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Fair enough, Barbara, just wanted to make sure everyone gets a chance to do something.

Round 1 Total- 7/18. Bart 1, Burgurk 2, Ounce 3, Gummitch 1

Round Two Cards:
Ounce-5H
Gummitch-6C- Complication -2, Strong Wind spirits pushing back against his power
Burgurk-AH
Barbara-JS
Bart-JD
Terry-10H

Everyone is up, only Gummitch has a complication this round (-4 total). The rest are at -2.

Captain Tiller appreciates the newfound ability to see better through the snow and the winds buffeting the craft die down a but as Gummitch attempts to negotiate with the spirits of winter. The next 20 minutes are a bit calmer, but as you get closer to your destination, the winds pick up again.

They can help, I would say they can offset the penalties to vision by a small amount. The light refracting off the snow and amplified by the NVGs would make your vision seem blurry. Still better than nothing in the dark!

After some percussive maintenance, Bart gets the navigation system going again. The cold, despite Captain Tiller's assurance, is messing with the aircrafts systems. Some of the gear inside the cargo area shifts a bit, but Burgurk's quick reaction and powerful psychokinetic strength keeps it from hitting anyone.

Tiller calls back over the howl of the wind outside. "Yeah, I've flown your team before. They had a Glitter Boy pilot back then too. She was as sweet as could be. Jonis Witta, her name was. The reports say she was killed in action defending the team from a horde of nasty things from a Rift. They never found her body though. We still miss her around the castle." He changes his tune though, realizing that you are in a dangerous situation now. "We got this though! You guys are doing great back there!"

Bart got one token and Burgurk got two. That's 3/18. Ounce, Terry and Gummitch still have a chance to help this round. Barbara, if you don't want to roll your own, you can always Support someone else's roll.

Well folks, it's been a month and we haven't heard back from our main players, so I am going to close this one down. While I have enjoyed running it (over 8 years now), it seems it has finally breathed its last. I hope to see everyone again in the next game.

It looks like most of us are good to go. Ounce and Gummitch have their one free reroll, Barbara's GG is fixed and Bart and Terry went shopping at the QM. Unless there is anything else you want to do, I will post the next morning below.

When you are ready:

Monday, December 30th, 109 PA (2395CE). 0630 hours. 10 Degrees F (-12 Degrees C), Light Wind (43mph, 69 Kph), Snowstorm). Northern Arkansas Territory, Castle Refuge. (Lead Hill, AR)

You knew you felt something off before you went to sleep last night. The air seemed colder somehow and you felt a stillness that wasn't calm. Sure enough the next morning brought on a blizzard from out of the nearby Rifts and it was a strong one. While at briefing, you decided to put your armor on just to turn up the heat.

"... so all flights are grounded until we can get through this storm. " Lieutenant McDare was saying as you tuned in. "We can't risk sending aircraft out there at the moment. Our weather forecasters tell us it will last a few more hours and then clear up." That's when she turns to your team. "Except you. We have to move on this Intel and we have to move now before they move their operation and we lose them for good. We have a pilot that can get you there relatively safely, but the weather will be both a benefit and a hindrance. They won't be able to see you right away, but that means you can't see them either. It's going to be tough, but I think your team can handle it."

Cursing your luck, you head to the hangar, which is already full of snow that the custodians are attempting to push out with brooms and a bit of magic. You spot your ship and its pilot right away. The machine is what looks like a kitbash of pre-Rifts aircraft engineering and technomagic. You have been told that it is called a Hu-E, but the model is an ancient MH60 Shadowhawk. This was a special operations aircraft from the American Empire long ago. Its pilot, on Captain Tiller, blonde-haired, blue-eyed and full of wit, is more than happy to tell you its history along the way.

