GM Parrot |
...and note that not every post has to be extensive, especially in combat.
And further (this goes for everyone) if you're busy or on a phone or otherwise unable to do a post, feel free to send what you can:
"On phone, I axe a kobold!"
"Busy tonight: I shoot my bow"
And I can fill in the rest using your character sheet. I am currently very underemployed so I got the time!
Trapper Joden |
It occurs to me I calculated my starting equipment using a level 1 Ranger's average gold. Was there supposed to be a bump to the gold for level 2? I'm always bad about figuring that stuff in unless someone gives me the number during chargen, lol.
GM Parrot |
Yeah, easy to miss that in the shuffle since we decided to go level 2 on the fly. You get your 1000 gp for being level 2, minus whatever you've spent already. Feel free to spend it, or you can just have it jingling in a sack until you get a chance to shop at Zelkor's Ferry--there might be a few deals available for anyone willing to jump into the negotiations between Elma Bourse and her in-town supplier...
Chases Moonlight |
I'm sick and having trouble sorting out the details. Are there any goblins within 20' of Chases Moonlight? Or a charge line 40'?
GM Parrot |
Erm, I think your accomplices have formed a pretty solid wall o' death between you and the kobolds. But you can double move to be part of the wall, ready to get into it next turn (currently limited supply of kobolds permitting).
But Bites Ears is sitting next to the only kobold not in the main group (except of course the one who is currently hightailing it up the river)...
Hakram |
I think we can take them, if we go head on, maybe. I'd like to activate Divine Favor and the Good Blessing on our way.
Tragershen |
Oh, we can totally take them!
Just give me a minute while I refresh my memory on the 'Run' feat. ;)
But seriously, if we can take out the ogre, the rest will probably break and run.
Aurora Fallowarc |
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There's only so many of those many, many kobolds that can actually be attacking us at once... right? Taking out the ogre sounds like a good idea to me, and it doesn't look like we have much in the way of ranged capability so it looks like we might just be wading into a sea of kobolds to do that.
Fortes fortuna juvat? ... Fortes fortuna juvat!
Brand Hornblower |
I echo joden's concern. If we are falling back to the town, why wouldn't we use the raft and want to get back inside the town, as opposed to trying to fall back through the enemy forces?
Aurora Fallowarc |
I'm good with taking the cautious approach as well. It's not as epic as facing down a whole army but it is vastly less likely to see us TPKed at the start, and we're only level 2.
GM Parrot |
The party seems to want to save its own skins--I'll rewind the scene to have you all fall back to the boat and then head around to the town. I'll warn you ahead of time that you face a strong likelyhood of being teased by Captain Lamb and the locals for abandoning the surprise attack; but probably (probably) no repercussions that are too serious...
Also my many apologies for jumping to the wrong conclusion earlier. I'll be more careful in the future!
Chases Moonlight |
I mean, Chases Moonlight always wanted to go in face first here, but she's not crazy enough to go alone.
Brand Hornblower |
Trying to get a bit of clarity, and perhaps it is simply my trouble with visualizing your description, but if we spot a gauntlet with two columns of kobolds on either side of the road, 10 deep, with an ogre at the terminus of it, being forced into this setup seems a little suicidal (they've clearly set up a gauntlet to meet us coming from behind, our surprise attack being blown?), which is why I think the proposal to fall back was made. I would think we would rather attack on the end of the battle line, trying to affect a break there and have it roll up, but being immediately forced to the center (seems like its the option you want us to face with how you jumped from one post by Tragershen to us moving to that scene) of 100 kobolds capped by an ogre, an intelligent and rather unseasoned party would likely forego facing the ogre if possible and choose to fall back.
Now, if you are open to us making an attack on another part of the line I would propose that, but it simply seemed like the only option being laid before us was striking at the vanguard of their assault, hence me echoing Joden's thought to fall back and reinforce.
GM Parrot |
Sigh. Let's take a day to get everyone on the same page. Everyone, please rank the following options based on your preference:
1. Fortunes Fortes Juvat: you attack the ogre and kobold army, trusting that the plan you concocted with Captain Lamb will succeed despite long odds--the first version.
2. Brand's Reassessment: You attack the kobold army in a way that tries to avoid the center and the ogre--would be a new post, adapting the first version.
3. Cautious Boatride: You go back to the longboat and approach the combat from within the walls--the second version.
Aurora Fallowarc |
1 and 3 are pretty closely tied for me, but I'll give 1 a half-point for the sheer degree of style involved in charging an army.
1->3->2.
