OOC- Shadow's Dawn: Diving into the past Options

[Seth]

I didn’t take assensing as I assumed as a dual natured creature I’d just use perception – that may be an error on my part?!?

Also be aware that people can mask from you and assenssing is the ability to penetrate that mask. I also occasionally use stealth on the astral, and oppose it with assensing.

@Mandala, Marduk
Goodbye pathetic mortals....the book readers all collapse and begin to slumber. I'm moving you IC into the next area. The corridor beyond has many closed doors to the left and right, and there is a T junction 10 yards in front of you. Your map indicates that you should go right at the T junction.

@Fearghas, Alyena
Your cunning illusions and Dannrhil's possessed forms are dealing with the inhabitants. The singer's beautiful voice is no match for your arcane defences and her attempts to woo you are crushed.
You are the only ones with IPs left, and can do what you wish. Slipping quietly into the next area is entirely doable, you could also finish the fight if you wish.

Your big problem is what to do With Dannrhil.


@Ryl
The words on the rod:

"The time of waiting is over.
The empire is corrupt.
Sphinx your time has come
Awaken and fulful your destiny"

or more poetic ones if you want to adlib.

[Aria]

Also be aware that people can mask from you and assenssing is the ability to penetrate that mask. I also occasionally use stealth on the astral, and oppose it with assensing.

Well I've got no points left so I'll have to do without it for now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Sephiroth]

@Fearghas, Alyena
Your cunning illusions and Dannrhil's possessed forms are dealing with the inhabitants. The singer's beautiful voice is no match for your arcane defences and her attempts to woo you are crushed.
You are the only ones with IPs left, and can do what you wish. Slipping quietly into the next area is entirely doable, you could also finish the fight if you wish.

Your big problem is what to do With Dannrhil.

Fearghas has only 1 IP this turn. Is that ok? Should I reroll initiative?

[Seth]

@Fearghas
Look likes everyone except Dannrhil (who has 2) only has 1 IP. Keeps it simple
Roll initiative. You are currently not being attacked by anyone, although a brutal melee is taking place on the other side of the illusion. The singer will be intensifying her song next round, as she seems to be able to see through it (being an illusionist herself...).

[Sephiroth]

Initiative: Reaction 3 + Intuition 5 - Sustaining modifier 2 = 6d6 = 7 total initiative ew. Probably not going to be the first to act this turn then.

[pbangarth]

Next Initiative for Mandala, whenever it is needed:

12 dice ==> 6 HITS = 18

[Seth]

Sorry guys I am being a little slow on this.

I'm currently travelling and in a place with very poor internet capability. I will try and get a better grasp on stuff over the weekend.

[Seth]

@general
OK I have been a little(?) slow. It's been a bit crazy here, but the crazy is over, and I intend to be quite a bit more active on this thread.

@Marduk/Mandala
I'm struggling with how to IC this, so here is what is happening. If you can roll your: initiative, an attack (if you want) and a reactions/dodge depending on what you are doing to these attacks. Once I have your results, I'll IC the following. If you want to do stuff / ask questions go ahead in the OOC.

Over the next (say) minute the following happens.

You enter the corridor out of the library, stepping past the guards who are a little distracted by the library windows blowing in. The corridor ends in a T junction 10 yards in front of you, there a few doors on either side. To the sound of a clap of thunder one of the doors opens and a guard or guest who (during the crash of thunder) has a snake like head throws a spear at you, then races across the hallway and enters another door, closing it behind him. A few seconds later from a different door comes a figure who has the head of a jester. The jester is juggling flaming knives. As he crosses the corridor, the five knives all shoot towards you, and the jester laughs, then ducks into another door.

You reach the T junction. To the left and right it is a maze of corridors. Your direction sense tells you that you probably want to go right. Heading right, a similar scene presents itself. A guest with the (to the clash of thunder) face of a jester armed with a chamber pot throws it and its contents towards you, then races across and exits through a door, closing it behind him. Another guest with (to the clash of thunder) face of a snake, throws two cobras at you, and at the end of this IC, you will be in melee with the cobras (if they are still alive).

Die rolls for four initiatives / attacks / dodges for:

• Snake headed guard throwing spear,
• Jester throwing flaming knives,
• Jester throwing chamber pot,
• Guest throwing snakes

In addition you can make a perception / assensing roll if you want.

@Fearghas/Alyena
Beyond the guest facilities is the door that is no longer guarded. The door leads to a large stair way that goes up or down. There are a number of doors off the stairway. Since your destination is above (the air defense is on the roof), I'm assuming that you head up.

