Might and magic, Lords of the Contested Lands

Game Master Chyrone

Oh hooray, money! Thanks for tracking this, guys. I know that can be a lot of work. I'm noting mine down.

Oof. Apologies for dropping off the map again last week. Wife and both kids caught serious flu. Catching up tonight.

It's the season for it. May they be back up and about when Christmas hits the calender.

Merry x-mas!

Just FYI that I'm traveling for the holidays and will be spotty on my posting until January 2nd.

Happy new year!

Happy New Year to you as well. :)

Happy New Year and I'm happy to be back to my routine. Catching up now after my travels.

Sorry. PC crapped out for a couple days. Just got it back to functioning.

I received a PM from Daniel's player. They've been under the weather quite some, and hope to return soon.

"First you attack us, then you insult us, then you demand we go do your fighting for you, and now you tell mah to apologize? The lot of you have lost yer minds! Surely your troubles are well-earned and Ah'll not be party to it."

With a scratch behind the ears, Strom reassures Sage and the two of them promptly leave the settlement, never to return.

I haven't had opportunity to play an equally passionate NPC dwarf arguing back before, this happening is slightly unexpected, but no heroic fantasy movie is without heated discussions at some point or another.

Strom, then i have a question i was wondering about.
Your diplomacy is a good +9 though. Was the course of an exchange of heart between dwarves, resulting in this development, solely an RP thing? Or was perhaps the amount of bonus under the radar?

I don't really know what to think. I tried to play this organically through RP and not metagame it to simply accept that we were attacked and now we're expected to put ourselves in danger on their behalf because plot without so much as an offer of a bowl of soup for our troubles.

In general it feels like every NPC expects to be able to treat the party like a rented mule and just kick us to go left or right. It's like we're in a Gregory Maguire novel and everyone is hyper-jaded.

Kinda lost, honestly. To answer your question, some of my own frustration is bleeding through.

I don't really know what to think. I tried to play this organically through RP and not metagame it to simply accept that we were attacked and now we're expected to put ourselves in danger on their behalf because plot without so much as an offer of a bowl of soup for our troubles.

In general it feels like every NPC expects to be able to treat the party like a rented mule and just kick us to go left or right. It's like we're in a Gregory Maguire novel and everyone is hyper-jaded.

Kinda lost, honestly. To answer your question, some of my own frustration is bleeding through.

This is no intention of mine, i would add. Not every NPC expects you to be the mule. The old elf is suggesting working together, and usually soup and a mug of ale, happen after introductions and clearing up a misunderstanding two parties find themselves in.

The sole thick skulled blockhead in the settlement happened to be that dwarf. Though as the redhead brought up, he does not speak for the rest of the settlement. They took no hostile attitude towards the group, aside from frowns at the discussion going on.

Meta, no visitors were expected to come by during that mass funeral absence, save maybe daring goblins they expected the guardian able to handle.

That said, i hope this one guy arguing back, will not turn you away from saving the lands, or the story as a whole.

Good news everyone. I should be back properly after Wednesday. Thank you for your patience.

Glad to see we're not losing Strom and the villagers are finally being a bit easier to talk to.

@Strom,

English is not my native language, and i think using the word grievance in the druid's spoiler, may have given a wrong impression.

Replace 'grievances' with 'firm words', different context, i'd imagine. The dialogue was meant to suggest the person to rightfully earn your scolding, was the townie for his lacking, the others not wanting innocents hurt by the guardian.

This druid is meant to be far from obnoxious.

Does this change anything for you?

I don't think there's anything wrong with your word choice. I have tried to play Strom as affable and in this event he felt truly insulted. I thought the angry old dwarf is the druid, and that's where Strom's temper was directed. If we want to keep going on this - not my preference - Strom thinks that putting all the blame on the lackey demonstrates a failure of leadership, and continuing to berate Strom reveals deep insecurity. If you were writing a novel those would be interesting character traits and our dialog could set the tone for more troubles with this town; it's a town that needs us but doesn't want us. The NPCs are desperate while untrusting. But in this context, as a player, I'd prefer to move ahead.

I don't think there's anything wrong with your word choice. I have tried to play Strom as affable and in this event he felt truly insulted. I thought the angry old dwarf is the druid, and that's where Strom's temper was directed. If we want to keep going on this - not my preference - Strom thinks that putting all the blame on the lackey demonstrates a failure of leadership, and continuing to berate Strom reveals deep insecurity. If you were writing a novel those would be interesting character traits and our dialog could set the tone for more troubles with this town; it's a town that needs us but doesn't want us. The NPCs are desperate while untrusting. But in this context, as a player, I'd prefer to move ahead.

Ok.

A rough setup of the town is on, at slide #11.

