Tomboys and Troublemakers Part V: Zut Zut Zut and a Bottle of Bordeleaux

[farothel]

I also need to roll toughness: (1d100)[95] vs 30

Also nope

EDIT: Bruno is at 4/15 for wounds, so any healing before we leave (magical or otherwise) is certainly welcome.

[MrAbdiel]

Well Shallya is merciful; 13 is much better than 4. Good heal rolls today from the sawbones.

[wilphe]

So, presume we want to spread out a bit if we are going up the path, but also don't want to put Bruno or Bertelis in harms way until melee begins

So:?

Regine

Jasmine

Meloth

Bruno

Bertelis

Wighard

[MrAbdiel]

I’m inclined to suggest Meloth first just because he has the best eyes for traps and obstacles, and outdoor survival for pathfinding that might be required. But we did stick to brambles 2 heals only timeline so we should be able to embark quickly enough they don’t have ranked and loaded defenses against us!

[wilphe]

As you wish, I just think the two Bs need holding back

[wilphe]

And I have finished the timeline

Funeral was on 6 Year-Turn Jahrdrung (Day 39)

We are now:

11 Summertide Sommerzeit (Day 144)

So the whole campaign has taken 106 days so far

[wilphe]

[MrAbdiel]

This thing is invisible to me, my friend.

[bramblefoot]

same

also, how evil should i be?

[MrAbdiel]

There are two answers to this question, depending on the kind of DM you want to be.

One side says "you should be as evil as the situation warrants. A bunch of knuckleheads are trying to raid a fort by themselves? Is it reasonable to have a hundred warriors defending it? That's what fate points are for."

But this leads to players feeling misled and gunshy, habitually choosing safe options instead of heroic ones.

The other side says "consider how much evil would be required to add threat but not overbear the heroes; it's their story, and its rotten to present something as an adventurous decision only to pull the rug from under them and tell them we're all about sensible conservative decisions now."

But this leads to players feeling invincible and taking the notion that challenges are graded for them for granted.


My rule is to generally introduce obstacles and threats that the players can comfortably handle and feel heroic; occasionally a threat that reminds them they are mortals; and once in a blue moon the kind of threat that will whip them up and down the street if they are not careful and prepared and maybe a little lucky. The more severe it is, the more I signpost it with NPC's reminding the players of how dangerous what they're attempting is; or even alerting players with an appropriate knowledge skill of the wisdom of their actions. The key is you want a player who loses a fate point to feel like they have lost it for a reason they have earned either by taking a silly risk they can appreciate or doing something they knew was worth the sacrifice.

For example, I've lost two fate points on Bertelis this game. That's more than I've lost on any character in WFRP2e. But I lost one as a result of an honor-duel in the dark to a daemonette that I literally asked for, and the other I got shot down by skaven trying madly to free slaves whom we had sworn to protect. Both have been extremely formative for Bertelis and while I miss the rerolls badly, I don't regret either of them.

But there was a moment during one fight where Jasmine rolled a critical fail with her pistol, and you had considered (and elected not to) turning that into shooting Bertelis by accident, which could have killed him and knocked off a fate point. That I would have quietly resented, since lethal friendly fire isn't part of the heroic risk I'd put my character in or something I could anticipate from the rules. So I'm glad that didn't come to pass.




Or, if you weren't asking for a treatise on the ethics of being a hardass DM and were just asking how tough we're feeling...

Well we're all healthy but we're drained of many of our rerolls which is the lifeblood of adventure, so... Like... I would request no harsher than medium evil.

[bramblefoot]

There are two answers to this question, depending on the kind of DM you want to be.

One side says "you should be as evil as the situation warrants. A bunch of knuckleheads are trying to raid a fort by themselves? Is it reasonable to have a hundred warriors defending it? That's what fate points are for."

But this leads to players feeling misled and gunshy, habitually choosing safe options instead of heroic ones.

