"Quit standin' thray with yeer tongues out and yeer balls hangin'. What ya havin'?"
Showing posts with label in character. Show all posts
Showing posts with label in character. Show all posts
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Post Brawl Pub Crawl?
"Quit standin' thray with yeer tongues out and yeer balls hangin'. What ya havin'?"
Monday, February 2, 2009
Zarko Alone
Zarko floats on a queasy raft, plunging and rocking on a drab gray sea. Time seems stuck. Every time he opens his eyes the same cold white sun blinds him, frozen overhead. Even his whiskers ache.
At first, he floats near his friends, Creature, Buck, and Quazarn. But after a while he sleeps, and one by one the others are rescued. Quazarn departs in a blaze of light...surrounded by robed men...stars painted on their pointy heads...a pirate crew recruits Buck...manacles on his wrists...some sort of hazing...Creature is helped into a crisp white khakis and a polo shirt...purple crown on the breast....
Zarko wakes up, his throat dryer than the taps of Temperance Gulch on Far Tatooine. Two faces hover overhead, dark against the rectangular white sun. Firm but not ungentle hands tilt back Zarko's head and raise a bottle to his lips, and he drinks. It's sweet, herbal, cool yet warming, spreading a flush of heat across his body. He feels like a game of 52 pick-up in reverse, shuffled back together with all his trumps in order.
"Hey! Ztharko! How are you feeling, Ztharko?" says a familiar voice.
At first, he floats near his friends, Creature, Buck, and Quazarn. But after a while he sleeps, and one by one the others are rescued. Quazarn departs in a blaze of light...surrounded by robed men...stars painted on their pointy heads...a pirate crew recruits Buck...manacles on his wrists...some sort of hazing...Creature is helped into a crisp white khakis and a polo shirt...purple crown on the breast....
Zarko wakes up, his throat dryer than the taps of Temperance Gulch on Far Tatooine. Two faces hover overhead, dark against the rectangular white sun. Firm but not ungentle hands tilt back Zarko's head and raise a bottle to his lips, and he drinks. It's sweet, herbal, cool yet warming, spreading a flush of heat across his body. He feels like a game of 52 pick-up in reverse, shuffled back together with all his trumps in order.
"Hey! Ztharko! How are you feeling, Ztharko?" says a familiar voice.
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Brawl: Bullfinkle & Queen Rocky
Groping for the platypoid, Oolak finds himself clutching his own head. The duckbill is barely corporeal, and despite his attempt to redefine the word, Ensorcel is of no use. "Enough with the mumbo-jumbo, kid, just grab the thing," suggests a voice emanating from the vicinity of his armpit.
While Oolak pats his head and talks to himself his companions charge! Zarko leads the way, bounding ahead of the ponderous frankenstein. The bull-headed 'droid lowers its horns and kicks at the dirt, but the lizardess stands calmly. Smiling, she draws back her hood, revealing a crest of scales and serpentine hair. Her face is proud and fierce and ugly and majestic: it turns your blood to stone and your will to jelly. Zarko, Creature and Oolak all freeze in place, struggling to resist the gorgon's stare...
[All three need to roll Psi-Resist. Zarko and Creature can press their attack if successful...]
Meanwhile Hobson gags on his hat, his mouth stuffed with felt and his cheeks puffed out like a greedy chipmunk. He finds the taste not at all to his liking, and he nearly chokes before spitting it out.
Olley laughs, a deep barrel-chested guffaw. "You knuckleheads couldn't knock down a dandelion. Buncha cheap shot hacks," he rumbles. "I'll show you a cheap shot."
He whips Hobson around like a shield, trying to block a low swing from Buck's club. He isn't quick enough, and Buck thumps him in the kidneys. It's a solid blow, and Olley winces, just a little. But the Cousin of Aarn counters with a furious blow, wielding Hobson as a club, and Buck is knocked helmet over hinder. For an instant the spaceman appears to float, weightless, drifting, falling, then he crashes home to earth. "How you like them apples?" shouts Olley. There's no reply.
Hanging on with all his might, Joey the wooky still rides on Olley's back. Jolted and jounced, he counts it a victory just to hang on. But when Olley stops to gloat he seems to forget all about his piggyback rider. Joey digs his thumbs into the bearded brawler's eyes, and Olley thrashes in pain!
[Hobson: take 6 damage from hat-choking and being used as a blunt weapon, Saving Throw for half.