"Well friends, it looks like we're on the way to something important. I got your Glitter Girl all packed up nice and tidy, she'll be ready for you when we get there." He thumbs towards the craft and you can see Barbara's GG strapped to the underside of the aircraft. "Before you ask, I know how much she weighs and yes, my girl can carry yours. It's not the first time." You notice a tear form in his eye which he quickly wipes away. "Anyhoo, let's get your crew all bundled in and we'll have a nice flight in a blizzard. Can't beat that, right?" He grins and he seems awfully sure of his piloting abilities, even despite the cold and blowing snow outside.

The next part will be a Dramatic Task as you fly to your destination. While Captain Tiller can get you there, he can get your there without bumps and bruises and other conditions if you help. Your task consists of three rounds, one for each hour of the journey. You may use any skill that makes sense (i.e. explain how you are using it). You will need to gather a total of 18 tokens before the end of the third round or you will all have some Bumps and Bruises when you land and gaining surprise on your opponents will be more difficult. Due to the weather, you also have a -2 to rolls.

Round 1 Draw:
Burgurk-10D
Ounce-9H
Gummitch-JH
Barbara-7C-Complication additional -2 to rolls.
Bart-Joker +2 to rolls
Terry-KS

While you can go in any order, remember that you can also Support each other as well to try for higher numbers. Good luck!

4 frag grenades and two first aid kits are just fine.

"Well, at least you aren't asking for a Behemoth or something." The quartermaster chuckles at his own joke. "Oh, Specialist Lance, we just got word that your machine will be ready by tomorrow morning. You should be good to go by then. Gotta say, I'm a bit on the jelly side. You guys get to ride in a Hu- E. I've heard they're pretty wiz."

No worries. Get yourselves straightened out, we will still be here.

Grenades are considered ammo, so you can take what you need. Except plasma. Those have to be requisitioned.

The quartermaster watches the interaction between Bart and Barbara with a smile. "Teammates is one thing, but finding good friends in the field is quite another." Pushing a crate of frag grenades to the counter he says, "Take what you need. We have lots of these."

Ounce and Gummitch will have one free reroll each.

The quartermaster looks Bart up and down and says, "Ammo is on the house, but if you want some extra firepower, you're gonna need some requisition papers."

Essentially, everyone gets a d6 requisition roll for what you need, basic small arms need a success, heavy arms is at -2, and vehicles are at -4. The leader of your group, you can decide who that is, gets a d8. So Bart, what would you like?

Major Grimjack looks at each of you, his face screwed into a scowl. "RCSG you say? We need to make certain of that. It sounds like those mercs you hauled in were being paid by them to collect more specimens. For now, the Faelerin you rescued will be put with the rest of them here at Refuge, but I have a feeling there's a lot more out there. One of the shamans estimated over a thousand came through the Rift that brought them here. We have less than a hundred here. Whatever the RCSG is up to, it can't be good if they are collecting living magic batteries." Grimjack stops as Lieutenant McDare walks in. She is more disheveled and frazzled looking than you have ever seen her.

"Sorry, Major, but we've just heard that the Coalition is mounting a large offensive into northern Arkansas. It's getting awfully close to our territory. Command was going to have these guys go and help, but we just got some more bad news. We may have found some Federation units working with the RCSG. While the intel isn't confirmed, the implications are not good. The Lady of Owls herself has tasked this group to go and find out what's going on. We have the coordinates for the facility they are using, and we can provide air transport. We need you ready to go by morning. While Josiah is being temporarily reassigned, Barbara's Glitter Girl has been moved up in maintenance and should be fully repaired before you leave. Do what you can to prepare for combat and be ready to take on some mages. If the Feds are involved, it could be real bad. I'll be in my office if you have questions or Major Grimjack here can fill you in on the details of who we think you'll be facing." With that, she salutes Grimjack and then turns to leave.

Grimjack turns to the rest of you. "Look like you got your wish. You're a team now. Go act like it. Get ready for a fight. I'm sure that if you're going up against spellslingers, you'll need all the help you can get. Dismissed."

You have the rest of the afternoon/evening to prep for your mission. Ask questions, refill ammo (that's free here), talk to each other about plans, etc. I am taking Elsie and Josiah out of the equation for now, as the player hasn't been seen for some time, but I am providing air transport which means you'll be at your destination within hours rather than days. Let me know if you need any more data either through RP with the officers or otherwise. If you spend the evening training a certain skill, it will give you a free reroll during the upcoming mission.

