288 réponses à ce sujet

[berelinde]

Link to the Combat Spreadsheet, with teams marked as Green (Mercuriel) or White (Tessa).

 

Beldin smiled at Tessa's questions.

 

"The attack order matters," he said. "We don't always know when the attack will come, or where, so we need to be ready to revise plans at a moment's notice. We need to know when it's time to hold back and wait for an opening, or when it's time to jump in and give them all you have. Don't be afraid to talk to each other. Let's do this in alphabetical order. Bartha, your turn will come first, but the warriors won't be in position yet. Tell your team leader you're going to wait, then once he's in place, attack. And so on."

 

He gave everyone a moment for them to sort the alphabet into its proper order.

 

"Do you shout encouragement?" he repeated. "Aye, you should! Encouragement, directions, threats, if that's what you need to get your point across. You need to be aware of where your team is, and you need to be able communicate your plans."

 

They were probably still figuring out if M came before L, he realized, but that was alright.

 

"When I say 'shout your attack,'" he said, "what I mean is say what you are going to do. Tessa, if you're going to attack Mercuriel, yell 'I'm going to hit Merc with everything I've got!' Let's keep it simple. Warriors can take three hits before they're down and everyone else can take two. Aye, you're all tougher than that, but this doesn't have to take all night, and we can do it again and again until it sinks in. It's about working together as a unit, not about showing off."

 

His smile turned to a grin as he answered her first question.

 

"As for where I'll be, you won't know," he said. "I'm Chaos. I'll be doing everything I can to keep you on your toes, and we can let it go at that. You'll find out what I mean soon enough."

 

His gaze swept the group.

 

"Any questions?" he said. "Ask now if you have them."

[mysteriouspast]

Philomena was getting the lay of the land when Beldin's voice rang out:

 

"Every one of you is good at what you do, but we need to learn to work together as a team. Let's do a combat drill. No live steel, no spells or arrows. Move to your opponent or shout your attack. Let's form up into two teams."

 

She watched silently as everyone stood next to those they felt closest to and she was acutely aware that she felt compelled to go to neither group, nor did anyone beckon to her. It was expected, really. She'd been with them only mere hours, but it was still a stark reminder that these people were all but strangers.

 

What he proposed seemed simple enough: they were to counterfeit actual battle and work on coordinating their moves. Then she listened to him describe her as the desired target of the other team and recoiled slightly, involuntarily. She looked sideways at Tempest, hoping the other Mage was as uncomfortable with such a notion as she was. She'd never considered herself the "desired" target before, and to be forewarned that in an actual battle she might be just that was unnerving.

 

Beldin finished his proposal: "Push forward until you get to the enemy mage and 'kill' them if you can, but keep an eye on your opposite number. You probably won't be able to move in on the mage while your opposite is upright. Got it?"

 

Mage. At the sound of the word, her head rolled back as though she'd been hit. He'd said it, casually, without hesitation, that she was a Mage. She searched her memory, wondering when she'd given her consent for him to reveal that deeply-guarded secret and realized that she hadn't explicitly told him not to. She'd assumed he'd know how dangerous it was for her to be an apostate out in the open, and had apparently miscalculated terribly.

 

She felt a fire burn behind her face, and turned fierce eyes to him, before exhaling heavily, helplessly. It wasn't his fault. He had no idea what she had gone through, what she had sacrificed, to keep her identity hidden.

 

It didn't matter anymore. He'd said it. It was done. Turning her determined expression back to the field, she waited to see what would happen next.

[berelinde]

Trappers' Camp Map, as promised.

Spoiler

[TreeHuggerHannah]

Tempest was a little tired from a day of walking and carrying her pack, but as soon as Beldin made his suggestion, she realized it was a good one. They were going to have to fight a formidable enemy soon, yet some of them had never been in combat together before, and the last battle they fought had resulted in the death of a party member and could have resulted in even more. They needed to be more prepared next time, when the stakes were even higher.

 

It was common in her Circle for them to practice sparring. How else would the young ones learn? So this was a familiar evening activity.

 

She nodded her agreement with the plan, then went to find a safe place to put her pack while they practiced. Tempest was determined not to let anything happen to her new lute or to Tarl's book. She had promised Tarl she would get the book back to him in one piece, and she would keep her word.

