[Gameday XIV]PFS #5-24 Assault on the Wound by GM Colin

Game Master Colin_Mercer

Please dot and delete to get yourself added to the game. We will be using Google Slides for maps and RPG Chronicle for tracking, and these will be shared as we get closer to the game’s start date.

You may post your player name, character name, PFS number, and faction here if you wish. Since that information will also be entered into the RPG Chronicle and game listing Google Sheet, I think an out-of-character introduction to what your character can do would help everyone get more familiar with their teammates.

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During its campaign in the Worldwound, the Society has sent agents far and wide to recruit additional aid in capturing Jormurdun. and their effort will be paid off in the form of many unique armies that you may unlocked. If ANY of your character (yes, not just the character you pick for this mission, ALL your characters count for this) have the chronicle sheets for the following adventures, you can unlock a unique armies for your march toward Jormurdun. Please check your chronicle sheets and let me know what armies are unlocked for you to command.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–05: The Elven Entanglement: Elven Uprooters
Loaned to the Society by a combination of favors collected by Venture-Captain Varian Jeggare and the heroic efforts of Pathfinder agents, the Elven Uprooters carry specially crafted demon-slaying weapons and are capable of confounding and disrupting enemies in myriad ways.
Requirement: Accumulating an Army (Elven Uprooters) boon
Granted Army Boon: Hit and Run

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–17: Fate of the Fiend: Jistkan Stone Golems
Recovered from the ruins of Rachikan, these stone golems are few in number but incredibly powerful. Although they are immune to magic and resistant to damage, the constructs are difficult to control in the midst of battle.
Requirement: The character must have received both prestige in 5–17
Granted Army Boon: None

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–10: Where Mammoths Dare Not Tread: Mammoth Riders
The Kellids of the Red Winter tribe have allied with the Pathfinder Society, sending strong berserkers astride towering mammoths to aid the Army of the Open Road.
Requirement: Accumulating an Army (Mammoth Riders) boon
Granted Army Boon: Bloodied but Unbroken

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–07: Port Godless: Riftwardens
Upon rescuing a group of Riftwardens in the city of Azir, the Pathfinder Society earned the organization’s promise of aid in securing Jormurdun. Several dozen Riftwardens have volunteered their services in the upcoming march, pledging their planar sealing abilities and devastating magic to the cause of the Society.
Requirement: Accumulating an Army (Riftwardens) boon
Granted Army Boon: Hold the Line

For Taldor / Sovereign Court faction PCs only: Army of Exploration
Lady Gloriana Morilla has mustered a modest but proud army of aristocrats, retainers, duelists, bravos, and thrill-seekers to carry Taldor’s banner.
Requirement: Must belong to the Taldor/Sovereign Court faction
Granted Army Boon: None
The Army of Exploration becomes stronger if any of your characters have earned boons from other Taldor-related missions during the Year of the Demon.
If you have the Driven By Glory boon (5-03 The Hellknight’s Feast), this army’s Morale modifier increases by +2, and its OM modifier increases by +1.
If you have the Allies from Andoran boon (5-04 The Stolen Heir), increase the army’s hit points by 5.
If you have the Bound for Brevoy boon (5-11 Library of the Lion), increase the army’s DV by +1.
If you have the Horn of Aroden boon (5-19 The Horn of Aroden), the army gains the inspire courage special ability.
I believe other characters' boon count for unlocking, but your PC for this game has to be Sovereign Court to command the Army of Exploration

I have played:

5–05: The Elven Entanglement - Cleric named Deneb
5–17: Fate of the Fiend - Cleric named Deneb
5–10: Where Mammoths Dare Not Tread - Fighter named Justified
5–07: Port Godless - Fighter named Justified, though we were not successful

This character is a dragon Disciple who can become large when he ranes as a swift action. He is mostly melee and has a very few spells.

Google Slide link is up. There're some character information that I would like you guys to fill in (Initiative, Perception, Sense Motives modifier, and the three saving throws). Also, please import your character token into the Google Slide and determine your marching order.