Who wants to give Grimjack the rundown of the mission? Or should we skip it and move on to the next one?

We can run with it. technically, Barbara is already fully healed, the GG took the brunt of the damage and Bart healed her up nicely. This is the RP portion of that, as it takes 20 minutes. I figured you would want to get on your way after that.

Yes, a Repair roll would technically be needed to fix Barbara's cyberware. Since you are on the road and she is by the rules fully healed, you can roleplay it out.

@Terry- The Healing Power is essentially like the Healing skill. Success heals a Wound, Raise heals two Wounds. It just costs power points. (3 if I recall). As I mentioned though, no roll required, only RP

All, everyone should now have two ectra Bennies from the RP and Interludes. You can also spend this time sharing about your characters with the new team. I'll repost the arrival below so when you are finished, we can be ready.

Sunday, December 29th, 109 PA (2395CE). 1523 hours. 34 Degrees F (1 Degrees C), Light Wind (2 mph (3 Kph), Wintry Mix). Northern Arkansas Territory, Castle Refuge. (Lead Hill, AR)

Knowing the route you took to get here, Josiah expertly pilots Elsie through the intervening terrain and over the hills and valleys that make up most of the southeastern territories of the Coalition. Though their hold is tenuous at best, their presence is still felt in many areas. It is this presence that gnaws at you as maintain vigilance heading back to Castle Refuge, a place of relative safety and for the charges with you, the possibility of a new life.

The prisoners are another matter. They are mostly tight lipped about their work with the Coalition and most of what you get out of them is about how much money they were getting paid to collect the slaves, especially the blue ones. However, the mercenaries do not know what the Coalition is doing with them. There is one thing that their leader mentions that sparks a bit of interest. Apparently, some of the soldiers had markings on their armor that the mercenaries hadn't seen before. They were marked with RCSG. Some of you may have heard of it.

After sending Elsie and the Glitter Girl to maintenance, you get some dirty looks from the mechanics as to the state that they are in. You know they will be in good hands though and continue to the briefing rooms.

Lt. McDare is nowhere to be found when you report in, but Major Grimjack certainly is and his usual gruff dwarven demeanor is more abrasive than the norm. "I suppose you yahoos finally found something useful. Else, why are you darkening my office door?"

Glad to hear you are on the mend Terry!

No worries, Terry. Get yourself healed up first. @Barbara- very nice and quite visceral. Well done. Two bennies to you.

Nice! Two Bennies to Ounce and Gummitch, one for the stories and one for Terry's Joker. Anyone else?

Elsie's command suite has that capability. Looks like most of the party agrees to head back. Let's see if something turns up along the way...Nothing of interest, so it is Interlude time: Anyone who wants to tell a story can gain a Benny by choosing either Downtime (what you do in the quiet moments, Backstory (a bit of your history) or Trek (something happens along the way). I am not going to write all out the choices, as they are in the main book, but I can explain certain ones if you like. Here are the draws for each of you:

Interlude Draws:
Burgurk:Spades
Barbara:Spades
Terry:Joker- Everyone Gets a Benny and you can tell any story you want!
Bart:Spades
Ounce: Clubs
Gummitch: Diamonds
I think that is all of our active characters. This is the time to get to know each other in character. When that's done, the arrival is below.

Sunday, December 29th, 109 PA (2395CE). 1523 hours. 34 Degrees F (1 Degrees C), Light Wind (2 mph (3 Kph), Wintry Mix). Northern Arkansas Territory, Castle Refuge. (Lead Hill, AR)

Knowing the route you took to get here, Josiah expertly pilots Elsie through the intervening terrain and over the hills and valleys that make up most of the southeastern territories of the Coalition. Though their hold is tenuous at best, their presence is still felt in many areas. It is this presence that gnaws at you as maintain vigilance heading back to Castle Refuge, a place of relative safety and for the charges with you, the possibility of a new life.