[Joey: I treated this as a grapple, with eye gouge as your special Great Feat move. Your Feat roll didn't make it, but Olley rolled a 00 on his opposed Feat check, so you lucked out. Roll your damage!]
While Oolak pats his head and talks to himself his companions charge! Zarko leads the way, bounding ahead of the ponderous frankenstein. The bull-headed 'droid lowers its horns and kicks at the dirt, but the lizardess stands calmly. Smiling, she draws back her hood, revealing a crest of scales and serpentine hair. Her face is proud and fierce and ugly and majestic: it turns your blood to stone and your will to jelly. Zarko, Creature and Oolak all freeze in place, struggling to resist the gorgon's stare...
[All three need to roll Psi-Resist. Zarko and Creature can press their attack if successful...]Meanwhile Hobson gags on his hat, his mouth stuffed with felt and his cheeks puffed out like a greedy chipmunk. He finds the taste not at all to his liking, and he nearly chokes before spitting it out.
Olley laughs, a deep barrel-chested guffaw. "You knuckleheads couldn't knock down a dandelion. Buncha cheap shot hacks," he rumbles. "I'll show you a cheap shot."
He whips Hobson around like a shield, trying to block a low swing from Buck's club. He isn't quick enough, and Buck thumps him in the kidneys. It's a solid blow, and Olley winces, just a little. But the Cousin of Aarn counters with a furious blow, wielding Hobson as a club, and Buck is knocked helmet over hinder. For an instant the spaceman appears to float, weightless, drifting, falling, then he crashes home to earth. "How you like them apples?" shouts Olley. There's no reply.
Hanging on with all his might, Joey the wooky still rides on Olley's back. Jolted and jounced, he counts it a victory just to hang on. But when Olley stops to gloat he seems to forget all about his piggyback rider. Joey digs his thumbs into the bearded brawler's eyes, and Olley thrashes in pain!
[Hobson: take 6 damage from hat-choking and being used as a blunt weapon, Saving Throw for half.
[Joey: I treated this as a grapple, with eye gouge as your special Great Feat move. Your Feat roll didn't make it, but Olley rolled a 00 on his opposed Feat check, so you lucked out. Roll your damage!]
Saturday, January 3, 2009
The Brawl: Win if You Can, Lose if You Must...
...but always cheat.
Hemmed in by hooligans, Creature, Buck and Zarko hunker down trying to catch a breather. It's barely a minute since the onslaught began and you've lost half your crew. The Ape Sultan Abdul Nomascus struggles against a vulkin's nerve pinch...Abdul's lieutenant Philimon bounds to his sovereign's aid...the last of your klengon recruits is force fed his mustache by a grinning human with bad tattoos and an oily tan...the Head Masher, guess you forgot about him, takes another guy out with one of his brutal noogies, a Triple Twisting Skull Blister... A chaotic rumble closes in on all sides.
In the middle of it all are Thorax and Hobson and the Aarn boys: Now armed with brass knuckles, Aarn, Son of Aarn swings once, and misses. Swings again, and thumps Thorax right between the eyes! Swings again, and Thorax dives low and tackles him. Aarn is slammed to the ground. He struggles to get up, rising up on one hand. "Toot, toot," he whispers, and gives a final blare of his trumpet.
[take 10 damage, hope the letters AA imprinted on your forehead don't leave a scar...]
Any thrill of victory Thorax feels is trampled by the agony of the feet. Olley's feet, that is. Enraged by Hobson's taunting, the Cousin of Arn, etc. runs right over Thorax to get at the hobling. Thorax rolls over to see a size 13 wrestling shoe stomping down toward his face...
[Make another Saving Throw. Full damage is -- whoof -- 16. Feel free to fill in the results for good or ill. If you take full or half damage you'll need to make a Survival roll to continue fighting.]
...and then Olley jumps high in the air, aiming to land feet first on Hobson. "How ya like that ya little heckler!" he sneers.
[Once again, Lesser Feat to outrun or Sneak to evade. If that roll fails, make a saving throw against 11 damage.]
Meanwhile, Oolak sits.
Chanting under his breath, he could easily pass for a crazy person talking to himself on a bus. But in fact he is piercing the veil of Maya with his inner vision, expanding his consciousness beyond the limits of his illusory mortal form, opening up his third eye. And so forth. He does, however, open his actual eyes once or twice to sneak a peak around. It's a good thing too, because otherwise he might never have seen the thing paddling toward him on ethereal currents, a skeletal, scabrous, wretched platypoid with eyes hollow of everything save for bottomless, gulping hunger. Otherwise, this thing...