Just like Marduk/Mandala above, I'll get your die rolls, then IC a variant on the following:

As you head up the stairs, a flood of bouncing jester heads descends the stairs towards you. If they encounter you, they start biting horribly...

Further up the stairs, the stairs suddenly turn into a slippy ramp, and you start to slide backwards.

As you approach the top, one of the doors opens, and two guards appear, and throw spears at you. We end this cut scene in a combat with these guards.

• Perception to spot the jester heads. The more perception successes, the less initiative you need to react before the heads are upon you.
• Initiative, and the heads go on (14 - successes on the perception) .
• If you go before the heads, tell me what you are doing: levitate just works, jumping needs 3 successes, other responses are possible.

• Perception to spot the stairs changing.
• Initiative vs the stairs (same rules as before)

• Surprise roll vs the guards (the guards get 4 successes, and will go on 12).
• The guards throw their spears with 2 successes against Alyena, and 4 successes vs Fearghas.

@Aria
As the civilian craft approach, they will throw hooked boarding lines at you.

Can I have:

• An air sailor roll to see what your initial speed is
• An air sailor roll to see how well you avoid the civilians
• A leadership roll to see how well you organize your crew to cut the lines
• A crew roll (8 + number of successes on leadership) to cut the lines.

[pbangarth]

@Marduk/Mandala
I'm struggling with how to IC this, so here is what is happening. If you can roll your: initiative, an attack (if you want) and a reactions/dodge depending on what you are doing to these attacks. Once I have your results, I'll IC the following. If you want to do stuff / ask questions go ahead in the OOC.

Over the next (say) minute the following happens.

You enter the corridor out of the library, stepping past the guards who are a little distracted by the library windows blowing in. The corridor ends in a T junction 10 yards in front of you, there a few doors on either side. To the sound of a clap of thunder one of the doors opens and a guard or guest who (during the crash of thunder) has a snake like head throws a spear at you, then races across the hallway and enters another door, closing it behind him. A few seconds later from a different door comes a figure who has the head of a jester. The jester is juggling flaming knives. As he crosses the corridor, the five knives all shoot towards you, and the jester laughs, then ducks into another door.

You reach the T junction. To the left and right it is a maze of corridors. Your direction sense tells you that you probably want to go right. Heading right, a similar scene presents itself. A guest with the (to the clash of thunder) face of a jester armed with a chamber pot throws it and its contents towards you, then races across and exits through a door, closing it behind him. Another guest with (to the clash of thunder) face of a snake, throws two cobras at you, and at the end of this IC, you will be in melee with the cobras (if they are still alive).

Die rolls for four initiatives / attacks / dodges for:

• Snake headed guard throwing spear,
• Jester throwing flaming knives,
• Jester throwing chamber pot,
• Guest throwing snakes

In addition you can make a perception / assensing roll if you want.

Well, isn't this fun!

Marduk and Mandala are accelerated by Mandala's Movement power. These people seem to be a distraction that can be avoided, as they keep ducking out of the corridor into a side room. Also, it would appear they are being controlled by one or more 'chess players', and not acting on their own. Marduk is armored, and Mandala is ItNW to these attacks... I think. So, let's just slide right past these guys, OK sabs?

4 Initiatives (12 dice) ==> 6,4,5,6 HITS

4 Full Dodges (7 dice) ==> 1,3,3,2 HITS

Encounter 1: snake head + spear
Initiative 18
IP 1 activate Psychokinesis Spirit Power 16 dice ==> 6 HITS, so STR 6, AGI 6

IP2 full dodge anyway, 1 hit (use ahead if necessary)

Encounter 2: Jester and knives
Initiative 16
IP 1 interfere with the missile(s) with the Psych. power (hell, you figure out what to roll, Seth)
IP 2 full dodge 3 hits (use ahead if necessary)

Encounter 3: Jester and pot
Initiative 17
IP1 interfere as above
IP2 full dodge 3 hits (use ahead if necessary)

Encounter 4: Guest and snakes
Initiative 18
IP1 interfere as above
IP2 full dodge 2 hits (use ahead if necessary)

Perception 10 dice ==> 4 HITS
Assensing 10 dice ==> 3 HITS

[Seth]

@Pbangarth
Irrelevant aside: I have this image of Marduk and Mandala charging through a city of heros office complex with superspeed at 80 mph bumping into every corner and cursing bus stops...

