okay, so we finished off the next session of our dragonbane campaign, and it was a doozy! (i'm actually writing this introduction before we played, so it's sort of a fib, but i'm pretty sure we're going to play, obviously, and even if it's a super-short session, when we're done we will have finished it. and honestly, most of our play sessions are doozies, so i'm not apologizing for calling it before it's actually happened.)
if you want to read up on session 1 (so you're not totally confused about what's going on), it's here.
Ariel: Hey, Elle?
GM Elle: (from inside bathroom) Um, what is it?
Ariel: If you're going to be a while, can I hand you in the dice and you can roll to see if we have an encounter when the party takes a shift rest? That way if there's no encounter we can get all our hit points and willpower points back.
GM Elle: Sure. Whatever. Just what I wanted to do while I'm on the can. Door's unlocked.
Ariel: Awesome! Here you go! (I have my hands over my eyes, I'm not looking.)
GM Elle: What? It's just me on the toilet with my pants down. You've kind of seen that all before, you know.
Ariel: Well, yeah, but, um, your voice sounded like you might be a little annoyed, so I don't want to see you being annoyed if you are.
GM Elle: Great. Keep your hand over your eyes, then, because I wasn't all that annoyed, but I'm getting more annoyed now.
Ariel: Oh no! I'm sorry!
GM Elle: I roll a 9. Pretty sure the table says 1-6 means nothing happens but 7 and up means something does.
Ariel: Crud. Do you want me to get you the book so you can see what it says?
GM Elle: No, honey, I kind of don't right now. And I'll be out in just a second anyway.
Ariel: Well ... can we assume we took a stretch break and roll for that while you're finishing up?
GM Elle: (flushing) Seriously, Aers, I'll be right out.
Ariel: Oh. Okay. See you in the other room, then!
GM Elle: (washing hands) *sigh*
MSG: Hey, Elle! Did Aers tell you we rolled for a stretch break while you were in there?
GM Elle: No. No, she did not.
Sasha: It was great. We all rolled sixes on all our hit point and willpower point rolls.
Ariel: What? No we didn't! They're fibbing, Elle. I mean, not about us rolling for the stretch break, just about the sixes.
GM Elle: Well, I wasn't going to roll for an encounter during a stretch break anyway, so it's fine. Are you guys ready to start?
MSG: Yes. We didn't roll that great on recovering during the stretch break, so we'll be taking a shift rest now, if you want to roll for encounters.
GM Elle: Well, you'll be glad to know that Ariel brought me the dice, and I already rolled an encounter.
Claire: Sorry, did you say you already rolled for encounters, or you already rolled an encounter?
GM Elle: The second one. Let me just look up what it says in the Adventure book. Hmm.
Ariel: Uh oh. Why are you making that face, Elle? Hey, why are you making that face, Sash?
Sasha: You just had to go and bother her while she was in the bathroom, didn't you?
Ariel: That doesn't make it my fault! She still could have rolled whatever it is if I'd waited!
Akane: It's logical.
Ariel: Thanks, Akane.
Akane: But, there's still the battle between this logic and the emotion of, if Ariel didn't do that, would we be in the identical outcome?
Hettie: Yes, peculiar, isn't it. Highly irrational to blame Ariel ... and yet still somehow emotionally attractive.
Claire: Guys, please. You're going to give Aers a complex.
Ariel: I only wanted to get the game going faster!
Sasha: No prob. I'm sure it will go even faster if we push your character out in front of whatever's about to attack us.
Hettie: Speaking of which, possibly we should move on to the actual encounter?
GM Elle: That would be the Game Master's preference. Is anyone going to be on guard, or are you all conked out in Fidu's tent?
MSG: I'm still pretty beat from that fight.
Claire: Filvius is too.
Ariel: I can be on guard! I didn't get hurt at all.
Sasha: Sir Q is conked.
Akane: Zedeja can guard, even though she is old and has feebleness. The party's lesser mage healed her, so she's missing only a few points of willpower.
Hettie: Dilfriida's fit as a fiddle as well.
GM Elle: So are you three inside the tent but awake, or outside the tent keeping an eye on things?
Ariel: I'd hate to have a bear or something sneak up on us and tear into the tent while we're in there and couldn't see him.
Akane: Yes, Zedeja also is concerned for bears.
MSG: I told you guys it was a mistake watching that Cocaine Bear movie right before game time.