The other side says "consider how much evil would be required to add threat but not overbear the heroes; it's their story, and its rotten to present something as an adventurous decision only to pull the rug from under them and tell them we're all about sensible conservative decisions now."

But this leads to players feeling invincible and taking the notion that challenges are graded for them for granted.


My rule is to generally introduce obstacles and threats that the players can comfortably handle and feel heroic; occasionally a threat that reminds them they are mortals; and once in a blue moon the kind of threat that will whip them up and down the street if they are not careful and prepared and maybe a little lucky. The more severe it is, the more I signpost it with NPC's reminding the players of how dangerous what they're attempting is; or even alerting players with an appropriate knowledge skill of the wisdom of their actions. The key is you want a player who loses a fate point to feel like they have lost it for a reason they have earned either by taking a silly risk they can appreciate or doing something they knew was worth the sacrifice.

For example, I've lost two fate points on Bertelis this game. That's more than I've lost on any character in WFRP2e. But I lost one as a result of an honor-duel in the dark to a daemonette that I literally asked for, and the other I got shot down by skaven trying madly to free slaves whom we had sworn to protect. Both have been extremely formative for Bertelis and while I miss the rerolls badly, I don't regret either of them.

But there was a moment during one fight where Jasmine rolled a critical fail with her pistol, and you had considered (and elected not to) turning that into shooting Bertelis by accident, which could have killed him and knocked off a fate point. That I would have quietly resented, since lethal friendly fire isn't part of the heroic risk I'd put my character in or something I could anticipate from the rules. So I'm glad that didn't come to pass.




Or, if you weren't asking for a treatise on the ethics of being a hardass DM and were just asking how tough we're feeling...

Well we're all healthy but we're drained of many of our rerolls which is the lifeblood of adventure, so... Like... I would request no harsher than medium evil.

understood mon capitane

[bramblefoot]

hand signals do work

[MrAbdiel]

understood mon capitane

Well hey, like always, I like to offer advice and help and clarity where I can but it's your game; tell me to step back whenever you feel is appropriate, etc etc.

hand signals do work

WOO! A chance to actually use Secret Language: Battle Tongue! .... If only we all had it, and only wanted to discuss battlefield maneuvers.

Assuming the most practical Secret Languages have a certain amount of simple sign language,

Bertelis and Jasmine can communicate loosely with Battle Tongue.

Meloth and Regine can communicate loosely with Thieves Tongue.

And every other combination of us is down to charades. I suggest big, broad gestures it's hard to misunderstand!

[wilphe]

This thing is invisible to me, my friend.

Thank you

Try this

https://sites.google.com/site/wilphe/wfrp/calendar

[wilphe]

hand signals do work

Can Wighard still cast?

[farothel]

Well Shallya is merciful; 13 is much better than 4. Good heal rolls today from the sawbones.

And with my full armour, I'll also take less damage.

[MrAbdiel]

And with my full armour, I'll also take less damage.

Full plate is pretty sweet.

In my weaker moments, I do regret Bertelis giving that armor to Bruno… but it does feel right that it was made for a knight of the Empire, and contains one again. Feels good. The Bretonnian knights would make fun of Bertelis riding around in articulated plate, like some kind of nerd. Real knights just bury themselves in chainmail and boiled leather and faith.

[dojango]

Full plate is pretty sweet.

In my weaker moments, I do regret Bertelis giving that armor to Bruno… but it does feel right that it was made for a knight of the Empire, and contains one again. Feels good. The Bretonnian knights would make fun of Bertelis riding around in articulated plate, like some kind of nerd. Real knights just bury themselves in chainmail and boiled leather and faith.

And élan, don't forget that

[MrAbdiel]

Oh, of course! Élan is the most important part. :D

@Bramble, I wonder if I could ask for a little more detail about the fortress. You don't have to get down to square footage or anything, but if we're gonna crack this nut we're gonna need to scheme. I've a couple of questions for example:

- How tall is the fortress? I'm imagining a small standalone castle with a single tower-keep. And importantly:

- What is the construction? rough quarried stone and mortar, or squared stone bricks, or something more exotic? This is important because...

