GM Tarondor's The Queen of Shadows - The One Ring

Game Master Tarondor

Primrose, go!

Primrose swings with her sword in a defensive stance. "Waylon are you all right?" She quickly looks at her companions who are still fighting hard.

Defensive Short Sword: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (4, 1) + (4) = 9

Remember that you can spend a point of Hope to gain an Attribute Bonus (your Body score) to attack tests. Makes it much easier to hit. If you are using a Favoured weapon skill, you can use your Favoured Body score.

Also a reminder about Combat Stances and Combat Options.

Wolf bite v. Morwenn (TN 9+5=14): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (7) + (2, 5) = 14 Hit
Wolf bite v. Morwenn (TN 9+5=14): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (1) + (1, 4) = 6 Miss!

Wolf bite v. Waylon (TN 9+9=18): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (3) + (2, 5) = 10 Miss!
Wolf bite v. Waylon (TN 9+9=18): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (10) + (4, 1) = 15 Miss!

Wolf bite v. Tilly (called shot) (TN 12+8=20): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (12) + (6, 2) = 20 Gandalf Rune! Miss!

Wolf bite v. Primrose (TN 12+6=18): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (9) + (2, 5) = 16 Miss!

A wolf again slides in from the side and seizes Morwenn's ankle, trying to pull her down.

STATUS
Morwenn (WOUNDED, 19/28 Endurance)
Primrose (WOUNDED, 18/23 Endurance)
Tilly (21/26 Endurance)
Waylon (WOUNDED, WEARY, 14/24 Endurance)
Warg Leader (WOUNDED, 7 Endurance lost)
Wild Wolves (Primrose's wolf = 7 Endurance lost)(Morwenn's wolf = 7 END lost, Wounded)

Dead Wolves: 1

Morwenn, you must choose between shaking the wolf off or continuing to attack, as before.

Everyone, go!

Waylon, your Fatigue (18) is higher than your Endurance (14). You are WEARY. As long as a hero is Weary, all the Success dice (d6's) he rolls for any test that end up giving a result of 1,2 or 3 are considered to have rolled a 0 instead.

Tilly continues to thrust her spear, in a defensive stance, at the nearest warg in order to protect Primrose and herself.

Defensive Stance with Spear: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (1, 2) + (9) = 12

Morwenn grits her teeth to pevent herself from crying out when the wolf latches onto her leg.

Her face a mask of grim determination, she raised her sword in both hands and sweeps it down upon the savage canine...

Attack: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (4, 1) + (3) = 8

Waylon takes on a more defensive posture but continues to swing at the wargs in front of him as his injuries erode his strength.

Defensive attack at Warg 2: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (2, 2) + (2) = 6

The dice do not love you. Tilly, a spend of Hope would let you hit here.

Primrose, go!

Do they not love me? Or do they want me to have the unique feeling of getting a massive total of 2 while rolling three dice. On the plus side I could have rolled an 11 and had a super total of zero. So it could be worse.

Primrose continues to stand in a defensive stands and she swings again with her sword.

Defensive Stance Short Sword: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (4, 5) + (6) = 15

Okay, I'm assuming that Tilly has chosen not spend a point of Hope here.

With the hounds baying and the cloying silver mist all around, the ancient city of Fornost Erain narrows to a tiny alley filled with furious servants of the Enemy. Primrose stabs out, her blade piercing a wolf's side! It whines and thrashes on the ground, then begins to crawl away, dying. HURRAH! The last unengaged warg leaps in to take its place.

Morwenn chose not to break free from the warg's grasp, so loses half her Parry bonus for the round! However, the wolf that seized her cannot attack this round, only holds her still for the others.

Wolf bite v. Morwenn (TN 9+3=12): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (7) + (6, 1) = 14 Hit

Wolf bite v. Waylon (TN 9+9=18): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (3) + (1, 2) = 6 Miss!
Wolf bite v. Waylon (TN 9+9=18): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (8) + (2, 6) = 16 Miss!

Wolf bite v. Tilly (TN 12+8=20): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (4) + (5, 1) = 10 Miss!

Wolf bite v. Primrose (TN 12+6=18): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (10) + (3, 1) = 14 Miss!