Relevant aside: this is the (in)Visible Castle, the heart of the First Governor's power base. You can bet your last Thracian nikel that every weapon wielded by a guard is a magical weapon. However note that not everything being thrown at you is a weapon, and those would be affected by ITnW.

The opponents are only "active" for one IP. The appear, you both get go depending on initiative, then they go through another door.

I'll give you the results of the perception/assensing/damage etc when Sabs has posted.

@Pbangarth and Sabs
Given the (now not so irrelevant) aside above (the issues of actually working out where to go and not bumping into things) I'll assume for a rough timing calculation that you are travelling at around 30mph. You have been in these corridors for, say, 6 rounds/18 seconds, so you think you should be over half way there. I picked the palace of Knossos (the original Labyrinth) as the map for Invisible Castle, and now you begin to release why it was called a labyrinth.

You begin to feel that you are being chased. A nameless dread is following you down the corridors, and you are just slightly ahead of it.

[pbangarth]

"Nameless dread", huh? I feel as if I am in a Lovecraft novel.

[sabs]

I'm confused (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) why do I have to post?
I posted, "zomg books!" and ran past the guards.
Mandala followed it up, and now we're waiting on you to tell us how it turns out (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
I still don't know if the guards followed after us or what? and .. how come we're going 30mph now? Did I miss something?

@set me=confused

OH (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
I see (it helps if you read up a post or two)

My initiative is: 6+ 6d6(3 5 2 5 1 2) 8!
I think that Marduk is going to take this opportunity to wield his Crystal Shield. The plan for 'dodging' is to take everything on the shield.

Assensing Roll: 9d6: 5 5 3 6 4 2 1 5 6 (5) hits

[pbangarth]

Sabs, back in post 1093 I said, "The two of us, Marduk and Mandala, are covered by Mandala's Counterspelling+Shielding, his Guard Spirit Power and his Movement Spirit Power (this last gives us a walking rate of 90 meters per turn and a running rate of 225 meters per turn)."

I think Seth wants to see how you react to the things being thrown at us. And maybe a Perception/Assensing roll. Possibly to detect the 'nameless dread' better than Mandala did.

[Sephiroth]

@general
OK I have been a little(?) slow.

Oh my goodness, he's alive! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif)

@Fearghas/Alyena
Beyond the guest facilities is the door that is no longer guarded. The door leads to a large stair way that goes up or down. There are a number of doors off the stairway. Since your destination is above (the air defense is on the roof), I'm assuming that you head up.

Just like Marduk/Mandala above, I'll get your die rolls, then IC a variant on the following:

As you head up the stairs, a flood of bouncing jester heads descends the stairs towards you. If they encounter you, they start biting horribly...

Further up the stairs, the stairs suddenly turn into a slippy ramp, and you start to slide backwards.

As you approach the top, one of the doors opens, and two guards appear, and throw spears at you. We end this cut scene in a combat with these guards.

• Perception to spot the jester heads. The more perception successes, the less initiative you need to react before the heads are upon you.
• Initiative, and the heads go on (14 - successes on the perception) .
• If you go before the heads, tell me what you are doing: levitate just works, jumping needs 3 successes, other responses are possible.

• Perception to spot the stairs changing.
• Initiative vs the stairs (same rules as before)

• Surprise roll vs the guards (the guards get 4 successes, and will go on 12).
• The guards throw their spears with 2 successes against Alyena, and 4 successes vs Fearghas.

Will write this up when I am able, either tonight or tomorrow. Today's my last day of work, then I head back to campus Sunday and Monday, so I theoretically (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sarcastic.gif) will have more time to take care of this after tonight's shift.

I'm seeing some parallels here with Boris's dream. *hint* (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Alyena]

Ok, dice rolls for Alyena as follows:

To spot the jester heads before I'm bowled back down the stairs 8 dice, 1 success
Initiative 7 dice, 1 success
Heads, what heads? Think I'm just going to be doing some frantic hopping and skipping trying to keep out of the way!

To spot the stairs changing, 8 dice, 2 successes
Initiative on stairs, 7 dice, wow 6 successes

Grr, have forgotten about my spirit. Think I need to summon it to me (or rather in me) as I need some help here.
If Dannrhil comes after us, I'll hold him, Fearghas, you hit him (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Surprise roll on the guards, Intuition 4, Seriously spirit buffed reactions 9 = 13, 6 successes
Dodging the thrown spears, Spirit buffed reactions 9 dice and spirit dodge of 7 = 16 dice, 3 successes just enough!

[Seth]

Oh my goodness, he's alive!