If any of you are mostly phone poster who has difficulty manipulating Google Slides, let me know. I will try my best to help you.

Please fill out the RPG Chronicle sign-in sheet, as that is the system we use to report the game to the VOs, who will report them to Paizo. If you feel uncomfortably using the RPG Chronicle sheet, you can DM me your contact and character info for receiving chronicle sheet, and I will handle the RPG chronicle for you.

The first half of the scenario will utilize Mass Combat Rule instead of the normal character combat rule. (a.k.a Heroes of Might and Magic / Warhammer Fantasy Battle

It is important that you read all the provided handouts and have a basic understanding of the Mass Army Combat

Before each engagement (Mass Combat enocunter), each PC must select a army for themselves to command, selected from the Five King Mountains Support , Mendevian Support , Pathfinder Society Support (these three are Core army thus are available to all players), or a Unique Army that you have unlocked for your PC. The stat block for all the armies are in the Google Slide as handouts. On Campaign Info tab is the description of the terms used in Army statblock and the rules for attacking and stuff. You will be brief about the situation before you select your army. Once you have selected an army to command, you become that army’s commander. If you command a Core army, you may select one of the following commander boons for your army: Defensive Tactics, Flexible Tactics, Loyalty, or Triage.

Core armies are always available, allowing PCs to lead duplicate formations. For example, two PCs could each run an army of Society Field Agents or Mendevian Warpriests. Unique armies can only be selected once; PCs are not allowed to have duplicates of these armies in their force, and a destroyed Unique army is not available in future engagements. If a PC has a boon that would allow her to command a Unique army, but that army is already in use, she can instead add that army’s respective granted army boon to any Core army she commands. The exception to this rule is the Army of Exploration. Thanks to the combined efforts of each Taldor PC, Gloriana Morilla was able to assemble one additional battalion of the Army of Exploration for each Taldor PC after the first. These reduced armies are size Medium and start with 22 hp, 17 DV, and +7 OM before factoring in the boons, and they do not count as Unique armies for the purpose of adding additional enemy armies.

Here are the stat block of the armies in text:

The rules for the Mass Combat turns and combat phases are in Google Slide as handouts.

I have played with other characters #5–17: Fate of the Fiend and #5–07: Port Godless.

Melee fighter with terrain mastery in forests.

FYI - I am traveling and will be home Monday. Will try to post before but regular posting again on Monday.

Vesuvius still needs to be levelled to 6.

I have neither played nor GMed any of the listed scenarios.

As with Vesuvius, I need to level up to 6, but that should be quick once I get to my book.

I don't think I have ever played one of these adventures, none of the names ring a bell. I'll check asap.

It's been quite a time since I last played that character, I have some gold to spend on equipment.

I have credits for all of them except 5-10.

Vesuvius has a lot of GM credit accumulated so there is stuff still to update, but the level up is done.

Slides and RPG Chronicles completed.

I am pretty sure all but port godless

Looks like we have 3 bloodragers, and even more melee. Any thought about someone (I could) switch to another class/roll

If you want, I have few options at this level and almost all are melee.

If you want, I have few options at this level and almost all are melee.

I only have the one character in this tier.

I have no idea what I am doing with these armies, but it looks like the Mendevian Warpriests have the right weapons, so I will go with them.

I have no idea what I am doing with these armies, but it looks like the Mendevian Warpriests have the right weapons, so I will go with them.

The reason that I run this over PbP is so that when situation like this happen, and it will happen, we're not in a 4 or 5 hour time crunch to get out of the game store as we figure out how Mass Combat work.

Basically instead of using your own character to fight an army, you command your own army to fight them, with Mass Combat rules.

I have no idea what I am doing with these armies, but it looks like the Mendevian Warpriests have the right weapons, so I will go with them.

Mendevian Support

Snorri, I'm afraid I need you to start diggin through your chronicle sheets again.