The prisoners are another matter. They are mostly tight lipped about their work with the Coalition and most of what you get out of them is about how much money they were getting paid to collect the slaves, especially the blue ones. However, the mercenaries do not know what the Coalition is doing with them. There is one thing that their leader mentions that sparks a bit of interest. Apparently, some of the soldiers had markings on their armor that the mercenaries hadn't seen before. They were marked with RCSG. Some of you may have heard of it.

After sending Elsie and the Glitter Girl to maintenance, you get some dirty looks from the mechanics as to the state that they are in. You know they will be in good hands though and continue to the briefing rooms.

Lt. McDare is nowhere to be found when you report in, but Major Grimjack certainly is and his usual gruff dwarven demeanor is more abrasive than the norm. "I suppose you yahoos finally found something useful. Else, why are you darkening my office door?"

I sent a PM to Khamul but haven't heard back. Not sure if he will be rejoining us soon or not.

The Big Bertha itself can haul most of the slaves and prisoners and the trailers can haul several hundred tons. You have plenty of room to spare.

Are we basically ready to move on to the trip home or did we want to stop somewhere along the way?

The GG can still move, it's main problem is the boom gun and some of the armor. Yes, the Bertha can carry it, but also remember you have a few slaves and some prisoners from the mercenary group to move as well.

Unfortunately for Gummitch, the GG weighs over 1.2 tons, far more than his supernatural d12+2 Strength can carry easily. As I mentioned though, once Burgurk inroduces you to Josiah and Elsie, the Big Bertha can haul it.

The Glitter Girl can still move, but it's going to be very slow going. Though the player hasn't been seen in a bit, Elsie, the Big Bertha Hover Truck, is still here. With some work, she can haul the GG back to base.

Doctor Bart assesses Barbara's wounds Remember that this takes 20 minutes. and realizes that most of them are related to cuts and abrasions she received from the impact of the rail gun rounds into her Glitter Girl and the accompanying shock. The armor saved her life and Doctor Bart believes that over the next few days, the scrapes will heal with no scars.

Barbara, after the requisite 20 minutes, will be fully healed, no wounds.

Fair enough, I just wanted to make sure I hadn't missed something. A day or two isn't too much of an issue, considering how slowly I myself post.

Have we come to an agreement for dealing with Lady X?

@Burgurk- You have -6 cover, as does Gold Squad, you would not have been able to hit them, so I had you hit the remainder of Verdant Squad, which only recently entered the area as they were trying to get to the safety of the APC. To hit all 4 of them took an LBT, but it took out the rest of them, so Verdant Squad is out of the picture. If it had raised, the only extra damage would have been from the spell itself, which is essentially the same as the +1d6 from non-power raises.

Burgurk's extreme telekinetic ability shows when half of the tall rock formation explodes and sends falling rock and debris onto the heads of what is left of Verdant squad. They will not be getting back up from that.

Ounce attempts to help the wildly excited dragon flying around, but he is busy enjoying his game of cat and mouse in the air.

The Coalition troops, seeing that they are being slowly mopped up and with the Skull Walker out of commission, decide that they are leaving. Gold Squad breaks for the APC as the APC sends out fire in all directions to keep anyone from getting too close. Other than Terry, who remains atop it. The remaining Sky Cycles veer off with Sentry chasing them down. All that remains is the APC, which is quickly attempting to get away.

The CS is breaking off. If you wish to continue to fight them, you may, in which case it will turn into a "normal" chase. Otherwise, you can let them go. Up to you guys. If you act, all of you may go first for Round 8.

Repairs and reloads are free back at base. You guys aren't playing mercenaries. The Legion has your back. As soon as you make it back to base...

Faelerin Group Healing: 1d8 ⇒ 61d6 ⇒ 4

Barbara disengages from her damaged armor, hoping that her smaller form will be less likely to be targeted by the Coalition. Luckily, they have
their hands full with the rest of the team. While she floats in and out of consciousness, Barbara sees the blue people sling their rifles on their backs and hold hands in a circle around her. She feels a strange energy go over her body as her wounds begin to close and the pain starts to subside. You have only two wounds now.