As one wolf holds Morwenn's leg, the other tears at her thigh with its fangs!

STATUS
Morwenn (WOUNDED, 17/28 Endurance)
Primrose (WOUNDED, 18/23 Endurance)
Tilly (21/26 Endurance)
Waylon (WOUNDED, WEARY, 14/24 Endurance)
Warg Leader (WOUNDED, 7 Endurance lost)
Wild Wolves (Morwenn's wolf = 7 END lost, Wounded)

Dead Wolves: 2

Morwenn, you must choose between shaking the wolf off or continuing to attack, as before.

Everyone, go!

As the other wolf presses it's attack, Morwenn realizes she must get the one wolf off of her leg, swinging her sword back around and down upon it's back...

Attack: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (3, 6) + (5) = 14

will spend another point of Hope if needed to hit...

Nope! That'll do it! It's also a Great Success, so you add your Damage (your Body score) to the damage!

With a fury driven by desperation, Morwenn slices down into the wolf's neck, killing in instantly!

Everyone else, go!

Primrose screeches just a little as another warg takes the place of the one she just attacked. "How many more of them are there!?" At least they haven't been biting me.

Defensive Stance Short Sword: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (1, 1) + (12) = 14

Gandalf Rune! An automatic hit!

Battling desperately, Primrose stabs another wolf, slicing into it haunches and injuring it. The warg snarls in anger and pain and spits a curse at her in its own dark tongue.

Tilly and Waylon, go!

Yes, the dice bot hates me. I consistently roll low. :(

Still back to back with Primrose, Tilly keeps on defending them from encroaching/attacking wargs, or attempting to.

Defensive Stance Spear: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (5, 1) + (1) = 7 (And there you go again. It really does hate me.)

Waylon remains defensive as he tries to land a blow on one of the wargs.

Defensive Stance and attack Warg 1: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (4, 5) + (4) = 13

I feel the overwhelming need to smack something so can I succeed if I spend a Hope point? If so I will.

Waylon, you haven't been on defensive. You've been on Open stance. If you're moving back to defensive, your TN goes up, but so does the TN necessary to hit you. Do you still want to go to Defensive Stance?

I honestly haven't been making it harder to hit for those in Defensive Stance, but will start now. The TN in Open is 9+Target's Parry. In Defensive its 12+Target' Parry.

The wolves have a Parry of 5, so when you're in Open, their TN is 14. When you're in Defensive, it is 17.

I went to take a Defensive Stance in the previous round after I started taking the big penalties figuring I couldn't hit without rolling well anyway and I would prefer to not go down. Do I get the favored or normal body bonus to the attack roll when I spend a hope point on a melee attack I am trained in?

Waylon: Long-Hafted Axe is a favoured weapon for Woodsmen (maybe you could mark it as such on your sheet). Thus, if you spend Hope when using it, you get to use your Favoured Body score. Any other weapon uses your normal Body.

Waylon's Favoured Body score is 6. Add this to his roll of 13 and that gives a 19, easily enough to hit this wolf. he's wielding that axe one-handed, so he does 5 damage.

With a surge of determination, Waylon slices into his enemy with his woodsman's axe!

With Morwenn out front in Open stance and the other three in Defensive stance, the wolves shift. Three wolves attack Morwenn and one each attacks Waylon, Tilly and Primrose.

Wolf bite v. Morwenn (Open Stance)(TN 9+3=12): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (1) + (1, 3) = 5 Miss!
Wolf bite v. Morwenn (Open Stance)(TN 9+3=12): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (1) + (3, 2) = 6 Miss!
Wolf bite v. Morwenn (Open Stance)(TN 9+3=12): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (7) + (4, 5) = 16 Hit

Wolf bite v. Waylon (Defensive Stance)(TN 12+9=21): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (2) + (1, 1) = 4 Miss!

Wolf bite v. Tilly (Defensive Stance)(TN 12+8=20): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (3) + (4, 2) = 9 Miss!

Wolf bite v. Primrose (Defensive Stance)(TN 12+6=18): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (3) + (2, 5) = 10 Miss!