Pulling the sympathy vote: on thursday was the creditor's meeting , and right now I am filling in the "Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 form". I'll probably be OK (i.e. not disqualified), but I haven't been feeling especially creative.

[pbangarth]

"This too shall pass."

[Aria]

@Aria
As the civilian craft approach, they will throw hooked boarding lines at you.

Can I have:

• An air sailor roll to see what your initial speed is
• An air sailor roll to see how well you avoid the civilians
• A leadership roll to see how well you organize your crew to cut the lines
• A crew roll (8 + number of successes on leadership) to cut the lines.

I'll make some rolls and try and follow it up with an IC post ASAP...if you want to let me know how well I do I'll incorporate that or just make a stab at some IC...

Air sailor for speed 12D = 4 hits (I won't use the ED power for an auto success as I can't remember how the drain worked at the moment...(IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) )

Air sailor for avoiding 12D = 4 hits (consistent (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) )

Leadership 12D = 7 hits!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Cut lines 15D = 5 hits...

[Sephiroth]

Leadership 12D

Speaking of which, does anyone have an actual copy of WAR! ? If anyone does, might you be able to post the rules for the leadership skill that were in WAR!? I've heard that those were one of the few things that WAR! actually did well. Might be relevant for Ryl, what with her having her own air sailor crew and whatnot.

[Seth]

I've just copied and pasted the following. It didn't copy well but I hope it will help.

Command (Strategy specialization): You organize and direct your subordinates to gain a strategic advantage. Make a Leadership + Logic Success Test with a threshold equal to half the number of subordinates you are leading (round up). If you succeed, your subordinates get a +2 bonus to Initiative for the following Combat Turn.

Direct Fire (Tactics specialization): You issue tactical commands and concentrate your subordinates’  re on a target. Choose a target and make a Leadership + Intuition Success Test with a threshold equal to half of the number of subordinates under your command (round up). If you succeed, your subordinates get a +1 dice pool bonus to attacks against that target for the remainder of this Combat Turn.

Inspire (Morale specialization): You motivate the troops, rousing their spirits and protecting them against fear. Make a Leadership + Charisma Success Test; the e ect of success depends on whether your subordinates are NPCs or player characters. For NPCs, if you succeed, the Professional rating of your subordinates increases to 2 higher than normal until the end of the current (or next) combat. Success for player characters grants them a +2 dice pool bonus to Composure tests for the same period of time; this bonus, once granted, cannot be given to the same player character again until it is lost.
Note that this application of the Leadership skill is an elaboration on the use of Leadership by lieutenant NPCs (p. 281, SR4A)

Rally the Troops (Gut Check specialization): You call to your troops to recover their wits and regain their composure. Make a Leadership + Charisma (2) Success Test. If you succeed, your NPC subordinates that have failed a Morale test (p. 145) may immediately make another Morale test and use the new result. 

This use of Leadership can also help player characters who have failed a Composure test by allowing them to make a new Composure test; this new test does not, however, negate the e ects of glitches or critical glitches on the original Composure test.

This application of the Leadership skill can also be used in a teamwork test for subordinates who are resisting mental magical effects, provided the leader has spent a Complex Action doing so earlier in the Combat Turn of or immediately prior to the
resistance test.

[Sephiroth]

@Fearghas/Alyena
Beyond the guest facilities is the door that is no longer guarded. The door leads to a large stair way that goes up or down. There are a number of doors off the stairway. Since your destination is above (the air defense is on the roof), I'm assuming that you head up.

Just like Marduk/Mandala above, I'll get your die rolls, then IC a variant on the following:

As you head up the stairs, a flood of bouncing jester heads descends the stairs towards you. If they encounter you, they start biting horribly...

Further up the stairs, the stairs suddenly turn into a slippy ramp, and you start to slide backwards.

As you approach the top, one of the doors opens, and two guards appear, and throw spears at you. We end this cut scene in a combat with these guards.

Okie dokie. Let's get this taken care of then.

[/indent]

• Perception to spot the jester heads. The more perception successes, the less initiative you need to react before the heads are upon you.
• Initiative, and the heads go on (14 - successes on the perception) .
• If you go before the heads, tell me what you are doing: levitate just works, jumping needs 3 successes, other responses are possible.