[obsessedwjpn]

Mercuriel returns Tessa glance and gets ready for the impending training exercise. He positions himself near Tree 1 and calls out to the other members of his team. 

 

"Rhys, Bartha and Tempest - let's gather here and prepare our attack! We cannot allow Tessa's team to win!" He raises his greatsword in a flashy show of confidence.

 

"Dog, what are you doing? Stop nuzzling Beldin, get over here!" Dog hangs his head in shame for a moment before rushing over to Mercuriel's side.

[Mahumia]

Bartha was glad when they finally had reached the campsite: keeping up with those longlegged companions was more tiresome than keeping her own pace. Nonetheless, she found herself looking forward to a sparring match when Beldin called out for one. It had been a long time since she had been sparring, and it was indeed important that they all learned to cooperate with each other. 

 

She raised her hand: "Just to be sure: we can use sheathed weapons? As in: I can still hit you, but it won't hurt you? And all regular tactics are allowed?" 

 

She quickly joined Mercuriel in order to discuss tactics. "Well, fearless leader. Do you want me offensive or defensive?" She smiled and winked, before continuing. "My own idea was to go stealth and go for the ranged attackers first, as we have the advantage of having more melee fighters to defend our own. But I do not know what tactics you had in mind?"  

[BFace]

Tessa strode to a position between Tree 2 and Tree 4 and shouted, "My team! Laurelin, Fabian, Philomena! Let's gather here, and decide our plan of action!"

 

She watched Mercuriel brandish his weapon with a good-natured eyeroll, leaving her own sheathed against her back.

 

 

 

{Edited because apparently I can't spell names when I'm half asleep!}

Modifié par BrambleFace, 03 novembre 2014 - 02:40 .

[Lorien19]

Laurelin's lips curved up into a smile when she heard Beldin's suggestion.
For one she was glad that they finally left the city and even though her body was tired from the journey,she felt strangely rejuvenated.
Laurelin heard Tessa's voice calling her out,they were forming a plan...Good!

[mysteriouspast]

Still a bit unsteady, but attempting to hide the tumult of emotions inside her, Philomena moved to Tessa's side, and waited silently for direction.

[Aertioc]

"I hear and obey!" I laughed, and made my way to Tessa's side.

[TreeHuggerHannah]

"For my part, I will do my best not to draw enemy fire," Tempest said. "My talents mainly lie in healing and defensive spells, so it would not be a good use of my skills for me to waste my energy on attacking unless there is no choice. For the time being I will try to keep Mercuriel between myself and the enemy."

 

Smiling apologetically to Mercuriel, she added, "Not to be cowardly, but because as Beldin says, my job is to keep the rest of you on your feet. You can take more hits than I can, anyhow." 

[BFace]

Tessa looked at her three teammates then looked out over the “field”.  She looked back to the small group and smiled tightly.

 

“Beldin made everything sound very complicated. But in reality, and in the middle of battle, we don’t have time for complicated. So, for this I’d like us to focus on the simple things.”

 

She looked at each person in turn. “First thing’s first. Since he called the order alphabetically, that means I go dead last.  That’s good, because sometimes I will not get into the battlefield as fast as you folks, so it’s a good chance for us to learn how to set up for such an event.”

 

“Beldin was right, though.” Tessa glanced at Philomena before going on, matter-of-factly, “You and Tempest are the most important people on the field. So the best thing you can do is to do your best to stay out of their line of sight, in a way that leaves you still able to watch and hear us. Do anything you need to do to protect yourself. Then wait, and watch.  If someone falls, do NOT run to them, unless you see that someone is there to cover your work.”

 

Tilting her head to look at Fabian, Tessa said, “You apparently have some skill with a bow?” She waited for him to nod before going on. “Good. You can find cover or a decent vantage point where you can begin taking out Tempest. And watching without being seen. If I find I need you to do something else, I will shout to you.”

 

Tessa addressed the three again. “That’s another thing. Once we’re out in the open, communicate with the rest of us. Let someone know if you’re being attacked. Let someone know that they’re about to be attacked if you see it before they do.  Tell me to get off my ass and do something, if that’s what I need.”

