Though the party has been relatively quiet, the dead beetle releases pheromones that are caught by the remainder in the nest (that are still disturbed from their last combat, so they are also on edge). They come boiling out of the pits ~ but there is yet time for the party to take an action before the little beasties are upon them.
The little ones are babies; they've been hatched in just the last week to replace the mothers who died in the previous fight. They move faster than their parents, as it is clear that they are on the vanguard of the swarm - if 11 beetles can be called a swarm.
The party may take their next move.
Following that move, the map looks like this:
With this for experience earned:
The beetles will have their turn in the next post (we'll call it round 2 for simplicity's sake).
20 comments:
Engelhart faces the incoming swarm and motions to his left-hand side, delineating a rough-shod safety parallel.
"Let loose a volley and stand back from their reach, that we may retain the initiative!" (-4 AP)
According to my background, Valda and Bergthora have daggers and shortswords. The mercenary page on the wiki says dagger and club for sappers - which is the correct equipment? Probably should have cleared that up before just now, but it isn't this round that it'll be needed.
Both listings have daggers, so for now I'll have Valda throw a dagger at the larger beetle in hex 0703, and Bergthora throw hers at the larger beetle in hex 0804.
Lothar moves up to hex 0807 and braces for impact.
All right folks, let's do this.
And for good measure: "Embla, guard our left flank! Engelhart, Pandred, high ground!"
I use up my remaining AP to move to 0908.
The background is correct, Lothar. Valda and Bergthora have daggers and short swords.
That's fine, Lothar, on the throwing, but both will automatically move back one hex while they're throwing, to increase the distance between themselves and the approaching enemy, at the same time holding the line.
You want to change your mind about running into the storm?
[I work tomorrow, so I'm going to take the evening off, work on the book, other things. I'll put in a little time Fri/Sat evenings, but I have Sunday off. I've had my hours cut, I'm working four hours a week through Jan and Feb]
[Ouch, sorry to hear about getting your hours cut]
Yes, I would like to hold off for the moment and stand my ground without moving.
I'll clamber onto the tomb at what would be 0907.
If I've got AP left, I'll hurl my handaxe at the larger beetle in 0804.
The larger beetles can attack two to a hex, but what can we expect from the smaller ones? Four to a hex, or two plus one of the larger?
I move to 607 (since Valla fell back to 608) and throw my spear at the big beetle in 703.
Willa will fall back to 709, and load-and-fire her bow against the small beetle in 703 (I am aware of the -4 penalty).
I've got to veto that, Embla; I can see her falling back and loading, but since she has a THAC0 of 21, not being an actual fighter, she has every reason to believe she's going to miss something that small and that fast with the -4 penalty. She'll load properly and fire properly, next round. She has all you people in front to keep her from being attacked.
Fair enough.
Rolling for the spear throw, 16-2+1=15 to-hit on the big beetle and 6 damage.
Embla, you might notice when someone else writes a comment on targeting a specific beetle ~ not that you both can't target the same beetle, but if you were at a table you'd have heard Lothar call that one and you would have probably called a different one. I suspect you just didn't read.
But, yes, even though I was intentionally holding back any shots, I'll accept that one this time around and keep going. I'm trying to ease off on the protocol ~ but it is easier if we take our time. I hate having to take a shot back.
Lothar, feel free to have Valda target a different beetle, then throw her dagger from 0608 ~ it's five hexes to 0804 and still in short range. Bergthora (now in 0708) can still throw her dagger at 0804 as well, you had said at the larger beetle.
Engelhart, I count 16 words; please confirm for me, it is four words per AP, yes? I've forgotten where I put that info.
Pandred, you might want to pick a different hex to throw your axe at. Again, all, it will help you enormously if you will read the comments of your other players. I could be a dick and just have you all waste your shots at the same hex, but I don't want to do that. It is written right there, and while you wouldn't know it in real life, at any game I've ever played the players do try to pick different opponents to throw at. At any rate, you have enough movement to throw your spear, take a pitch at one of the beetles.
[Now, I'm supposed to be working on my book; I'm reviewing the part where Herzog buys Ruchel]
I apologize, all. I'll work on that.
Valda throws at the smaller beetle in 0804, then.
Go ahead and do your rolls, Lothar, for you, Valda and Bergthora.
Lothar is staying where he's at and not about to throw his quarterstaff, so here's Valda and Bergthora.
(Not sure about bonuses for these two, so I'm giving the pre die rolls)
Valda to hit: 17; damage: 2
Bergthora to hit: 18; damage: 4
I'm glad we hired these two!
*pure, not pre
That's fair enough.
If you don't mind then I'll throw instead at the larger beetle in 0903.
I deleted my previous comment which contained a throw against a seperate target along with the roll: I realised I had jumped the gun again.
Alexis: I confirm that it is 4 words per AP. I referred to your AP table and related articles on the wiki.
[Please forgive me for not taking part yesterday; I was not feeling well. Let's just say in future that Friday is my day off. It will take some time for me to get up to speed today. I'm spent]
Okay.
Bergthora, Valda and Embla all kill their beetles.
I have updated the post for everyone's move, and shown an experience table. The followers each receive part of the experience as 1/8th a player character. No specific reason, just over time it seemed to fit as the right amount, given that parties I was running had henches of henches of main characters, then followers under them. Finally we settled on all followers being 1/8th of the bonus.
At some point, I'll calculate the pre-existing experience of the followers, but that can wait.
Working on the next post.
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