  Now, when it comes to the hoarding wastrels, there is no publicly-revealed information to which you can refer; you'd just have to pore over the encounters with them and see if you can learn anything.  (Don't worry, I'll gladly explain more in the future if it comes to that.)

But in answer to your question, I would gladly allow storytelling stuff like, e.g., your character being interested in apprenticeship to someone who does alchemy, or magic, or miraculous religion, or whatever.  I have (undisclosed) precedent for gradually developing changes over time.  As far as you know, bloodbinding would not prevent this.  It's just that bloodbinding is so much more efficient for a game mechanic.  (And I'm delighted that people have found it worth using!)

[Coolrune206]

Gary figured that if he tried to help, he'd end up killing someone, either one of the enemies they were supposed to capture, or an ally. Thus, he stayed back and watched the fight.

[Starver]

I think I'm closer to this one under threat of some form of bodily separation. I haven't seen any direct unprovoked attack upon us yet (wildlife provocation and arson, yes) so I shall revert to my continuing plan of surprising this Friend Of The Rock-type person by advancing threateningly (but 'unarmed') upon them and choosing my moment to Splitter the ground beneath/beside/near them, for additional distraction. Maybe even capturing them if I do it right. (Process the charavyer sheet, whirl those stats and roll those dice, mister gamesmaster, sir!)

[Rautherdir]

Head back around the corner, wait for the fight to be over.

[Sir Knight]

Right, seemed likely.  And so that's everyone!  I'll update as I can.

[Sir Knight]

Previous -- Next

I've got a LOT of combat maneuvers here.  Some of them are sneaky hidden things, too, that will modify what you see as successes or failures for known actions.

Spoiler: Combat round order (click to show/hide)

6, 5, 4, 10, 2, 7, 3, 8, 1, 9

. . . Swordperson D, swordperson C, Tohil, magician C, John, swordperson E, Dwain, swordperson I, Dustan, magician A.

Spoiler: Complicated things that hopefully don't end in more death than intended (click to show/hide)

Here are two actions related to combat maneuvers:

Result: 5, Succeed greatly!
Result: 5, Succeed greatly!

Now, two rolls that are mysterious:

Result: 3, Succeed weakly!
Result: 4, Succeed!

Then I roll in a "completely normal manner" for the rest of it

Swordperson D subdual roll: 1, Fail terribly!

Swordperson C subdual roll: 5, Succeed greatly!

Tohil's combat table as before for roaring axe

Tohil's attack roll: 3, Succeed!
(I do not roll for damage, however, because this effect is not enough to overcome other effects and other rolls.  You'll see.  It includes a little magic.)

Magician C's flee roll: 4, Succeed!

John's you-like-magic-well-how-do-you-like-HUG-MAGIC roll: 2, Fail!

However, the presence of the robe will have an effect on rolls from subsequent people, including the target.  The basic d6 for a combat maneuver gets an extra entry for paralysis.

Swordperson E subdual roll: 1, Fail terribly!

Dwain's rock-and-roll roll: 4, Succeed!

Swordperson I subdual roll: 2, Fail!

Dustan's I-don't-know-how-to-drop-kick-a-person-who-weighs-as-much-as-you-but-whatever roll: 5, Succeed greatly!

Magician A is using magic to repel capture, now near an individual wearing an amnesiac robe:

1: Fail terribly
2: Succeed weakly
3: Succeed
4: Succeed greatly
5: Fail by succeeding
6: Fail by succeeding (with paralysis)

Magician A's shake-'em-off roll: 3, Succeed!

( . . . This is compared to the good results from the others attempting capture.  For the most part, it is an onrushing pile of human failure, but the magician's Succeed is still outmatched by the two Succeed greatly results.  In this case, however, it's more complicated: magic is in its favor, and then on the other side swordperson C is attempting capture, but Dustan, by definition, would release the target during the alleged incapacitating dropkick.  I judge that magician A will deal damage but will not avoid being rendered prone UNLESS the damage happens to kill swordperson C.  I choose a target for the magic at random from a group including swordperson C, Dustan, and the two people who rolled Fail terribly.)

Damage roll (1d6+1): 4+1 = 5!
Swordperson D, HP: 2/10

(Splendid for the storytelling, as that was the first person to attempt subdual.)

Upon Solde's command, eager individuals rush to bring down the interlopers!  Gary and Alyssa turn back around.  With no more masses of smoke, you can even see into the operations building.  Ooh, looks like a good place to shelter from explosions, fireballs, or pretty much anything except problems with the roof.

The swordperson who just partook of a beheading is the first to reach the figure on the west slope.  The magician gives a sort of "woop!" exclamation and activates some kind of shaky vibrate-y magic in the air around him that flings her to the salty slope.  The next swordperson grabs him despite the waves of force and drags him into the pit!

In the east Tohil charges up from behind Dwain with murder in his eyes.  So much for nonlethal methods!  The roaring axe glows as only glowstone can.  The magician looks distracted, but if anything she doesn't look afraid of fire; instead she backs up and barely avoids the first two-handed swing.  To a large extent this is due to a problem with footing . . .

But on the other side, John has descended to the pit with a flying tackle intended to make that amnesiac robe do the work for you.  An unfortunate miss!  Then the next swordperson whiffs a neck grab so badly that you think he's going to get himself hurt!

Back at the east, Dwain, thinking strategically, has gone for the dramatic.  And a splitter wand.  BOOM! goes a wall of rock salt, directly underneath the combatants!  But . . . no!  The magician was ready for this, and she's off like a shot for the crevice in the far wall!  Tohil, instead, falls mid-swing in a horrible shower of salt, and Dwain is left to clamber up the slope in pursuit of the escaping villain.

One more swordperson grabs and misses the slippery magician in the pit, but the overall trajectory brings them straight to Dustan.  You accept the "handoff," redirect some momentum, and let the flailing magician's stomach fall flat across your knee.  He gives a "whoof!" which is significantly quieter than his initial cry and collapses to the ground.



I depicted Dwain (Starver) and magician C in the top right corner, but by the time next turn rolls around they'll be out of sight.  Starver: unless your next action would bring you back into the view of the group, please send it to me via private message.

[Coolrune206]

Gary shrugs, enters the house, and returns to his crafting efforts.