 

She grinned swiftly before returning to a more serious expression as she faced Laurelin. “You, my friend, are versatile.  The same advice holds to you, as to the other two, but you have more leeway with your choices.  You will need to watch the battlefield from a position of relative safety, and then decide what magic you have that would be most useful. I still want you to focus on Tempest at the beginning as well.” She gave the elven woman a soft look before going on, quietly. “There’s one bit of magic that I don’t EVER want you to use during a fight, unless all is lost. Then only to get yourself away.”

 

Standing back, she addressed the group, with a smirk, one final time. “Now that I have proven myself as longwinded as Beldin was, I might as well say one or two more things.  Get into position in your turns, but DO NOT engage, unless you are engaged first, until I am in position.  It’s MY job to make sure I’m a big enough target that they forget about you three.  And don’t forget about Mercuriel’s hound. Mabari hounds are smart and vicious in battle. Forget that at your own peril.”

 

Crossing her arms, she finished, “Any questions?”

[mysteriouspast]

Philomena wasn't certain if Tessa was actually waiting for a response or not, but muttered, "No questions--I understand your expectations," just to be safe.

[Aertioc]

"Sounds simple enough," I said. "I will go to the treeline to the north and move if I need a better view."

[obsessedwjpn]

Mercuriel planted his sword into the dirt and crouched down, forming a circle with his teammates. He made sure to keep his voice light so as not to lull his teammates into a slumber. He wanted to avoid anything too long winded.

 

"Alright, this is just practice, as you all know, but that doesn't prevent us from showing up our opponents. However," his voice was sharp, "don't think this means I want any of you unfocused. We are here to practice and have some fun along the way but this is also going to show me how well we can work together. And that togetherness, that camaraderie, might prove the difference between life and death in future encounters that are the real thing."

 

He exhaled a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding and returned to his light-hearted ways. "Now, Tempest, you are correct in that I should be the one drawing most of the enemy attention. We need you away from the front lines keeping check on everyone's health. Bartha, my saucy dwarf, you have wicked daggers and move quickly. Use your size to your advantage and move across the battlefield to help ease the burden of the enemy off me. I'll keep their attention while you pick off stragglers or attack from behind. Rhys, we haven't known one another long but I trust you to play the middle man. I will need you to play many roles depending on the situation. Either back me up, protect Tempest from assault, or attack on your own. You will be the linchpin of this group, I believe."

 

Dog butted into the circle and licked Tempest's face. Mercuriel sighed and pointed his finger at Dog's nose. "You, come here. Listen, this isn't true battle so I don't want you mauling anyone. As if you could...but protect my back, okay? I need you backing me up." 

 

Dog barked in response and suddenly a change came over him. His tongue no longer lolled out the side of his mouth and his eyes seemed more focused.

 

Mercuriel stretched out his arm and placed his hand in the middle of the circle. "Everyone, speak up during battle if you need assistance or the enemy changes tactics. We need to make sure to communicate. That is key, above all else. And, keep the healer well protected, of course." He winked at Tempest. "These are our companions that we face but do not let their familiarity cause you to falter. Let us show them who the true warriors are!"

 

He shouted the last bit, uncaring if the other team heard him or not, and waited for everyone to place their hands on his before raising their arms to the sky in salute.

[Mahumia]

Bartha raised her hand. 

 

"If I may. How do you intend to use my speed? Fair enough, I prefer a head-to-head combat, but this might not be as effective now. I could go around and attack from behind whilst you and Dog keep them busy on the front, if that is what you mean? It would at least confuse them. It is a tactic me and my family used for protecting our wares, and often made people decide to flee. Of course, in this cast they know how many people they are facing, and could just start counting. But knowing that at least one is not within sight might make them less eager to go offensive and head straight for Tempest, I guess?" 

[Lorien19]

Laurelin nodded quietly, her gaze fixed on Tessa she also hoped that she wouldn't have to use that spell." As you wish my friend, they won't know what hit them." She said playfully.

[berelinde]

Bartha was glad when they finally had reached the campsite: keeping up with those longlegged companions was more tiresome than keeping her own pace. Nonetheless, she found herself looking forward to a sparring match when Beldin called out for one. It had been a long time since she had been sparring, and it was indeed important that they all learned to cooperate with each other. 