Morwenn, daughter of the Dúnedain, seems indefatigable, fighting on without growing weary. Another wolf bites her, trying to hold her leg. Blood runs from many wounds, yet she is unbowed.

STATUS
Morwenn (WOUNDED, 15/28 Endurance)
Primrose (WOUNDED, 18/23 Endurance)
Tilly (21/26 Endurance)
Waylon (WOUNDED, WEARY, 14/24 Endurance)
Warg Leader (WOUNDED, 7 Endurance lost)
Wild Wolves (Morwenn's wolf = 7 END lost, Wounded)(Waylon's wolf = 7 END lost)

Dead Wolves: 2

Morwenn, you must choose between shaking the wolf off or continuing to attack, as before.

Morwenn, any more END lost and you will become WEARY.

Everyone, go!

Waylon keeps up the defensive stance as the battle continues to wear on him.

Defensive Stance Attack on warg: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (3, 5) + (9) = 17

So close but sadly I am hurt.

A 17 hits!

Though the wolves bites are telling, Morwenn fights on, slicing down upon the wolf currently worrying her leg....

Attack: 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (5) + (6, 4) = 15

Great Success for Morwenn!

Waylon, I see what you mean. That 3 is a 0 because you're Weary. So no hit.

Tilly and Primrose, go!

I'm not really available to post this week per my discussion post of last week, but I'll post this attack since I have a minute spare at work. (If I'm botted this week, Tilly will keep a defensive stance and will not be using her hope points, unless it's absolutely necessary. I'll be back to regular posting on 4th June. Thanks!)

Tilly continues to take a defensive stance and attacks the nearest warg with her spear.

Defensive Stance Spear (TN 17): 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (4, 2) + (10) = 16

Spends a pt of Hope for a total of 16+6=22. Will note it on my sheet.

(Spear damage: 5 edge: 9 injury: 14 enc: 2)

So I think I did hit. I put the reason why in Discussion.

Primrose stays in her defensive stance, and slashes at the nearest wolf again. "Stay strong everyone."

Defensive Stance Short Sword: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (4, 4) + (4) = 12

Wolf Protection Test v. Tilly (TN 14): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (6) + (6, 1) = 13 WOUND!

Waylon and Morwenn slash out, each killing a wolf, while Tilly exerts her fullest effort and wounds another!

With half his pack now dead at the companion's feet, the great Warg Leader howls a frightful cry. So vile and full of malice is that cry in the fog that you feel your blood run cold!

The wolves shift. One attacks each of you.

Wolf bite v. Morwenn (Open Stance)(TN 9+3=12): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (3) + (1, 6) = 10 Miss!

Wolf bite v. Waylon (Defensive Stance)(TN 12+9=21): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (9) + (2, 6) = 17 Miss!

Wolf bite v. Tilly (Defensive Stance)(TN 12+8=20): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (12) + (4, 2) = 18 Miss!

Wolf bite v. Primrose (Defensive Stance)(TN 12+6=18): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (1) + (1, 3) = 5 Miss!

I need a TN 14 Fear Test from each of you. A Fear Test is accomplished by rolling the Feat Die (d12) and a number of Success dice (d6's) equal to the character's Valour rating. You can spend Hope to add your Heart Attribute to the roll. If you fail, you are disheartened and cannot spend Hope again during the encounter.

STATUS
Morwenn (WOUNDED, 15/28 Endurance)
Primrose (WOUNDED, 18/23 Endurance)
Tilly (21/26 Endurance)
Waylon (WOUNDED, WEARY, 14/24 Endurance)
Warg Leader (WOUNDED, 7 Endurance lost)
Wild Wolves (Tilly's Wolf: 7 END, WOUNDED)

Dead Wolves: 4

Everyone, go!

Waylon grows cold at the sound of the warg and slashes at the wolf to no avail.

Fear TN 14: 1d12 + 1d6 ⇒ (5) + (4) = 9

Defensive Stance Attack on the Wolf: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (6, 2) + (4) = 12

PING!

Fear TN 14: 1d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (3) + (4) = 7 (Honestly, dice bot - why do you hate me so?! Tilly is disheartened as is her player. ;p)

The great warg's howl assailed her heart and Tilly grew cold and disheartened by the sound.