...might have caught Oolak off Guard.
Hemmed in by hooligans, Creature, Buck and Zarko hunker down trying to catch a breather. It's barely a minute since the onslaught began and you've lost half your crew. The Ape Sultan Abdul Nomascus struggles against a vulkin's nerve pinch...Abdul's lieutenant Philimon bounds to his sovereign's aid...the last of your klengon recruits is force fed his mustache by a grinning human with bad tattoos and an oily tan...the Head Masher, guess you forgot about him, takes another guy out with one of his brutal noogies, a Triple Twisting Skull Blister... A chaotic rumble closes in on all sides.
In the middle of it all are Thorax and Hobson and the Aarn boys: Now armed with brass knuckles, Aarn, Son of Aarn swings once, and misses. Swings again, and thumps Thorax right between the eyes! Swings again, and Thorax dives low and tackles him. Aarn is slammed to the ground. He struggles to get up, rising up on one hand. "Toot, toot," he whispers, and gives a final blare of his trumpet.
[take 10 damage, hope the letters AA imprinted on your forehead don't leave a scar...]
Any thrill of victory Thorax feels is trampled by the agony of the feet. Olley's feet, that is. Enraged by Hobson's taunting, the Cousin of Arn, etc. runs right over Thorax to get at the hobling. Thorax rolls over to see a size 13 wrestling shoe stomping down toward his face...
[Make another Saving Throw. Full damage is -- whoof -- 16. Feel free to fill in the results for good or ill. If you take full or half damage you'll need to make a Survival roll to continue fighting.]
...and then Olley jumps high in the air, aiming to land feet first on Hobson. "How ya like that ya little heckler!" he sneers.
[Once again, Lesser Feat to outrun or Sneak to evade. If that roll fails, make a saving throw against 11 damage.]
Meanwhile, Oolak sits.
Chanting under his breath, he could easily pass for a crazy person talking to himself on a bus. But in fact he is piercing the veil of Maya with his inner vision, expanding his consciousness beyond the limits of his illusory mortal form, opening up his third eye. And so forth. He does, however, open his actual eyes once or twice to sneak a peak around. It's a good thing too, because otherwise he might never have seen the thing paddling toward him on ethereal currents, a skeletal, scabrous, wretched platypoid with eyes hollow of everything save for bottomless, gulping hunger. Otherwise, this thing...
...might have caught Oolak off Guard.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The Brawl: Thugs to the Left of Us, Bruisers to the Right...
...Here We are, Stuck in the Middle Again
Buck and Zarko don't have much time to gloat over the fallen giant, and Creature's thirst goes unquenched. Their crew of fighters is hemmed in on all sides by some of the meanest looking hombres left in the arena. Bob the Fighter, Leeplo the Man-Frog and Schleppy the Tote-Golem have fallen, along with most of the new recruits who joined you overnight.
Buck, Zarko, Creature and Hobson stand back to back in a shrinking ring of fighters. Suddenly there's a break in the gauntlet! Brawlers are flung aside as a new challenger barrels through the line. He's either a stretched dwarf or a squashed ogre, a ginger-bearded brute wearing a sateen jacket and and a cocky sneer. Gold chains and a silver trumpet hang from his neck.
"Ok you, bridesmaids, the rehearsal's over. Let's see how you do against a real man." Jabbing his thumb into his chest, he continues, "Me!
I don't mean to toot my own horn...but toot, toot." He raises the trumpet to his mouth and gives forth a piercing blast, then lets it fall to his bear-like chest. Grinning wickedly he drags his thumb slowly across his neck.
-------------------
Aarn, Son of Aarn from a suggestion by the inestimable Jeff Rients
Buck and Zarko don't have much time to gloat over the fallen giant, and Creature's thirst goes unquenched. Their crew of fighters is hemmed in on all sides by some of the meanest looking hombres left in the arena. Bob the Fighter, Leeplo the Man-Frog and Schleppy the Tote-Golem have fallen, along with most of the new recruits who joined you overnight.
Buck, Zarko, Creature and Hobson stand back to back in a shrinking ring of fighters. Suddenly there's a break in the gauntlet! Brawlers are flung aside as a new challenger barrels through the line. He's either a stretched dwarf or a squashed ogre, a ginger-bearded brute wearing a sateen jacket and and a cocky sneer. Gold chains and a silver trumpet hang from his neck.
"Ok you, bridesmaids, the rehearsal's over. Let's see how you do against a real man." Jabbing his thumb into his chest, he continues, "Me!