Hettie: Dilfriida has no particular Bushcraft or Beast Lore skill, so it doesn't occur to her to be especially worried over bears.
GM Elle: Okay, well, about two hours into your shift, the people on watch should all roll awareness. It's late afternoon, and the mists from the valley below have risen to cloak the pass downslope from you beyond about 20 meters.
Ariel: Do we get a boon because bears are really big?
GM Elle: If there was a boon, I would tell you, I promise.
Ariel: 13 for me then. Hey, I just barely made it because of my Awareness going up last session! Woohoo!
Akane: Zedeja rolls 2. Which means, not the word "too" that possesses the same meaning with "also," but the number 2. Which is successful for her Awareness.
Hettie: Dilfriida, unfortunately, remains oblivious.
GM Elle: Okay, Zedeja and Fidu hear some noise in the fog and are able to draw initiative cards. Dilfriida will go last in the round.
Akane: It's card 3 for Zedeja.
Ariel: I get 6. Please please please let the bad guys do worse!
GM Elle: They pull card 9. The noise allows you to spot some shadowy figures moving forward through the mist, which ends about here on the map. They appear humanoid, and are spread out in a line, it appears. Akane, what does Zedeja do?
Akane: These figures look dastardly. If they have bows like the goblins, look how many arrows we may receive! I demand my allies take cover behind the tent. Since the thief appears oblivious, I attempt to Levitate her. There's a warning to her before I do it.
GM Elle: Hettie, will Dilfriida allow herself to be levitated? If you're unwilling, Zedeja will get a bane on her spell.
Hettie: I'm entirely satisfied at being removed from harm's way.
Akane: Then: magic! The Mentalism of Zedeja succeeds with a 9. After moving the thief here, I move here.
Ariel: Since I got this short bow from the goblins last time, I'm going to shoot one of those figures with it even though my Bows skill stinks.
GM Elle: You'll also get a bane on the roll because they're hard to spot in the fog.
Ariel: Boo. Okay, well, I roll a 5 and an 11, swish. So I'll duck behind the tent too. Oh, and I'll say, "That was a warning shot! You better get out of here if you don't want a lot worse!"
GM Elle: You see a bunch of unwashed-looking bandits rush out of the mist. Their leader is a rat-like man with horrible teeth and greasy hair. He tells you to surrender your valuables or they'll take them off your corpses. Three of the bandits double-move because they can't get a good angle past the tent on a single move. These other four position themselves to fire, but will get a bane because you have cover from the tent.
MSG: If I'm awake in the tent, I'll say loudly, "You guys give a holler if you need any help out there!"
GM Elle: Well, you don't say that until initiative 10. Meanwhile, the bandits are holding to see if the three on watch surrender. Hettie?
Hettie: Dilfriida thinks we can probably scare these guys off, unless they actually look tougher than you made them sound. So she'll take a pot-shot at them with her new bow. I can step out from cover and then step back after I fire, right?
GM Elle: Yes.
Hettie: Great, I roll a 4, so I hit that one on the end for 7 points.
GM Elle: Dolora says her piece from inside the tent, then, and it's a new round. Anyone in the tent who wants to be able to act this round needs to take a card, and your rest will be interrupted, so you'll have to start over.
MSG: Nobody hollered back, so I'm waiting and listening.
Claire: I'm an elf, and we're deep sleepers, so I'm guessing I'm still out. Plus I'm pretty hurt and don't have many WP left to spend.
Sasha: Doesn't sound like they're monsters, so I'll keep cooling it in the tent for now.
Akane: My card is 5.
Hettie: I'm 10 again, apparently.
GM Elle: 7 for the bad guys.
Ariel: I get to go on 2! I'll do what Hettie did last turn and take a shot at that one who's already hit. Twang! That's a miss, but I'll go ahead and push it and get angry. Urk! Demon.
GM Elle: There's a Demon table for ranged combat. I roll a 6, so you hit some valuable item nearby. I get to pick. Let's say ... it's Dilfriida's bow, since she's right there. Roll your damage to see if it breaks.
Ariel: Um, 10, so yeah. Sorry, Hettie!
GM Elle: Akane, your turn.
Akane: I move close to these three and attempt more Levitation. There's a bane for their unwillingness. This assumes they do not think it sounds enjoyable.
GM Elle: They definitely don't.
Akane: 12 and 18 fails, so, pushing the roll. So exhausting! 7 and 14! Success! All three rise 6 meters and fall for 3d6 damage. This one 8, this one 9, and this one 7. And prone?