Still, the Breelander stood her ground, and, continued to defensively fight, attempting to hit the nearest warg.

Defensive Stance with spear attack on nearest warg (TN 17): 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (3, 5) + (7) = 15

Primrose, Morwenn, go!

Fear, TN14: 1d12 + 1d6 ⇒ (9) + (2) = 11
Using 1 hope to boost the roll by 5

The warg's howl assails Morwenn's resolve but she shakes off the disheartening feeling and renew's her attack..

Attack: 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (9) + (5, 2) = 16

Morwenn injures yet another wolf as it springs at her over the bodies of its dead companions.

Primrose continues to defend against the wolves, hoping for a lucky break.

Primrose Fear Test TN 14: 1d12 + 1d6 ⇒ (11) + (3) = 14 The Eye of Sauron means a miss. Primrose cannot spend Hope.

Defensive Stance Short Sword: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (2, 3) + (4) = 9 Miss.

The great warg leader now throws itself into the fray, going for the kill on Morwenn now that its prey has been worn down.

Warg Leader bite v. Morwenn (Open Stance)(TN 9+3=12): 1d12 + 3d6 ⇒ (4) + (4, 2, 3) = 13 Miss!

Wolf bite v. Morwenn (Open Stance)(TN 9+3=12): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (11) + (4, 1) = 16 Eye of Sauron: Automatic Hit

Wolf bite v. Waylon (Defensive Stance)(TN 12+9=21): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (2) + (5, 6) = 13 Miss!

Wolf bite v. Tilly (Defensive Stance)(TN 12+8=20): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (8) + (6, 6) = 20 Hit. Extraordinary Success.

Wolf bite v. Primrose (Defensive Stance)(TN 12+6=18): 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (6) + (3, 4) = 13 Miss!

While Morwenn manages to block the warg leader's attack, it is merely a feint - the other wolf tears at her exposed flank and seizes her leg.

Primrose and Waylon fight on gamely, but Tilly's wolf gets completely past her guard and savages her left leg.

STATUS
Morwenn (WOUNDED, 13/28 Endurance)
Primrose (WOUNDED, 18/23 Endurance)
Tilly (13/26 Endurance, WEARY)
Waylon (WOUNDED, WEARY, 14/24 Endurance)
Warg Leader (WOUNDED, 7 Endurance lost)
Wild Wolves (Tilly's Wolf: 7 END, WOUNDED, Morwenn's wolf: 5 END)

Dead Wolves: 4

Both Tilly and Morwenn must decide whether to attack or break loose from their wolf. Tilly is now Weary (all 1's, 2's and 3's count as 0 on the Success dice (d6's).

Everyone, go!

Facing only a single wolf, Waylon takes a more open stance and strikes to kill the creature.

Since I am not weary I will go back to the Open Stance.

Open Attack on Wolf: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (4, 6) + (3) = 13

Primrose once again manages to avoid an attack. She notices her companions are getting quite hurt. She changes her stance to open in an attempt to clear out more wolves.

Open Stance Short Sword: 2d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (4, 6) + (9) = 19

So technically the way this works is that at the start of each new round, the players announce their stances and the GM reshuffles the attackers to match the stances, then the players roll. I think that's too long and complicated for a PbP medium, so we'll roll with the way you guys are doing it.

Great Success for Primrose, so she adds her Damage rating (equal to her Body rating=2) to the damage!

Don't forget other options, listed above!

Primrose deftly slides under the wolf's muzzle and stabs upward, injuring it badly!

STATUS
Morwenn (WOUNDED, 13/28 Endurance)
Primrose (WOUNDED, 18/23 Endurance)
Tilly (13/26 Endurance, WEARY)
Waylon (WOUNDED, 14/24 Endurance)
Warg Leader (WOUNDED, 7 Endurance lost)
Wild Wolves (Tilly's Wolf: 7 END, WOUNDED, Morwenn's wolf: 5 END, Primrose's wolf: 7 END)

Dead Wolves: 4

Morwenn, Tilly, go!

Tilly lost 8 pts of Endurance when the warg latched onto her leg? Wow.

With the warg savaging her left leg and as weary as she has become, Tilly attempts to break free of its hold, but alas does not succeed.