@Burgurk, that is correct, most of the Coalition is now concentrated in D1. You still have an action this turn.
@All- I haven't seen Sentry post in a bit, so I am going to pull him from the active initiative and assume that he is keeping the Sky Cycles occupied (Distracted -2). I will hold on the CS's actions until Burgurk posts an action, but Ounce, you may go now as well.

The GG is not dead, only needs some fixin' up. I have read many times that many players think they are one trick ponies, but I feel like it being damaged does two things: allows you to show your character's other strengths and creates a new dilemma for the group to come up with a solution to.

It is never my intent to purposely hand tie characters with a certain schtick, but I am also one to let the dice where they may, as Burgurk pointed out. The APC hit you pretty hard and you did roll a Critical Failure, which in Rifts is an automatic Technical Difficulties roll. As you may have noticed, much of the team has come to your rescue to try and get you out of the mess. If that's not good story and team work, I don't know what is.

As Ounce said, Verdant squad is about out of the fight. They can't hit anything really, as they just recovered and there is only four three left.The Skull Walker only has Hunter squad in it now, they have neutralized the pilots and are working to take it over. Also, I thought there was a selective power modifier so you could do exactly that, Burgurk. However, as Ounce said, she and Gummitch are not in melee range of Verdant squad.

Terry charges the APC, its side lasers trying to defend it from his charge. Narrative license He leaps through the fire and lands atop the APC, hacking away at the railguns on top, but its armor is too strong for his psi-sword and he is only able to keep it from targeting anyone else.

The remaining members of Verdant squad try to hoof it back to the APC, not wanting to tangle with an invisible dragon and someone casting spells at them. They make a run for the safety of the APC, not knowing that the APC is being attacked directly. One of them gets blasted from a bolt of lightning out of nowhere, pushing the others to move faster.

With the Sky Cycles distracted, Bart tries to help Barbara, but the damage is quite severe. While the feed is indeed damaged, so is the shell casing port and the drum roller. It's going to take some work to get it going again, something that Bart may need a shop to do. While it can still fire, it is dangerous to do so.

I believe that leaves Barbara and Burgurk up!

The dice have been harsh to you guys lately (this whole fight really) and, as Ounce put it, it makes sense story wise, as none of you are really familiar with the area, let alone working as a team together. As you know, I'm all about the story.

I like your idea better, Burgurk. If you take the roll to move and get a raise, it becomes a free action. Risk/ Reward, right? To answer your question, by RAW, the grid movement is strictly orthogonal for these kinds of chases.

To summarize: Move 1 square- free, no roll

Move 2 squares- Action, Maneuver roll
Critical Failure- Stay Put
Failure-still get to move 1 square, but it is an action
Success- Two squares as an action
Raise- two squares as a free action.

Sound good everyone?

CS Verdant Squad Group Recover from Stun, Spirit: 1d6 ⇒ 51d6 ⇒ 1

As Terry moves towards the APC, the remaining troops of Verdant Squad try to get themselves back to fighting form.

Since he is in a different square, I will let Terry decide how to attack the APC, but also Bart, Barbara and Gummitch are also up!

No worries, but since movement of one square is a Free action, you still have your action left. Gold Squad and the APC are in this square. What did you have in mind to disable it?

It was earlier in this thread.

That said, if the others weigh in with similar thoughts about it, I will concede and make it an automatic success if you take the Free Action to move.

Essentially, one square is a free action, no roll. Two squares is an action with a roll, failure means you still get one square free. Critical failure you stay put. Raise I will allow diagonal movement. Sound good?

I will allow you to move into place so we can get to the end. Most combats in Savage Worlds are not meant to exceed ten rounds.

@Terry? You are up. Verdant squad is down to half strength and Stunned until their next turn. If you want to finish another one off, you technically have the drop on them because of Stun.

@All- I will bot Terry later if he doesn't post.