GM Elle: Actually, the rules don't say so, but I think they should at least have to make an Agility check to stay upright. Two make it.
Akane: Now, back behind the tent. Also, I say, "Our stronger members are still relaxing inside! Flee, or it's doom for you!"
GM Elle: Normally that would be a Persuasion check, but it would take an action for that, and you used yours on the spell. But ... half of them are now really hurt, and as far as they know they haven't touched you. I'll let you roll Persuasion with a bane.
Akane: Unlikely, but let's see. Aha! 4 and 5, both success!
GM Elle: It's their turn then, and the injured ones break and run, so the others do too.
Akane: Triumph! I order their retreating cowardice to not come back.
GM Elle: We'll see.
MSG: Nice. I go back to sleep.
Ariel: Kind of wish we'd killed some and gotten loot off them, though.
Sasha: The best kind of loot is your skin, all in one piece. Unless there's a monster to fight, I mean. In that case, it's the satisfaction of ridding the world of another monster.
GM Elle: You finish up your shift rest, then, and the three in the tent heal all their lost HP and WP, and remove any conditions they have. It's a new shift, so your stretch rests and round rests reset too, even if you didn't rest this shift. By now it's full night. Are you going to try to move on in the dark, or stay camped.
Akane: Zedeja is old and tired, plus exhausted, plus disheartened. She insists it is her turn to rest.
Hettie: Dilfriida isn't going to argue with that. We need sleep even if we're not down any hit points or WP, right?
GM Elle: Correct. But I'll be rolling another chance at encounters.
MSG: Claire, Sash, and I can keep watch through the night. If the other three could handle those bandits, the three of us should be fine.
Claire: I also want to spend some time looking at that map.
MSG: Oh, right! Me too!
GM Elle: You'll need light for that.
Ariel: You can use my oil lamp! Dig it out of my backpack, though, I'm too tired and lazy to search for it myself.
GM Elle: All right, here's the map for the two of you to look at, then.
MSG: What are these things in the corners?
Claire: They look like chunks of something.
GM Elle: Any skills you want to apply?
MSG: I dunno ... Myths and Legends? Spot Hidden to make out the details?
GM Elle: You can try either of those.
MSG: I'm way better at Myths and Legends. I roll a 12.
GM Elle: Well, you remember that dying guy you got the map from, right? He said something about the dragon emperor, and four parts. You feel like there are any number of legends about artifacts or idols broken into parts and lost to time.
Claire: I'll try Spot Hidden to see if I can see how those four pieces might go together.
GM Elle: You can have a boon. Or, you know, you could even just look closely yourselves and see if you could figure it out.
Claire: I already figured it out, I'm just roleplaying. I blow it with a 9 because my Spot Hidden stinks.
Sasha: While they're doing all this, I'm keeping my eyes peeled for those bandits coming back. Or for monsters.
MSG: More power to Claire for roleplaying, but I'm assuming Dolora's 15 intelligence is close enough to mine that it looks like the upper left and lower right corners show two parts of a figure's chest and upper legs. The top right is obviously a head, and the bottom right looks like feet.
Claire: Are you pointing this out to me?
MSG: Of course. I'm always eager to show off new knowledge I've acquired.
Claire: Great, because I'm remembering we also found a chunk of black basalt that looked like a pedestal with some feet and lower legs on it. Does it look like that lower left one, Elle?
GM Elle: Pretty much exactly.
Claire: Hot damn! So we haven't even made it into the valley yet, and we've already got one quarter of some crazy-important statuette that's going to lead us to solve the mystery of this dragon emperor.
GM Elle: Possibly. At any rate, the shift ends with the barest hint of twilight crawling up into the sky to the east. You can't really see it directly east because you're still in the pass, but there's a faint lightening of the sky over the mists of the valley ahead and to your right.
MSG: Great! Everybody ready to go, then?
Ariel: No! Why are you waking me up so early? The sun isn't even out yet!
Sasha: Honestly, I'd just as soon wait for full dawn so we can keep an eye out for any ambush those bandits might have set up. Also, obviously, monsters.
Akane: This is acceptable to the aged Zedeja. She demands additional sleep until after sunrise. Then, breakfast is due, so have it ready!
Hettie: Aren't we supposed to survive off our own rations in this game?
Akane: It's not needed if someone hunts. Look how many bows we have! Now go and archer some food while Zedeja sleeps.