Chases Moonlight |
I'm all for option 1 assuming the GM isn't out to kill us all just yet.
GM Parrot |
For what it's worth, I'm not a very sadistic GM, and I don't see my role as the antagonist to the players the way some do. I'm never out to kill you.
I don't want to overdiscuss this encounter because I want you to enjoy the sense of making decisions with potentially serious consequences.
Edit: which is to say, I'm putting you down for #1, Chases Moonlight!
Tragershen |
While I originally intended to suggest option 2, I would be game to try 1 or 3. I would say 1; I still think if we can down the ogre quickly, the kobolds would break.
Brand Hornblower |
Ok trying to resolve my confusion, the battle segment you described initially, does it look like:
----------------------------wall
kkkkkkkkkk O kkkkkkkkkk
OR
kkkkkkkkkk !
_________ O ! wall
kkkkkkkkkk !
Does my inquiry make any sense?
Brand Hornblower |
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I appreciate the layout clarity. I confess, being told to run a column gauntlet with an ogre at the top was part of the reason that Brand would have counseled attacking the flank from his scouting vantage point. As my interpretation of the post was clearly incorrect, combined with the fact that 4 of the 6 players have already voted for option 1 (giving it a majority), it looks like Option 1 it is!!!
GM Parrot |
Google Drive link to a doodle like I'd show you if we were playing in person...
Hope this clears it up. Note that the kobolds aren't in nearly so perfect ranks in "reality," I arranged them regularly to help me keep count. The big circle in the road is the ogre. The big blue line is the wall, with its slightly offset gate. The blue slashy line things are water.
I'll doodle us up more maps in the future.
Brand Hornblower |
Love the your parrot hanging out on the map! Yeah, that is totally different from what I was picturing. Hell, my idea of striking the flank doesn't even work. I was thinking it was a LONG line of 120 hitting the wall, with my envisioned "U-shape Gauntlet" before the gate.
GM Parrot |
Joden, what do you think? Will the ranger be dragged, grumbling, into a foolhardy attack on an entire army? Will he choose to fade into the woods? While there would be story repercussions for playing it super safe, I doubt anyone would blame Joden--though he'll either miss out on an invitation the victory party or have a lot of graves to dig, depending...
Chases Moonlight |
Joden has the highest AC in the party against the giant and I could put shield of faith on him if he wanted.
Trapper Joden |
Sorry, figured you were just going by majority vote. My character’s statement is still hanging in the air as Chases and Hakram get ready to lead a roaring charge into what sounds like a line of rooted infantry. So...someone should probably answer him. :P
Brand Hornblower |
Hakram has not posted in any of his threads since Monday, March 26th (I am playing in a game he is GMing). Are you okay with botting him for the combat? In his last post he said Hakram was all for attacking the battle line, and given his enhanced size, would likely charge the ogre.
Chases Moonlight |
So I wanted to apologize for my lack of activity. I've been working lots of 12 hour days and I haven't had a day off in two weeks. I think I'll be able to get things settled down soon, but for now, please bot me as needed.
I will try to post as I can.
As for the plan, Chases Moonlight is down to charge for sure.
GM Parrot |
No apology necessary, I have been working my tail off myself--and while I've had days that long, I also have had days off in the last two weeks. Yeesh. That's a lot of work.
Maybe we should take a couple days off ourselves. Let's hold things up until Saturday, and then hopefully we can get things back into the swing of a post per 24 hours, as I'd originally (and knowingly optimistically) hoped. I very much want this game to succeed and it would be amazing to watch you all discover some of the deeper depths of Rappan Athuk, but it'll take commitment and patience (among other virtues and vices).
Absolutely no hard feelings if anyone ever needs to bow out, and that's not a veiled hint at all. I hope you can all play a while yet, at least until you reach the outer layers of the megadungeon. PbP is sooo slooww though, which, of course, is part of its beauty.
If you receive this message, please post something short so I know, I'm checking the forums several times a day since my last work-wave crested. As they used to say,
"You must gather your party before venturing forth."
Brand Hornblower |
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It does seem everything has become a bit disjointed. I am actively checking at least twice daily, and will continue to do so, hoping the rest of the party checks in and we get back on track!
Aurora Fallowarc |
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Present and accounted for here~
Tragershen |
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Sounds like a good plan. I will check back regularly too, and definitely on Saturday.
I am good with the charge too, I just need a bit of friendly steel between me and the ogre before I rush up. :)
Tragershen |
Thank goodness for the magic GM dice. Let’s hope they lost their fire when the kobolds go.
Speaking of kobolds' fire... :)