[WFRP] The Bloody Crown OOC XV

[TheSummoner]

If Sieghard goes for the mill, could he at least slam the door shut behind him to disrupt any followup charges? Not that I'm expecting it to stay shut long, but it just needs to cut off their momentum.

[RossN]

Sorry for not replying sooner - nephews and niece visiting made for a fun if exhausting Easter. Then when I tried to get in yesterday the site was it's typical snail pace.

The issue with fighting the Iron Company is that Jarla can't really get close enough to swing her sword without getting impaled by those pikes. I'd be tempted to cut and run to get the Thorns but I don't want to leave Urgrim on his lonesome (not to mention Sieghard).

[LCP]

If Sieghard goes for the mill, could he at least slam the door shut behind him to disrupt any followup charges? Not that I'm expecting it to stay shut long, but it just needs to cut off their momentum.

Sure. Of course, if Sieghard can open and close the doors as a free action, so can the Iron Company - but I think you've already thought that through.

[rax]

Hey all, I want to apologize for my continued absence from the game. I know LCP, especially, is waiting on me to move things forward with Bardhyl.

Unfortunately, besides the ongoing work crisis I mentioned previously on Discord, I'm also dealing with some long term family issues, and altogether this is playing havoc with my ability to do more than post a few oneliners in the games I'm currently in. We're hopefully going to take a big step forward tomorrow on the family front and the trouble at work will most likely be resolved by next week.I hope to be able to focus more on this game after that.

Again, sorry for holding things up, and I really hope to be back in the swing of things soon. In the meantime, I'm enjoying seeing how the rest of you deal with the trouble at the mill.

[RossN]

Sorry to hear that rax but I completely understand that real life can get to us all like that and you have all my sympathies. I hope things take a good turn for you soon.

With the mill and Sieghard going for the door I guess Jarla and Urgrim should make a run for it... except I'm not sure Urgrim can move that fast and since he's last in iniative the Iron Company might swarm him. Then again maybe the pikemen who've lost their leader will be caught hesitating.

Thragka will we risk it?

[Thragka]

Urgrim has M4, he just doesn't have Flee! as a talent, so while he can't beat a human he can keep pace with most of them. Since Sieghard is not attempting to break through the lines to us, I would agree that it's prudent to tactically consolidate to the rear.

At work at the moment but IIRC Disengage is a Full Action? I'll do that this round on Urgrim's turn. He'll back away from the semicircle of pikes, shield still raised, if he hasn't been egregiously run through by then.

[TheSummoner]

Yes, disengage is a full action and since the Iron Company wear plate, they're at effective movement 3. Still enough to charge if you disengage, but to do that they'd have to ignore the guy who just killed their leader.

[LCP]

OK, free attacks vs. Sieghard:

(1d100)[63], (1d10+4)[13]
(1d100)[39], (1d10+4)[14]
(1d100)[94], (1d10+4)[7]

Parry - (1d100)[71]
Dodge - (1d100)[7]

One (mean) hit but with the Shield bonus I think that's jusssst parried.

[TheSummoner]

I'll be using that half action for the +20. Is Sieghard's night vision talent worth anything and can I know the result of the roll before deciding the other half action or do you want that up front?

(1d100)[14] vs 51 61 perception +20

Also, possibly worth bringing up, but do either Jarla or Urgrim actually understand Tilean? Now that they're free of immediate danger that might be something that would affect their understanding of what happened.

Edit: Not that it matters, but I just realized Sieghard has +10 perception.

[LCP]

You can decide your other HA independently for sure.

Sieghard can see there are a couple of small, shuttered windows on the ground floor. For him to get through either of them would be a squeeze even without his armour on. With his arms and armour, and with the Tileans behind him and able to grab his legs, it seems next to impossible.

He can see that the mill's mechanism is inactive. He can't see any kind of lock or switch on this floor.

He can see that the stashed stores don't look like they have been kept sealed - there are open boxes and half-empty sacks. There are a couple of handcarts that have been used to move them, still laden with sacks, that could be used for a makeshift barricade (though it probably wouldn't slow the Iron Company for much longer than it would take Sieghard to set it up).