Claire: I do have a pretty good Hunting and Fishing skill. Can I give that a try?
GM Elle: It takes a full shift to track down an animal with that skill. But I'll let you roll with a bane, and you'll also have a bane on your shot with your bow, since it's dark.
Claire: I wasn't actually going to use a bow, because I don't have any arrows. The metal tips would interfere with my magic. I figured I'd just Lightning Flash anything I spotted.
GM Elle: Okay, sure. Do you take anybody with you then? Because I'll also be making an encounter roll when you split off from the main party.
Claire: Ehhh, in that case, I'll just talk to somebody like we're planning to go out on a hunt until Zedeja falls asleep.
Akane: If you try to lie later, it's your Bluffing in opposition to my Awareness, right, Game Master?
GM Elle: Correct.
Claire: I don't see much reason to lie. I'll just tell her it seemed like my chances of running into the bandits were better than my chances of tracking down a deer. Plus, then we'd have to take the time to cook it.
Akane: Let's make assumptions that the argument occurs, then. No added details are mandatory, I think.
GM Elle: Works for me. A couple of hours later, then, you pack up camp, eat your day's rations, and continue down the last bit of the pass.
MSG: Carefully watching for ambush points where those bandits might be lurking.
GM Elle: All right, everyone who's keeping an eye out, roll Awareness.
MSG: Well that didn't take as long as I expected. I miss with a 7.
Claire: I miss with a 10.
Ariel: I make it! 11!
Sasha: Ouch. 18.
Akane: The Awareness of Zedeja is mighty. Far above the 4 I roll.
Hettie: Made it with a 7.
GM Elle: As you're walking along, Fidu, Zedeja, and Dilfriida see a place farther down that looks like a perfect ambush spot. You don't actually see anyone lurking there, but they could definitely be waiting to bushwhack you from the rubble and boulders along the sides of the pass here.
MSG: Assuming they roll their Bushwhackcraft skill.
Ariel: Haha! Bushwhackcraft!
Akane: Zedeja points the unawares to the boulders and insists they be more aware while approaching. Hmm. And these piles of boulders ... could any of them be seen over from 6 or 8 or 10 meters of height?Zedeja could Mentalism someone to scout from above.
GM Elle: 6 meters, I don't know. But 8 probably and 10 for certain.
Akane: Good. Seems like the best choice is someone very armorly.
Sasha: Quackenscrump's up for it.
Akane: Yes, up is the plan of Zedeja.
MSG: Dolora wonders if we should have some sort of plan of what to do if our reconnaissance drone plan actually reveals an ambush. Can we creep up within striking distance by staying near the walls of the pass until we're almost to the boulders?
GM Elle: Sounds like we'd better set this up on the board. So ... these big piles of boulders and scree on either side are high enough they're blocking the downslope view, but also blocking the upslope view of anyone down there. But as you go farther along the pass, there are some shorter heaps that stick out a little more, and that's where someone could be hiding. You'd need to either use the Dash action to double-move around all the boulders, or use Acrobatics to climb or vault over the lower ones in order to get into melee combat with any possible ambushers without them getting a round to shoot at you. And that's assuming you manage to sneak along the walls of the pass to get right up near the big boulder piles.
Ariel: That seems like an awful lot of work when they might not even be there.
MSG: I agree ... but it also seems like Elle has maybe put more effort into setting up this map than she would if there's nothing there but boulders.
GM Elle: It's the burden of the Game Master to give even innocuous situations a sense of reality for the players.
Claire: What if ... instead of floating Sir Q up where he can scout, Zedeja lifts me onto of one of the big boulder piles where I can Lightning Flash the suckers?
Akane: Or ... if these boulders have less than 8 meters of height, I could Levitate us both to the top and then it's a hail-storm of magic down on the bandits. No! Wait! From high atop boulders there's no Levitating enemies. They will be too far away.
Sasha: Plus they'll be shooting at you if you stay up there casting on them.
MSG: I could use my horn and my Musician ability to give all enemies within 100 meters a bane on all their rolls.
Claire: Yeah, but Sash is right, there might still be who knows how many of them shooting at me.
Ariel: Fidu is starting to get tired and wants to take a nap, if we're going to be planning this for hours.
Sasha: Let's just go back to the version where I helicopter up and see what's what, and if they're there, we charge them. Dash or whatever.
Akane: Zedeja agrees, since it was her original plan.