The Mendevian Commendation boon is available from #5-02 The Wardstone Patrol, #5-13 Weapon in the Rift, #5-22 Scars of the Third Crusade. Essentially you get a +1 Morale mod to your Mendevian army for each of these scenarios you played/GMed.

The engagement map is up in slide 1. All of your army will be starting in hex A (yes, army can share/occupy the same hex). I've made tokens for all available armies, and your army tokens have been added to the map.

On slide 2 is the Army of the Open Road Stat Tracker, where I compiled your armies' stat block and abilities, and the stat has been updated with special abilities/army resources' stat modification. The goal is to make it a easily accessable handout you can refer to when playing with Mass Combat rule.

Snorri and Vesuvius, I need you two select an army boon for your army before we can start the engagement.

Attempt at Making a Flow Chart for Mass Combat
============================================================
Day X Start
Each day of the expedition consists of four phases. Start by rolling 1d10, and add your army’s Speed and your Charisma modifier to the result. This result is used like initiative to determine turn order. Me as the GM will roll army initiative for everyone.
Movement Phase
-Move your army a number of hexes up to its Speed score. If you landed in an enemy army’s hex, combat begins at the end of this phase. Otherwise, you’re done for the day.
-You can opt for your army to rest instead of moving for one day. If you do, the army recovers a number of hp equal to its ACR.

Tactics Phase
-GM determines battlefield modifier.
-Choose one of the tactics available to your army. This modifies your army’s stats and performance. I will probably use some colored text to display tactics modifier on army stat tracker

Ranged Phase
-Armies with ranged attacks can make a single attack before the opposing armies meet in melee.
-If both armies have ranged attacks, they may choose to stay at range and do not engage in melee. Otherwise proceed to melee phase.

Melee Phase
-Choose one of the five strategies to modify your army’s stats. Again, colored text will be used to show strategy modifier
-You make an attack against one enemy army (The attack and damage is simutaneous, so army might still deal damage while being wiped out).
-Each turn you can change your strategy by one step (such as standard to aggressive) for free or by more than one step with a DC 20 Morale check. You can also change your tactics with a DC 15 Morale check.
-If an army's HP equal or less than its ACR, then its commander must make a DC 15 Morale check (d20+ army morale mod + commander CHA mod) or the army scatters and retreats from battle. If
it cannot retreat, it surrenders and is captured.
---When army rout, enemy armies can attempt one final Offense check vs fleeing army.

-The melee phase repeats until one side is defeated or has withdrawn.

Day X End
----------------------------------------------
Day X+1 Start
Movement Phase
Tactics Phase
Ranged Phase
Melee Phase.......
Day X+1 End
----------------------
Day X+2 Start
.......

Snorri Thordenskjold wrote:

I have no idea what I am doing with these armies, but it looks like the Mendevian Warpriests have the right weapons, so I will go with them.

Mendevian Support

Special: If any of your characters have earned the Mendevian Commendation boon, increase this army’s Morale modifier by 1 for each such boon your characters possess (maximum 3).

Snorri, I'm afraid I need you to start diggin through your chronicle sheets again.

The Mendevian Commendation boon is available from #5-02 The Wardstone Patrol, #5-13 Weapon in the Rift, #5-22 Scars of the Third Crusade. Essentially you get a +1 Morale mod to your Mendevian army for each of these scenarios you played/GMed.

5-2 - played with Radiance, my assassin bard

3 Mendevian Commendation boons earned.

Cool, that means if Tarragon select a Mendevian Warpriest/Cavalry army for the next engagement, they will have a Morale bonus of 1 + 3 = 4, highest among all armies.

But I still need to hear from Snorri tho.

Ok - tactics: My mammoth riders have a high move. But if I charge in I am likely to get jumped by more than one of the enemy armies. They outnumber us almost two to 1 in total armies.

Is there any way we can learn the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy armies? Do we know if all the cultist armies are the same? And who moves first in the move phase. Seems to me that moving first is a disadvantage.

And can you tell me how trample works?