Looking over the note from Mayor Grobaras, you see that it is written out for the sum of two hundred gold bars, which you quickly calculate to be about ten thousand gold pieces, to be shared amongst your crew. You also recall that a thousand of that is supposed to go to Lady X.

A lot of interesting thoughts about Clashes

I would think that the combat objective here would simply be to escape with the slaves, whereas the CS's objective would be to recapture them.

Clashes are meant for big set piece battles and I feel it would be a middle ground between full combat rules and quick combats. You are right in that chases add a bit more to the rules and can sometimes take from the F3 (fast,furious,fun) concept, as do clashes. However, this fight I consider meaningful in the story, else I think a quick combat would have sufficed. Plus, I wanted the new characters to get a chance to flex their muscles as it were and see what they can do. Though Bart is right, the maneuvering hasn't been the easiest.

As for using regular combat rules, keeping track of where everyone is exactly would have been difficult at best, considering the ranges you were all at. Some of you wouldn't have been able to participate in the fight until the ranges were much shorter. Thus, my decision to use square chase rules.

To answer your question, yes, Clash would get rid of the grid entirely, as it is meant to be more abstract and your positioning is left to the luck of the draw. However, maneuvering rolls would have meaning, as they get you something (tokens), whereas in a square chase, they simply move you from place to place. Something else to consider though is that ONLY players can get Clash Tokens in a Clash. They are not available for NPCs, not even bad guy Wild Cards.

I was not planning on switching to clash in the middle of this fight, but it does look like others are on board with the move along rule. Therefore, as I said before, I will concede to ruling that moving a square no longer requires a roll unless you want to move two squares. If you fail the roll, you still get to move one square.

In thinking about what we discussed with speeding up game play, I have been pondering using the Clash rules from the Science Fiction companion. While they are meant specifically for vehicles, they can be adapted for normal use. There is no maneuvering unless you want to get Clash points and range is determined by your place in Initiative. Thoughts?

Grobaras strokes his extra chins. ”I knew something was wrong with Ironbriar. He was always a thorn in my side, but his work was impeccable, until recently. Mind control explains it, but it’s not something I can tell the public..” He goes on for good couple of minutes about politics and his image before returning to the subject at hand. ”I don’t know who this Lady or Mistress X or whatever is, but I can not have her meddling in the affairs of this city, let alone some strange creature under the streets. I don’t like the idea of any one working for me also working for them, but I can see that I can trust you because you brought this to me first. That and probably the coin I am offering.” He stops and goes to his desk to get out a piece of parchment and an ink pen and begins to write. ”No one but us will know about this deal, but whatever you do, try to keep it clean. The less mess I have to cover up, the better. This note will get you your payment from the Abadar Vaults. Make this as quick as you can. The sooner our fair city is rid of these two carbuncles, the better.” He hands you the note after he stamps it with his seal.

Feel better soon, Khamul.

For Barbara’s I used the Technical Difficulties table in the Tomorrow Legion Player’s Guide. If someone gets a Critical Failure using any technical equipment, they roll on that table to see how bad it is. Rolling a six on that table is never good. Another critical failure and the Boom Gun is down until it can be taken to a shop.

For Griffin Squad, it is from the Chase rules in the main book. They are on foot. A critical failure for a maneuver check results in odd: fatigue or even, lose the rest of their turn.

Technical Difficulties: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Severe Damage, -4 to Using the Boom Gun until fixed

Barbara goes to fire another volley of high velocity shells at one of the remaining Sky Cycles, but suddenly realizes that the ammunition feed has become stuck. Her Glitter Girl will need some work before she can become combat effective with it.

Group Maneuver Athletics: 1d8 ⇒ 11d6 ⇒ 1
Critical Maneuver Failure: 1d6 ⇒ 3
Odd=Fatigue
Griiffin Squad, having finished off the rest of the Coaltion’s Crimson Squad, begins to move towards the Skull Walker in order to support Hunter Squad in taking it over. However, their morale is low after slaughtering the walking wounded and they have a difficult time becoming motivated to keep fighting. For the rest of the fight, unless someone comes along to inspire them, Griffin Squad will be making their way back to Elsie.