MSG: In that case, I can use my Musician ability to give us all boons on whatever rolls we need to make, whether it's dodging if they see us coming and open fire, or Acrobatics if we catch them by surprise and need to jump over the smaller boulders.
Claire: I'm good with that.
Hettie: Dilfriida as well.
GM Elle: All right, so anybody sneaking closer needs to make a sneaking roll.
Ariel: I'm pretty sneaky! Ooh, but my roll is a 15. Seems awfully early in the day for me to push it and get a condition.
Hettie: Dilfriida succeeds with a fourteen, going along the other wall in hopes of surprising them from at least one direction.
Akane: Zedeja sneaks with a 5.
Claire: Filvius does with a 13.
MSG: My sneaking sucks, so I'll stay put.
Sasha: Mine too. Plus, I'm in plate armor.
Akane: Time to Levitate! Ah. It's a 19. This disheartens Zedeja, so she will push ... nnnh. Demon.
GM Elle: Uh-oh, that's a magical mishap. We get to roll on a new table! d20, Akane.
Akane: The roll is 8.
GM Elle: Ootch. d6 WP per Power Level, and you were casting it at level 3. Hmm. And that result also implies that you're supposed to state the Power Level before trying to cast. Which makes me think we've been doing it wrong and you spend the WP before the roll and you're just out the points if it fails.
Claire: Yikes. That makes those Power Level 3 spells a lot bigger risk.
Akane: This means 6 points before rolling added to 3d6 ... 11 extra points of mishappening -- Zedeja is already out of spell ability!
Hettie: And we still don't know if there's an ambush waiting for us between the two piles of boulders.
Sasha: Eff it. I'm just going to speed-waddle my way up along the left side and keep those boulders between me and anybody that might be behind them. My armor ought to take care of any pot-shots from whoever might be on the right if I end up where they can see me.
MSG: I'll follow a little behind and see if any arrows come flying out at Quackenscrump.
GM Elle: Sash, roll Awareness to see if you spot anyone behind those boulders on the right now that you've got the angle.
Sasha: 12. That's a big no. Oh, and I've got a bane on Awareness, so I have to roll two dice.
Akane: But ... it's already a failure?
GM Elle: Sasha is very ethically recognizing that the second roll could be a Demon, which would mean something bad happens to her.
Akane: Ah.
Sasha: Actually, I was thinking if the second roll was a Dragon, I'd get an experience mark for my awareness ... and it is!
Akane: The roll of Demon would also be a mark, though.
Sasha: Whatever. As long as it's a mark and I'm not screwed by the result table like Zedeja was.
GM Elle: Your failure means that the ambushers on the right spot you before you spot them and get to draw the #1 Initiative card. Time for all of you to draw next.
Ariel: So it is an ambush!
Sasha: I'm not surprised. I mean, I am surprised, because I failed that roll. But I'm not surprised in real life.
Akane: Initiative 7.
Hettie: 2!
MSG: 10.
Claire: 9.
Ariel: 5
Sasha: 8.
Akane: So bad at initiating, this group.
GM Elle: All right, Card #1 is three bandits who pop up from behind the right-hand rocks and fire their bows at Sir Q. First one hits, second one rolls a Demon, ouch, and third one hits. The Demon roll guy shoots himself in the foot for ... cripes, 10. Are you dodging or parrying either of the others?
Sasha: Nope. Bring it.
GM Elle: 9 points and 3 points.
Sasha: Or, 1 point if you're in plate with a great helm. So you're next, right Het?
Hettie: Yes. I think maybe I want to try to climb to the top of these rocks I'm near and -- hang on. No, what I actually want to do is trade cards with Sir Quackenbush so he can go up and tie some of them up in melee before I get into view.
GM Elle: Nice tactics. Sash?
Sasha: Well, those three guys over there already went, so I'm going to rush around and check out who's behind this other rock pile.
GM Elle: Looks like three more bandits.
Sasha: Great! I'm on them. Kill-iffying this dude here. Broadsword! That's a 6, for --
GM Elle: Hang on, maybe he wants to evade or parry. His parry is a little better, so he'll try that. Nope.
Sasha: 15 points!
GM Elle: So dead.
Sasha: I still have two squares of movement, so I'm getting right in these last two guys' faces.
GM Elle: It's their turn next. They drop their bows and whip out short swords. That's a miss ... and a hit. For 10 points!
Ariel: Oh no!
Sasha: Actually, two points. Plate armor, baby!