Main road leading into the village would be coming from #12, the main square. There are still some small number unseen houses around it near to the southwest, but that didn't fit in there anymore.

Traveling for work this week. Pbp will be limited.

Enjoy the travel.

@ Astella, roof sniper.
Flat, steep, very steep: 1d3 ⇒ 3
The roof is unfit to stand upon.

It does have a 2nd floor with a couple of windows at every side. The best view for shooting, covers the converging area around the school.

Houses and everyday obstacles tamper with proper los from each route otherwise.

Houses, being lower elevation, would have flatter roofs. You can of course hunker down at the school, but that means the route not covered will get either plundered, or Fairbrooke defenders will be split up over 3 routes instead of 2.

Both beartraps and the newly summoned guardian will pick off some goblins before they get into a fight on any of the routes.

I assume us having defenders weakens the other areas? If so, I'm ok with us trying to do it without any NPC defenders.

Severa shrugs regarding the comment. "Cruel it may be but I am not concerned about that when they come to threaten your lives and livelihood..."

I will put bear traps in some places on the map depending on where we choose.

Mentioned above, the beartraps pick off goblins prior to fighting.

He does not say it, but he wonders if this was an effective use of spells, given the relative ease with which his own party defeated the previous guardian.

You guys did have decent attack rolls, things considered.

okay, no "hunkering down" at the school. Proceed with however you think it should go.

Sorry for the late response.

Which route would you like to defend?

I'll roll for a random route tonight.

OK sounds good. Sorry for my distractedness. Had a big work thing this week.

sorry for the disappearance. Me and my ISP had a fight and they lost a customer. Unfortunately, This was during a time where I didn't have phone, so I have been unable to give any updates until now. (I have finally gotten my new phone)

When it rains, it pours as they say

Sorry for the delay. There was less time to leisurely sit down for the map than expected, and my laptop had some technical difficulties the moment i did.

I'll get it as soon as possible.

No worries.

Everyone had a good easter weekend?

Yes, thanks. How about you?

Pretty good, as well, thank you.

Had my cousin over for dinner saturday, went to my aunt's BD party, went to my folks for dinner, over the weekend and monday.

I'm not sure what I think about the goblins running off the map. I get that the world is continuous but a tactical map is a confined space, or at least that's what I've always thought. There should be rules attached to leaving the map, such as combatants must return within X rounds or not at all. What's to prevent them from running all the way around the map to attack us from behind? Can we attack things or target spaces that are off the map? Can I attack, then move off the map to avoid being attacked and then return the next round to attack again? That's more or less what the goblins just did.

I'm not sure what I think about the goblins running off the map. I get that the world is continuous but a tactical map is a confined space, or at least that's what I've always thought. There should be rules attached to leaving the map, such as combatants must return within X rounds or not at all.

1) What's to prevent them from running all the way around the map to attack us from behind?
2) Can we attack things or target spaces that are off the map?
3) Can I attack, then move off the map to avoid being attacked and then return the next round to attack again?
3.b That's more or less what the goblins just did.

Fair questions.

1) They would not. Them leaving the map for this one round, i'll clarify below at 3.b

2) Yes. If by description an enemy is 50ft off the map and in view, fire away to your heart's content. There would be no need to wait until they enter the map. It can happen in organized play, as well.

3) If you want to move off the map, you can. You would find yourself on an undisplayed part of the ongoing encounter, though still part of the area combatants can move in.

3.b I considered this an exception case.
Entanglement is a good spell, and the elder druid had used entanglement in the night attack defense, which resulted in part of the goblins casualties at that time.
It makes little sense for the goblins to walk into something they know not to risk walking into. They would therefor hug the house and reemerge onto the displayed map the following round. No running around the map to attack from the back.

I think it is reasonable to assume that if a PC learns of enemy tactics or powers, they would adapt accordingly. I think it likely professionally trained combatants would as well.

Your suggestion of returning within X number of rounds is a decent one, one i already had in mind, and used as described above. With the current situation and description in mind,

House rule: if a creature decides to move outside of the boundaries of the combat map, that creature must return onto the combat map within the next turn.

House rule: if a creature decides to move outside of the boundaries of the combat map, that creature must return onto the combat map within the next turn.

Better solution, which could have avoided this altogether.
Have maps for such encounters be a better size. I'll fix that tonight.

Sorry, I'm colorblind. Green, dark green, orange, against brown is impossible for me. Red, Yellow, Black, Blue, White is wonderful. Wider borders also helps a lot. Thanks.

I've changed the greens to a red and white.

Orange is KO already, conveniently.

19 misses? These guys are outfitted so much better than I am. Dang.

Sorry for being so distracted this week! Getting back on it.