- How difficult of a freehand climb does it look? That's assuming it's too high to get a grappling hook over.

- How big and tough is the fortress door? Is this something that will require a team with a battering ram on a swing or is it something that can be theoretically taken apart with axes given a bit of elbow grease?

[bramblefoot]

Oh, of course! Élan is the most important part. :D

@Bramble, I wonder if I could ask for a little more detail about the fortress. You don't have to get down to square footage or anything, but if we're gonna crack this nut we're gonna need to scheme. I've a couple of questions for example:

- How tall is the fortress? I'm imagining a small standalone castle with a single tower-keep. And importantly:

- What is the construction? rough quarried stone and mortar, or squared stone bricks, or something more exotic? This is important because...

- How difficult of a freehand climb does it look? That's assuming it's too high to get a grappling hook over.

- How big and tough is the fortress door? Is this something that will require a team with a battering ram on a swing or is it something that can be theoretically taken apart with axes given a bit of elbow grease?

im imagining the same thing you are

the bricks are squared away, so its certainly not a simple climb, and definitely not one to be taken on by a neophyte climber

the door theoretically could be taken down, but that might just burn energy you need for other thing

[MrAbdiel]

Hmm. Who's our best climber? I think it might be Bertelis right now. Strength 50 and trained in Scale Sheer Surface. I think Regine would be our ticket usually with +10% to the skill and 44 str, but she's suffering from the chill right now. But Meloth, Bertelis and Regine are all trained atleast. If it's going to be a bunch of -20% rolls or something we're just going to fall and break our asses, but if it's at +0 it might be worth the risk. Though high enough to be beyond grapple hook is probably an extremely damaging fall...

Maybe climb to an arrow slit part way up..? Hmm. This might be a job for Kwolf...
Edit: I just noticed all cold weather coats we had were 'human sized coats'. Does that mean Jasmine is currently just toughing it out? Atleast she passed the test!

[wilphe]

- How big and tough is the fortress door? Is this something that will require a team with a battering ram on a swing or is it something that can be theoretically taken apart with axes given a bit of elbow grease?

Dude, do you even?

[wilphe]

May I suggest:

[MrAbdiel]

Dude, do you even?

Lmao. Did they bust it? I assume so. I can't imagine an axe you threw with your upper body at hardwood being able to take a full body's hanging weight. It's like climbing with ice picks, but... less credible! But we do have a few axes between us. If we can chop through enough of the door to lever the bar from the other side, we'll be laughing. Or a small enough hole to shove Jasmine through and she can solo the castle.

May I suggest:

This is neat! Though in its state of ruin it is hard to imagine its ancient granduer.

[wilphe]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunnottar_Castle

Doesn't really have walls all the way around (part of the point of building it there in the first place)

I have been looking but not able to find one that fits description so far

[BananaPhone]

Wait, we've gone from arriving to a new place with the island fortress, to now storming the fortress on land?

Just trying to get my bearings as things move rather quickly lol.

[MrAbdiel]

Yep! We didn’t encounter any resistance on the way up thankfully, probably because we moved so quick. But now we’re are the keep door and it’s looking like axe work.

[bramblefoot]

i would say you can cast at a penalty, and with an increased issue of mishaps

[MrAbdiel]

Alright. How many axes do we have? Wighard's got one, Bertelis has the hatchet he always carries (but never uses) and also the one looted from the Damsel? May as well get cracking.

Edit: Made a little post to get crackin' on axing the door, but if anyone's character would see this and object, feel free to pipe up and post and I'll abort. I was just feeling we might be standing around waiting for someone to take the first swing! Also it was a good excuse to get the Company Blade into Wighard's hand for a while.

[BananaPhone]

Going to try....scale sheer surface: (1d100)[32] vs TN 54

FP if need be: (1d100)[98] vs TN 54 not necessary.