Claire: I go on 5. If I move to here, can I see those three who shot at Sir Q?
GM Elle: They popped up, fired, and ducked back down, but you can roll Awareness to spot this guy because he's partly visible around the last boulder.
Claire: Well yay. My lame-o Awareness strikes again. I roll a 15. In that case, I'm going to use my action to Dash over here behind the big pile of boulders from them.
GM Elle: Akane, looks like you're up next.
Akane: I am so old and slow. I will only move here, next to Filvius. Ah! And Round Rest ... for 6 points of Willpower!
Hettie: I'm next. I'll use a Dash action past the boulders next to Sir Quackenscrump. That may let me do a Backstab next round.
GM Elle: Aers?
Ariel: I'll move over here. Fidu is old like Zedeja, but not slow, so I think that gets me an angle where I can shoot my shortbow at the guy Claire couldn't see, right?
GM Elle: Yes, easily.
Ariel: Of course my Bows skill is total stinko ... Oh! But I roll a Dragon!
GM Elle: Roll two weapon damage dice instead of one.
Ariel: Come on ... 6 ... and 6 ... oh, and 3 for my Agility bonus die!
GM Elle: Skewered. He's a bandit-ka-bob.
MSG: I think I'd better get between Fidu and the two remaining bowmen. That's going to require me to Dash.
Claire: Where's that horn of yours you were going to give boons or banes with?
MSG: Honestly? I forgot about that. I'll just have to settle for pounding them with my club next round.
GM Elle: Speaking of which, that's where we are now.
Sasha: Yes! I got the 1 card!
Akane: At last, our curse of lastness breaks! No, only for a mallard. I get the 10 card.
Hettie: 7.
MSG: 6.
Claire: 5.
Ariel: 9.
GM Elle: The bandits will be acting on 3.
Sasha: Broadsword! This dude here. I roll a 2 -- he parrying?
GM Elle: Desperately. And a 7 succeeds.
Sasha: Oh yeah? Watch me bust his sword in two! 13 points!
GM Elle: That's more than the durability of his short sword, but only by a little. You put a big bend in the blade or loosen it from the handle. It's useless now.
Sasha: Hah! Take that!
Akane: No more sword-breaking, Quack-knight! Those are worth money!
GM Elle: The guy who didn't parry looks pretty scared, like he might run. But you and Dilfriida have him hemmed in behind the rocks. He'll try to get Dilfriida out of the way with a sword blow. Dragon! He'll take the double damage.
Hettie: Bosh. I'll definitely want to parry that. Easily, with an 8.
GM Elle: 11 points of damage.
Hettie: That will wreck my dagger. Luckily, I have two.
GM Elle: This guy by Dolora shifts a little so his buddy can move in and attack too. He rolls a 14 and misses. The buddy moves over and gives it a try too. Hit!
MSG: I've got decent hit points and our healer hasn't used up her WP yet, so I'll take it.
GM Elle: These guys are hot on their damage rolls tonight -- another 10.
MSG: Ouch, maybe not my smartest move.
GM Elle: Claire, your turn.
Claire: I guess I'll move over and try to heal the bard. Power level 1 this time. I make it with 2, so that's 8 points back.
MSG: Thanks, I feel a lot better.
GM Elle: Your move, then.
MSG: I'm clubbing the dude who hit me. Payback time. That's a hit, for 10 points.
Ariel: Okay, on my turn I'll drop my bow, move over here, draw my dagger, and stick this guy. Hit!
GM Elle: Dead. He has two hit points left from shooting himself in the foot.
Ariel: Oh, this is that guy? Man, not his lucky day.
Akane: Zedeja takes her turn, lastly. She only moves to here, with readiness to sling someone if they appear from around a boulder.
GM Elle: New initiative, then. The bandits draw ... 3, again.
MSG: 7. For me.
Claire: 10.
Ariel: I'm 2!
Sasha: 5.
Akane: 4.
Hettie: And Dilfriida draws the ace.
GM Elle: She's up, then.
Hettie: I feel a bit sorry for these guys ... but considering that they were dumb enough to attack us twice, not all that sorry. I'm Backstabbing, which gives me a boon ...6 and 7, easy hit! And it can't be dodged or parried. 8 points.
GM Elle: He's looking pretty ashen.
Ariel: My turn! Fidu is slothful, but all this fighting has his hunting instincts up, so he'll move up and knife this last dude on our side. 5!
GM Elle: He's definitely parrying. And he makes it.