Hunter Squad Group Fire at Skull Walker Crew, Light Cover, Jingu Support, ROF1/3: 1d8 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) - 2 + 1 = 41d6 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) - 2 + 1 = 4
Hunter Squad Group Fire at Skull Walker Crew, Light Cover, Jingu Support, ROF2/3: 1d8 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) - 2 + 1 = 31d6 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (6) - 2 + 1 = 5
Ace!: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Hunter Squad Group Fire at Skull Walker Crew, Light Cover, Jingu Support, ROF3/3: 1d8 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (7) - 2 + 1 = 61d6 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (3) - 2 + 1 = 2
Two Hits, One Raise
Hit 1 Damage, AP2: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 3, 5) = 14
Ace!: 1d6 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16
Hit 2 Damage, AP2: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 5) = 12
Ace!: 1d6 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16
Hit w Raise Damage, AP2: 3d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 2) + (2) = 14
Ace!: 1d6 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15

Hunter Squad, after taking some losses, is able to push ahead and take out the crew of the Coalition Skull Walker. It is now out of commission and out of the fight.

Meanwhile, Terry closes in on the remaining members of the Coalition squad near him that are standing around, unable to gain focus due to Gummitch’s spell.

Terry is up!

No spell snipers, but if you happen to get into a fight outdoors, the wind could be an issue. Plus, immersion...
Grobaras is the only one in the room with you, as this was to be a clandestine operation.

Mayor Grobaras raises an eyebrow as he listens. "We are alone, of that I can assure you," he says, twisting one of the rings on his amply sized finger. "Do we know who created this monstrosity? I cannot fathom that such a beast would also be able to orchestrate the murders of several prominent citizens."

I can see your point, especially with a large number of combatants. Even though I am following the Chase rules as closely as I can, with the timing of PbP, it tends to take a bit from the excitement of it, especially when it takes me a literal hour to write up a combat post when it is the Coalition's turn. On the flip side of that, moving is a Free action, assuming you accept the -2 to your maneuver roll. Getting a raise on the roll allows for two squares of movement. The abstract part comes into play with such large ranges, as it does not take seconds in real life to go as far as one full square. The rules are meant to simulate the constant maneuvering and jockeying for position that usually occurs in real battles.

I am not one, usually, to change the rules in mid combat unless there is a glaring issue. That said, if the others weigh in with similar thoughts about it, I will concede and make it an automatic success if you take the Free Action to move.

The Laughing Dragon is raucous and lively tonight, a complete turn from where you were. The frivolity helps you forget, even for a moment, that there is evil underneath the streets and high above them. Your rest is not interrupted physically, but your mind swirls with visions of the strange woman and her seemingly untouchable power.

Wealday, 30 Lamashan, 4707. 9:05 am. Morning, 47 degrees F. Brisk (6-9mph) Breezes. Mayor Grobaras' Office, Government District, Magnimar, Varisia.

In the morning, you awake with a fresher mind, the dreams you had quickly fading from memory. After a hearty breakfast you head directly to Mayor Grobaras' office.

The place is quite busy in the morning, but due to your importance, time is made for you to meet with the Mayor. You quickly file into a council chamber and take seats, with water provided as refreshment. Soon after, the Mayor comes in.

"Well? Have you dealt with the problem? I have been hearing of strange activities near Underbridge and though that is not unheard of, it seems to have increased of late." He looks at each of you questioningly.

I will keep that in mind, Burgurk. We can continue in Discussion if you like but suffice it to say that I was going for a balance between full combat rules and Quick Encounter rules for such a fight. It's an important one for the story.

Burgurk attempts to navigate the rough terrain and finds it difficult with lasers and rail gun rounds flying through the air.

CS Gold Squad Group Suppressive Fire, Medium Range, ROF3: 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (5) - 2 = 31d6 - 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 = 2

The squad of soldiers on top of the rock formation near the APC continues to rain fire down towards Gummitch, Terry and Ounce, but they are too far away to have any effect.