Ok - tactics: My mammoth riders have a high move. But if I charge in I am likely to get jumped by more than one of the enemy armies. They outnumber us almost two to 1 in total armies.

Is there any way we can learn the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy armies? Do we know if all the cultist armies are the same? And who moves first in the move phase. Seems to me that moving first is a disadvantage.

And can you tell me how trample works?

I can tell you the unit composition of enemy army, some info about their equipment, and some of the basic army special abilities derived from the racial stuff from the base unit. All the cultist armies are of the same size.

As for who move first, I haven't roll initiative yet, as there're still a few things we need to figure out before we can start, namely the army boon for the two core army, and Snorri's armies' morale bonus (# of Mendevian Commendation). It's up to the commander whether they will make moving first into an advantage or disadvantage for their armies.

Trample, instead of having some goofy army-wide combat maneuver, it has been simplified into increasing your army's OM by 1, and is already included in your army stat's calculation. (everything that has an * on the army stat blocks are stuffs that're already calculated into the stat block, which results in the stat blocks I prepared for you being different than the screenshot stat block in slide 6~7)

As for being outnumbered, WELCOME TO THE WORLDWOUND

Flexible Tactics

Flexible Tactics

Unique army have pre-assigned army boon (except golem which have none). It's Snorri's warpriest and Eredur's Siege Master that need to pick a army boon.

I'll do my best to limit any issues from it, but I have a trip next week where I am flying to Seattle on Wednesday and will return on Monday. I should be able to post daily except maybe on travel days.

Any advice on which boon Snorri should choose?

So in Mass Combat, you roll d20 + army's OM and compares it to enemy's DV, and the damage is the difference between your offense result and their defense value. This means that unlike normal Armor Class' meet it beat it, you do zero damage if your check result match their defense value.
Defensive Tactics: The commander is especially good at defensive tactics. Increase the army’s DV by 2.
This simply add 2 to your army's defense value and is always on. I personally haven't play with this Mass Combat rule either but with a player hat on I think straight up number increase is quite good...? This is like, 2 less damage from every enemy, 100% of the time.

That makes sense. Let's go with that one.

I will go with Defensive Tactics for Eredur's army as well since I haven't heard anything despite I've asked him to pick one multiple times.

I am on the road traveling until very late Monday. I'll try to post some while gone but first need to go back and read everything for the third time. I suspect this is gonna go slowly.

Gaston orders sniper support! " Rain death down on the evil bastards!!!"

I am on the road traveling until very late Monday. I'll try to post some while gone but first need to go back and read everything for the third time. I suspect this is gonna go slowly.

No worries. Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.

Snorri Thordenskjold wrote:

I have no idea what I am doing with these armies, but it looks like the Mendevian Warpriests have the right weapons, so I will go with them.

Mendevian Support

Special: If any of your characters have earned the Mendevian Commendation boon, increase this army’s Morale modifier by 1 for each such boon your characters possess (maximum 3).

Snorri, I'm afraid I need you to start diggin through your chronicle sheets again.

The Mendevian Commendation boon is available from #5-02 The Wardstone Patrol, #5-13 Weapon in the Rift, #5-22 Scars of the Third Crusade. Essentially you get a +1 Morale mod to your Mendevian army for each of these scenarios you played/GMed.

I have not played any of those.

I am sorry but I am camping and posting from my phone. September is so busy for me but the rest of the year is much more laid back. I cannot get the dice roller to work with my phone.

Can our GM or anyone really attack Cultist Army 1 for me. Go Aggressive: DV -2, OM +2. Roll should be total +13.

Will be back sometime Sunday and do not want to hold things up.

I just noticed that my token got moved. Is there a reason for that? I clocked it when I realized I wasn't on the initiative order for this round anymore, and if there is a reason we want me to hang back, I can do it, but nobody said anything to me.

Warpriest's movement speed is only 1, so it can only move 1 hex during the movement phase, and you have your token 2 hex away from the starting hex

Ah... gotcha.