• Perception roll of perceptive perceiving! Intuition 5 + Perception 4 (+Hearing 2) = 11d6 = 3 hits
• Initiating the initiation of rolling of initiative: Reaction 3 + Intuition 5 = 8d6 = 1 hit + 2 auto successes from Air Dance, but I also glitched. That means i would go after the heads, even though we have the same initiative score, and I don't really want to be bitten horribly right now, so I'mma spend an Edge to reroll failures: 7d6 = 1 hit WHAT IS GOING ON I DON'T UNDERSTAND. Whatever. I think I'm better now. Bouncing biting heads are scary.
• Fearghas uses Levitate to run on the ceiling? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)
  
  

  [list]

• Perception to spot the stairs changing.
• Initiative vs the stairs (same rules as before)

[Sephiroth]

I've just copied and pasted the following. It didn't copy well but I hope it will help.

Cool! Good for me to know, and probably helpful a lot to Aria too, thanks!

EDIT: Sorry for the doublepost-in-a-post above, I can't figure out what's going wrong in the coding tags there.

[Alyena]

@ Fearghas
Thanks for the reminder about the magical group, it also prompted me to look up my blood charms etc and have remembered an additional +2 for the Orichalcum shield!

3 extra dice are (hopefully) worth rolling, so here goes: 1 successes

1 extra on spotting them: 0 success no surprise but worth a go

@ Seth
Will remind you that the shield gives me armour and mystic armour as well and will be cowering behind it like any good Nethermancer. I also have Blood Pebble Armour.
Will get back to you with anything else I can come up with (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Seth]

@Alyena

• As I understand you are going to get eaten by the heads, avoid the stairs and don't get hit by the guards.
• The heads do a base 12P damage, only mystic armor helps: think Piranha attack.

@Fearghas
Good thing you avoided the heads: see Alyena above. Don't forget the bad luck roll (mu ha ha)
And yes Boris was hassled by the heads, he knew they were coming and avoided them
Levitate on the ceiling is where it is at to avoid them
Summary: You avoid the lot.

I have a mind to fly in close, full parry their attacks, and bust out the Counterstrike on their asses for the first time this game. Are they close enough for me to do that (within 54 meters?)?

Go get them! The thrown weapons can be parried if you are up close, so Counterstrike absolutely applies. The first one rolls 4 successes on its defense (you think it used a bit of avoid blow), but I suspect that will not be enough.

@Aria

• Air sailor speed noted. You are getting pretty good performance out the Storm Swift. You are close to being the fastest thing sailing with these winds.
• Air sailor for avoiding: Only four of the twenty or so of the rising ones get a chance to throw grappling lines at you. Your speed and maneuvering avoided the worst of them.
• Two of them are behind you, and you are towing them: all they are doing is slowing you down.
• One of the boats has managed to board you. Can you roll initiative for your marines (or yourself if you are going to deal with it personally) the 10 crazed civilians are racing onto the boat, and chopping at lanyards, sheets and sails.Your marines are 8 die people. The bloodcrazed civilians rolled crazy well on their initiative and are initiative 13. Surprise is not relevant
• One of the boats is trying to ram your sails. Air sailor roll to dodge please. You can roll this yourself, or get your master of arms to do it if you want to deal with the civilians (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ork.gif) The master at arms get 10die IIRC. You need 5 successes. If not, a soak roll for the boat (its stats are available from the interesting links below). The damage will be 12P minus any rolls on the air sailor dodge roll, minus any successes on the soak roll.

The second post holds interesting links, and one of those is this one for information about drain.

@Pbangarth

"Nameless dread", huh? I feel as if I am in a Lovecraft novel.

Wait until I bring out the SAN rules. Call of Cthulhu eat your heart out.

• Mu ha ha ha pain time in the near future
• As I interpret the figures you had initiative on everything so could respond
• The heads: you just levitate above them
• The throwing knives, you dodge three of the knives, you magic hands one of them out of the way, and one of them hits you: 7P fire damage (it is a magic dagger).
• The chamberpot, you deflect, but the contents keep on coming... poo-eee
• One of the snakes bites you: 3P non magical damage, and you are immune to the rating 8 venom being a spirit and everything.
• You are now in melee with 2 mundane snakes. I think we will start a new round for you and Marduk (I think you have two IPs, and the snakes have gone)
• The snakes get initiative 10, so I suspect you will go first. You might as well roll your first IP now

@Sabs
Just to make it easy here is the post I'd like some die rolls for

@General
Fearghas asked about the tacnet, and we should be using it for many die rolls: initiative, reactions etc. As I understand it you will mostly get +1 on most rolls as most of you are with one other person (bad luck Aria).
If you could all IC what happened that would be great.

[sabs]

But I made those rolls? Or do you need a bunch of close combat rolls?