 

She raised her hand: "Just to be sure: we can use sheathed weapons? As in: I can still hit you, but it won't hurt you? And all regular tactics are allowed?" 

 

She quickly joined Mercuriel in order to discuss tactics. "Well, fearless leader. Do you want me offensive or defensive?" She smiled and winked, before continuing. "My own idea was to go stealth and go for the ranged attackers first, as we have the advantage of having more melee fighters to defend our own. But I do not know what tactics you had in mind?"  

Beldin turned toward Bartha.

 

"I'd rather the weapons stay in their sheaths on your belt," he said. "Jump up behind someone and yell 'Consider yourself stabbed in the back!' if you want, but weapons can become unsheathed or if we are attacked during the drill, Maker forbid, you may lose precious time getting them both unsheathed without dropping them."

[TreeHuggerHannah]

Tempest chuckled and scratched behind Dog's ears when he licked her face. She liked dogs. Maybe she'd have one of her own someday, when they were more settled.

 

She smiled back at Mercuriel and said, "I am ready. This may be just a sparring match, but there will still be pride in demonstrating our skill."

[Kerridwynn]

Rhys took a deep breath and nodded at Mercurial.  "I'll take a position between yourself and Tempest, I think.  I'll be able to use my bow range to cover you both while being able to move up to support you or move back to support Tempest."

[obsessedwjpn]

Mercuriel noted Bartha's suggestion and smiled at the dwarf. "That sounds very good, Bartha. I will concede to you then. Please take your shots where you can and stay out of sight mostly if possible. You are right that the lack of your presence might put them off balance."

 

Everyone in his group seemed ready so he stood back up, picked up his greatsword and stared ahead at Tessa's group. "You all know your positions, let's move into place!" 

 

He started trudging towards the opening between trees with Dog close at his side. He wanted to get ahead of the others so that most of the attention would be focused on him. He blew a taunting kiss at the other group so as to paint a target on himself.

 

"Are you ready, Tessa? Because we sure are!" 

 

Mercuriel looked to Beldin, awaiting the start of combat practice.

[berelinde]

"LAY ON!" Beldin boomed.

[berelinde]

{I've uploaded the combat map as an editable image. Please put your character's first initial on the map to designate your position. You can do that by choosing the "Text Box" tool. For those characters who share a first initial, please use the first initial plus the first different letter, so Ba, Be, Tm, Ts.

 

Later, as combat progresses and your character moves, you can select the text box and drag it around as your character moves.

 

Edit: I marked the position of characters who identified their positions. If I marked 'em wrong, just move 'em.}

[Mahumia]

Bartha nodded to Beldin and Mercuriel, to let them know that she understood their instructions. "Let's go than. Merc, I'll wait for the others to get into position before I'll get into action." 

 

She slipped into the background of the trees and shrubbery. The surroundings would help with staying out of sight, but she would have to find out what the other team would do before she could decide her path. 

 

Bartha gets into stealth, but holds the rest of her turn

 

Spoiler

Stealth check: 3d6+3+2 → [5,2,2,3,2] = (14)

link

[berelinde]

The pallid sun cast no shadows, but Beldin somehow managed to become unobtrusive. He crept up behind Laurelin, raised himself to his most intimidating posture, and shouted "BOO!"

 

Spoiler

3d6+3 → [6,2,5,3] = (16)

Dexterity(Stealth)=3d6+3+0

http://invisiblecast...r/view/4705595/

 

{Laurelin would not have been aware that a test was underway (and Lorien the player would not have known it, either), so I'll use a roll from her pre-rolled list for her Opposition Roll. The next roll on her list happens to be a 6. Perception(Sight)= 6+2 = 8. That is less than Beldin's stealth roll, so she is surprised. If she was preparing a spell at the time, she will need to roll a concentration check to see if she maintains her focus. Lorien, you as a player are aware that you need to make this roll, so you may roll it yourself without having to rely on your list of die rolls. Willpower(Concentration)=3d6+3. Your target number is Beldin's Stealth roll, so you would need to meet or beat a 16.

 

If Laurelin is NOT preparing to cast a spell, well, she's just surprised to see Bel. Thwapping him for sneaking up on her is a free action}