Athletics TN 13: 1d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (3) + (10) = 13 (Because she's Weary, the 3 counts as a 0 and the total is 10.)

Tilly lost 8 pts of Endurance when the warg latched onto her leg? Wow.

It was an Extraordinary Success.

Morwenn continues her assault on the wolf worrying at her leg...

Attack: 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (2) + (3, 3) = 8

This is a learning game for all of us, myself included. I just found the rule (p. 230) that an adversary that is wounded is out of the fight. I wonder if that remains true for powerful adversaries like trolls? I imagine they're very hard to wound. Anyway, Tilly's wounded wolf is out of the fight and so is the Warg Leader. I'm declaring this COMBAT OVER!

STATUS
Morwenn (WOUNDED, 13/28 Endurance)
Primrose (WOUNDED, 18/23 Endurance)
Tilly (13/26 Endurance, WEARY)
Waylon (WOUNDED, 14/24 Endurance)

Their leader injured and most of their number dead or dying, the wolves slink off into the silver mist, cursing in their own strange tongue. Old Forgall has also slipped away into the mist.

Congratulations. More later. Must sleep.

"Is everyone all right? I'm hurt, but still standing." she lowers her weapon and breaths heavily.

Waylon cleans his axe and then sheathes it before grimacing and replying, "I took a few hits. I am not sure those wargs could have started that fire, but they were surely ready to strike at us as we came out of the inferno."

GM, if Tilly's warg was out of the fight as soon as she injured it, then did it grip her leg and cause her to become weary? In the narrative it said that "Tilly's wolf gets completely past her guard and savages her left leg" and that's why I ask as I'm not sure if that affects her endurance and weariness (via a retcon and the warg's attack was not an extraordinary success etc).

Aching all over , her breath coming in gasps, Morwenn nonetheless straightens, sheaths her sword and asks, "Where's that old man..."

Back in the saddle!

Tilly - No, I'm going to let everything stand where it is, warts and all. The story is still in good standing, even if all the rules were not followed.

You look around and spot someone laying on the ground in a pool of blood. It takes a moment before you remember the ranger Ardamir. He is moving feebly, but looks to be in his last moments.

"Oh no." Primrose rushes to his side. "Ardamir. How can I help?" she looks at the others. "How can I help? He needs to find his wife. He can't..die." she swallows tears,
He just can't."

Anything I can roll to see if I can help him?

Waylon moves over to Ardamir and lets the song he was singing die away.

Staunching Song: 1d12 + 2d6 ⇒ (12) + (6, 5) = 23

DC 14 to heal Wisdom rating (2), a Great Success is double, and an extraoridnary success is triple. Additionally, Injuries are considered to be treated successfully. I can also spend a Hope point to aid another in the Company. If I can count Ardamir in that I will spend the hope to heal him and keep him alive.

Yes, Primrose, a Healing test might help, or at least get you some information. You can plainly see he's dying, however. Also, while I don't think anyone has one, there are some traits that could help here. Tilly and Morwenn are both trained healers, but Waylon is learned in the craft of (he has Healing 3 and the Leechcraft trait).

Waylon, Ardamir is not a member of your Fellowship, but since the rule uses the undefined term "company", I think we can apply that to any ally. So you are going to heal 4 Endurance points. So will Ardamir, and he will also stop dying. You're both still wounded, though, and will be until you regain all of your Endurance. Because your wounds are considered treated succesfully, you will each gain another 2 Endurance points when you rest.

For everyone else, you will need to rest and/or be treated by a healer to regain Endurance and cease being Weary or Wounded.

It was my intention to kill of Ardamir here, but Waylon's special ability saves the ranger's life.

STATUS
Morwenn (WOUNDED, 13/28 Endurance)
Primrose (WOUNDED, 18/23 Endurance)
Tilly (13/26 Endurance, WEARY)
Waylon (WOUNDED, 18/24 Endurance)
Ardamir (WOUNDED, WEARY, 4/26 Endurance)

We can always part ways quickly if needed.

"Oh thank you Waylon. That was a lovely song. I think we need to find a place to rest. We are all injured and very tired." she looks around the battlefield to see if she can see any of the locals nearby.