Ariel: Dang. And only 6 points, so it doesn't break his sword.
GM Elle: Their turn. The guy you just shivved is going to strike at Dilfriida to push her back in hopes he can make an opening to run. That's a hit. For 3 points. Oh, but looking at the rules, you compare your damage bonus die, and he only gets to shove you if his is higher ... which isn't likely, since his is zero. Three points of damage, though.
Hettie: Well, my odorous goblin armor soaks up one, at least.
GM Elle: This guy over here sees a snarling wolfkin out for his blood and a greatclub about to swing his way from the dwarf, and he drops his sword and falls to his knees begging you to spare his life. "I'll tell you where our hideout and all our loot are!"
MSG: Damn it. I'd think about bashing him anyway, but I really want to know where his hideout is. Stupid craving for knowledge.
Akane: Zedeja is next? More watchfulness and sling readying.
Sasha: Well, we've already got a volunteer to lead us back to the hideout, and neither of these guys in front of me is surrendering, so ... time to broadsword. That's a hit ... but only 5 damage.
MSG: For my turn I just menace this guy with my club.
Claire: I'm moving right here to smack this dude with my staff. Whack! Nope, whiff.
GM Elle: New initiative -- they go on 5.
Claire: I got the ace this time. Staff! Got him! And he's the one with the busted sword, so he can't parry, right?
GM Elle: No, but he can dodge, and he does.
Akane: On 2, Zedeja continues as last round.
Ariel: I'm 3. I guess I'll just go back over here and pick my bow up again.
Sasha: I'm gutting the guy who dodged Claire's staff. He can only do that once, right? Hit.
GM Elle: If you roll your minimum damage, he'll still be alive.
Sasha: What!
GM Elle: Wow, I totally jinxed you. He's still up! But now it's their turn, and he throws down his busted sword and begs for mercy too. That guy is the ratty-looking leader, which leaves this last guy here, who's going to try climbing over the boulders to run. Blows his Evade roll, though, so Quackenscrump gets a swipe at him.
Sasha: Yessss -- no! 19! Dammit, I'm pushing the roll and becoming Angry. Hah! Dragon!!! I pick double damage dice and do 18 points.
GM Elle: Dilfriida and Filvius are both drenched in gore by the savagery of your attack.
Sasha: Yes! Grr!
GM Elle: All right, then, I think this is a good place to stop for the night. Ready to do experience?
Ariel: Absolutely-dutely!
Sasha: Me too. I've got a couple of Dragon/Demon marks already.
GM Elle: Okay, then. Running through the standard questions really quick -- everyone participated in the session. You didn't explore any new locations
Ariel: A little more of the last part of the pass doesn't count?
GM Elle: Um, no. You defeated some dangerous adversaries ...
Sasha: If you want to call them that.
Akane: I do! It's for experience marks!
GM Elle: Did you overcome an obstacle without using force? No. That leaves giving in to your weakness.
MSG: I specifically didn't kill that guy because I wanted to know what he'd tell us.
Claire: Wait, wait ... back to obstacles. We did figure out what was up with the four pieces of that statue in the corners of the map.
GM Elle: Okay ... I'm persuaded on that.
Claire: I didn't really give in to my weakness, though.
Ariel: I think I did several times ... but I guess I also did volunteer for guard duty last night, and then I was pretty active in that fight.
GM Elle: I think on the whole you played your weakness well.
Sasha: Not even a hint of a monster, so no mark for me there.
Akane: Does anyone dispute the overbearingness of Zedeja? It's a mark, I think.
Hettie: I'm trying to remember if I was particularly thin-skinned this session. Not really coming up with anything.
GM Elle: Okay, so four marks for everyone who gave in to their weakness, three for the rest of you.
MSG: Well, I got one skill increase this time, so better than last session, I guess.
Claire: I improved three, including my magic skill!
Ariel: I got a little better with my bow.
Sasha: Big score for Quackenscrump! Blew up my Acrobatics even more, boosted my Evade, boosted my Swords ... good times.
Akane: Some improvement in slinging for Zedeja. That's all.
Hettie: Bows and Knives went up for me.
GM Elle: Sounds like a pretty good haul.
MSG: Hopefully these bandits will have some decent loot back at their hideaway.
Claire: And not twice as many more guys guarding it.
Ariel: We could take them!
Sasha: As long as we actually make it down into the valley next time, I'm good.
and on that note ... end of session!
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