He can see that there's more light coming down the ladder from upstairs than there is coming in from the ground floor windows. The floors are quite high-set though - any jump from an upper storey would be a risky one.

[TheSummoner]

How risky are we talking? About how high is the second floor?

I also imagine setting up any sort of barricade is going to be rather difficult while in melee. Unless it'd be enough to just knock some stuff over and make a run for it.

[LCP]

About how high is the second floor?

It's about 4 yards to the ceiling above him.

[TheSummoner]

Probably heading up there pending the result of the enemy turn. Would disengaging be enough to get him at least part of the way up the stairs? Would being at/on the stairs narrow the chokepoint further/provide any sort of height advantage? You brought up the option of using the supplies for a makeshift barricade to buy a bit of extra time. What would it take to do that?

[LCP]

Dodge roll for Sieghard's opponent (you can feel free to make these): (1d100)[9]

We have lost all our momentum and I feel like the micromanagement required by the combat rules is not gonna help us get it back. Sieghard doesn't seem to me in much danger of actually taking serious damage here - he's at full wounds with many layers of defences in his favour. I don't think it's time playing this out in 10 second increments to see whether one of the Iron Company manages to chip a few wounds off him - the real question is whether he can find a way out of the mill before getting irretrievably surrounded. I think we can do that quicker and better with a skill challenge.

Here's what I propose - I'll give you a staged series of skill tests to navigate Sieghard's path to escape. At each stage I'll give you a menu of different options, and anything you think of that you want to throw in there you can to add to the menu too - just ask and I'll give you a test to represent it. Each stage he fails is going to let more 1 more Iron Company man through the current bottleneck (whether that's the door, the stairs, whatever) to catch up with him, and if their numbers get to a critical point, we'll say they've got him.

Some back-of-the-envelope maths says to me that the point where in ordinary combat they would have decent odds of catching him in a Grapple (at which point they can burn his turns with tests to break free and allow an arbitrary number of reinforcements to pile in) is when they can throw 8 attacks at him, which is 4 guys, so I would say that is the critical point - don't fail 2 tests.

I'm gonna see what the result of that Dodge roll is and then I'll give you your 'on menu' skill test selection. EDIT: looks like he dodged successfully.

[LCP]

OK, so, stage 1 choices. A success on any of these will allow you breathing space to get up the stairs.

1. Makeshift barricade. There's no time or space to really stack stuff up, but you could hurl something large and heavy into the doorway and profit from the temporary obstruction (maybe knock an Iron Company guy down even). Straight Strength test.
2. Superior fightin' skills. A prone Iron Company man in the doorway is also, to all effects and purposes, a makeshift barricade - and with others behind pressing to get in, they have less freedom to move than they might like. A successful Manoeuvre test can push one of your current attackers back into his mates such that he either falls or tangles them up long enough for Sieghard to make a break for it.
3. Scary Sieghard. Sieghard has shown he's a very dangerous fighter and the guys in the doorway are having to fight him without the support of their pikes or their friends. If he can convince them that being at the head of the chase isn't worth dying for he may get a moment to break off - after all, as far as they know, he's trapped in the mill. Of course they are hardened soldiers so this will be difficult - let's say an [u]Intimidate at -20[/url].

[TheSummoner]

We'll go with the straight strength test. Seems more reliable than trying to force them back and threatening just feels weird in the situation.
(1d100)[95] vs 61

[TheSummoner]

Off to a wonderful start, I see. For the sake of not holding things up, I'll take the don't fail 2 tests bit to mean I'm clear to roll a second one.

(1d100)[27]

[LCP]

I meant that as 'don't fail 2 stages' - these are still normal pass/fail skill tests, not roll until you pass. I'll take it that's a fortune point you used there.

[TheSummoner]

Accidently copy pasted one extra time when doing my rolls. If you want to disregard the unlabeled one, it looks like a 3 yard fall. I guess he slows his descent a bit but can't keep grip... Damned heavy armor.

[LCP]

Let's roll the opposed test for those Iron Company boys: (1d100)[28]

As I reckon it, counting penalties from armour, they've tied Sieghard down to the exact percentage point with that roll.

Yes, he can throw stuff over to try to impede their pursuit - I'd call that a strength test.