Hunter Squad Group Return Fire, Cover, Jingu Support, ROF1/3: 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (3) - 2 = 11d6 - 2 ⇒ (5) - 2 = 3
Hunter Squad Group Return Fire, Cover, Jingu Support, ROF2/3: 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 = 21d6 - 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 = 2
Hunter Squad Group Return Fire, Cover, Jingu Support, ROF2/3: 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 = 21d6 - 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 = 2
Damage, AP2: 3d6 ⇒ (3, 3, 1) = 7

Hunter Squad is having trouble gaining access to the Skull Walker, but at least its pilots are distracted.

Barbara and Griffin Squad are up, then a new round starts!

Terry rushes in to crush the rest of Verdant Squad as they stumble around, stunned from Gummitch's burst. He catches one coming towards him, dazed. The soldier dies without being able to defend himself. Terry's Cyberknight training causes him to think about what he is doing.

Ounce has no trouble removing the soul from a Coalition soldier, however. His spirit leaves his body as his armor and weapons fall the ground. Two Coalition soldiers remain in this squad, both of whom are still trying to figure out what just happened.

Burgurk, when you are ready!

That's fine on the move thing. A1 has the Skull Walker, currently being boarded by Hunter Squad, with Jingu supporting, though the player hasn't been around lately. C1 has Gummitch, Ounce, Terry and the remains of CS Verdant squad. The image in your space is Griffin Squad, on your team. They are still there.

Exposed Crew: Odd Pilot, Even Cycle: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Out of Control: 1d8 ⇒ 8
Critical Hit: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 1) = 2
Two Wounds, Bumped

Bart’s shot hits one of the Sky Cycles, sending it into a spiral. The other Sky Cycles scatter to avoid hitting it as the pilot regains control. It takes them a moment to form up again.

Meanwhile, the Faelerin continue to keep firing on them, trying to bring down another one.
Group Support Shooting: 1d6 ⇒ 51d6 ⇒ 1
+1 Support to the next person to shoot at the Sky Cycles

Inside the Coalition APC, the commander of this unit is trying to figure out how best to get a win. He orders the Sky Cycles to leave the stricken Glitter Girl alone and deal with the dragon that is decimating the troops. They peel off and streak towards Gummitch.

Sky Cycle Group Maneuver Action, Distracted, One Wounded (-2), Speed: 1d8 - 2 - 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) - 2 - 2 + 2 + 2 = 51d6 - 2 - 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 - 2 + 2 + 2 = 4

Terry, Burgurk and Ounce are up!

This is good stuff guys!

The big dragon circles the remaining Coalition Soldiers and a powerful halo of energy surrounds their heads. Suddenly they stop moving and stand stock still, unable to do much of anything.

Inside the Walker, the Coalition pilots keep attempting to hold back Hunter Squad.
CS Pilots Shooting into Cover: 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (8) - 2 = 61d6 - 2 ⇒ (3) - 2 = 1
Ace: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
C10 Damage, AP2, Raise: 5d6 ⇒ (6, 2, 2, 4, 3) = 17
Ace Damage: 1d6 + 17 ⇒ (4) + 17 = 21
Hunter Squad loses another soldier.

Bart and the Free Folk Squad are up next!

Showing no mercy, Burgurk ends the life of the remaining soldiers across the road. They would have shown him no mercy either.

Terry, meanwhile, is in no mood to show kindness either, as he hacks and slashes his way into the CS Squad harassing him, Gummitch and Ounce. They seemed to determined to fight to the last man, drawing vibroknives.

Sentry continues to keep the Sky Cycles occupied so they leave the ground team near Barbara’s Glitter Girl alone.

Gummitch has his choice of victims for his lightning breath, even as the cyber-knight appears among them, swinging and slicing.

Gummitch is up! Sentry is too, but I haven’t heard from him. I’ll fade him out as I will Jingu and Josiah from the battle at least.