Aarn, Son of Aarn.
I don't mean to toot my own horn...but toot, toot." He raises the trumpet to his mouth and gives forth a piercing blast, then lets it fall to his bear-like chest. Grinning wickedly he drags his thumb slowly across his neck.
-------------------
Aarn, Son of Aarn from a suggestion by the inestimable Jeff Rients
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Brawl: Against the Giant
PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER: ...Everything's golden with Newton's Own Philosopher Stone!
COLOR COMMENTATOR: It sure in't golden for The Creature and his boys though Bob. They're gettin' clobbered out there!
PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER: They certainly are, Clubber. He's had a strong showing for a first-time fighter, but it looks like the Frankenstein from the North is on his last legs. He may have met his match in Mini-Magog.
COLOR COMMENTATOR: I'll tell ya, with giants the short ones are the meanest.
PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER: And Creature can't count on backup from his crew either. They are surrounded. It looks like the other top contenders are making a coordinated move while they're busy with the giant and the Elf Mauler Scholars. It's unusual to see such a large crew, isn't it Clubber?
COLOR COMMENTATOR: Yeah, but the thing is they ain't done much. That Creech and his main boys have done almost alla the fightin'! I don't care how tough you are, ya gotta de-luh-gate a little.
PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER: Well the whole crew is in the thick of it now, Clubber--
COLOR COMMENTATOR: It's beat 'em down or be ground meat, Bob.
PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER: --and they're getting beat down all right. Looks like Keyyalaypkleeplo--
COLOR COMMENTATOR: Say that three times in a hurry.
PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER: --It's Leeplo for short, and he's down, along with the homonculus Schleppy the Tote-Golem and Croakwattle Dan the Lizard Man. Here's a fighter we we haven't seen before! Now where did he come from?
------------------------------------
*iPachuco!*
Suddenly and without preamble, a slick dude with a zoot suit and a suspiciously tall hat pops out of thin air! It's this guy!
"You fellows," he says in a familiar voice, "will not believe the day I've had." As his friends stare at him dumbstruck, he says...
"It's me! QUAZARN!"
"NEVER," he adds, "trust a doxy in a pants suit," and without a word more he charges Mini-Magog and bops him in his middle nose. The giant grunts softly, then smiles. Grabbing a hand full of collar and a pant leg the giant picks up his new attacker, spins twice, and tosses him over Creature's head. How high would a fly guy fly if a fly guy could fly high? The question's moot: zoot suit lands on his snoot.
The giant continues spinning into a whirling dervish punch, trying to take out The Creature as well but he loses his balance, sprawling in a heap in front of his Frankenstein foe...
[...it's your move Wulf.]
Meanwhile Buck faces down Professor Pain, the elf struggling to his feet after catching the sharp end of a elbow in the neck. Before the Prof can stand Buck taps him gently with his club and he crumples like a bad report card. Buck spins around. "Any other stupid elf dipshit in target range?" he thinks. The orangutan Philimon's just gut-punched one of the others, but the Head Masher's just knocked out Bob the Fighter!
Zarko, as is his wont, lurks near Creature. If the sudden appearance of Quazarn was startling, he's downright baffled when he notices Hobson Twofoot standing next to him. Zarko's head hurt like hell, and the laws of space and time seemed to have called in sick. Just another day in Vanth.
COLOR COMMENTATOR: It sure in't golden for The Creature and his boys though Bob. They're gettin' clobbered out there!
PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER: They certainly are, Clubber. He's had a strong showing for a first-time fighter, but it looks like the Frankenstein from the North is on his last legs. He may have met his match in Mini-Magog.
COLOR COMMENTATOR: I'll tell ya, with giants the short ones are the meanest.
PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER: And Creature can't count on backup from his crew either. They are surrounded. It looks like the other top contenders are making a coordinated move while they're busy with the giant and the Elf Mauler Scholars. It's unusual to see such a large crew, isn't it Clubber?
COLOR COMMENTATOR: Yeah, but the thing is they ain't done much. That Creech and his main boys have done almost alla the fightin'! I don't care how tough you are, ya gotta de-luh-gate a little.
PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER: Well the whole crew is in the thick of it now, Clubber--
COLOR COMMENTATOR: It's beat 'em down or be ground meat, Bob.
PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER: --and they're getting beat down all right. Looks like Keyyalaypkleeplo--
COLOR COMMENTATOR: Say that three times in a hurry.
PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER: --It's Leeplo for short, and he's down, along with the homonculus Schleppy the Tote-Golem and Croakwattle Dan the Lizard Man. Here's a fighter we we haven't seen before! Now where did he come from?
------------------------------------
*iPachuco!*
Suddenly and without preamble, a slick dude with a zoot suit and a suspiciously tall hat pops out of thin air! It's this guy!
"You fellows," he says in a familiar voice, "will not believe the day I've had." As his friends stare at him dumbstruck, he says...
"It's me! QUAZARN!"
"NEVER," he adds, "trust a doxy in a pants suit," and without a word more he charges Mini-Magog and bops him in his middle nose. The giant grunts softly, then smiles. Grabbing a hand full of collar and a pant leg the giant picks up his new attacker, spins twice, and tosses him over Creature's head. How high would a fly guy fly if a fly guy could fly high? The question's moot: zoot suit lands on his snoot.
The giant continues spinning into a whirling dervish punch, trying to take out The Creature as well but he loses his balance, sprawling in a heap in front of his Frankenstein foe...
[...it's your move Wulf.]
Meanwhile Buck faces down Professor Pain, the elf struggling to his feet after catching the sharp end of a elbow in the neck. Before the Prof can stand Buck taps him gently with his club and he crumples like a bad report card. Buck spins around. "Any other stupid elf dipshit in target range?" he thinks. The orangutan Philimon's just gut-punched one of the others, but the Head Masher's just knocked out Bob the Fighter!
Zarko, as is his wont, lurks near Creature. If the sudden appearance of Quazarn was startling, he's downright baffled when he notices Hobson Twofoot standing next to him. Zarko's head hurt like hell, and the laws of space and time seemed to have called in sick. Just another day in Vanth.
Monday, November 17, 2008
The Brawl: Mini-Magog and the Elven Mauler Scholars
After a quiet night trouble finds our fearless few once again. On one side is a runty tricephaloid giant, on the other side are three elf wrestlers working a PhD angle. Coffee break's over.
Rondo
Buck, at first, starts grinning at the 3 headed micro-giant heading towards him, that should grow in perspective, but instead shrinks as he moves towards the party. Then he hears the elves in mortar boards, spins and takes in their proclamation of 'ass kicking being in session,' and bursts out laughing. Buck is gonna attempt to grab and lift one of the PhD. elves over his head in order to chuck him at the giant when the giant is on top of us.
(I rolled a 4 on my hit point restore a second ago)
Attack: 46%
Damage: not sure what to roll, if any
Save: 22% (missed by a point, I think)
Max
[Sounds awe-some, dude. This is a grapple, so we'll count that 46% as a Feat roll. The elf gets to oppose with his own Feat roll.
[In order to pick him and throw him you'll need to succeed with a Great Feat. In order to pick him and throw him *at the giant* you'll need to succeed at, hmmm, two Great Feats. The giant and the elves are a ways away from each other, so you'll have to carry the elf for awhile to get within elf-chucking range.
Rondo
Buck picks the Elf up like a ragdoll, I think...I rolled an 8% for the first Great Feat! As I walk to chuck him, I roll a 71 % for the second Great Feat, which I'm hoping means he gets chucked elbows over ass, but I think I missed the 'giant.'
Coffee
Zarko takes a coffee and pops the lid off of the to-go cup. He sips it idly as he walks over and studies the elves.
He smirks, as if these guys won't be too tough to beat at all.
Then he throws the coffee in the face of one of them (I'm leaning toward the Head Masher here, but I don't know which one Buck grabbed), upon whom he then launches a Sneak Attack.
Initiative (+4): 14
Sneak Attack (62): 08 (!)
Damage (+0): 1
Saving Throw (37): 95 (I'm so screwed...)
wulfgar
Creature chugs a couple coffees and waits to see if the elves and the giant come to hurt us or help us.
Never mind, they seem hostile.
Attack: 34% Hit
damage: 10
Save: 21% make
Creature throat punches the giant.
Max
Zarko's got a cunning plan, but Head Masher knows a thing or two about dirty tricks. He blocks the coffee cup with one hand, yelling as the scalding coffee burns his arm, and brushes aside the ape's sucker punch. The elf clinches with Zarko, and grinds his knuckles brutally against the ape's temple. He's able to squirm loose of the elf wrestler, but he can barely see straight.
[10 HP damage. When you get a noogie from The Head Masher, you feel it.
[As before, when you Sneak Attack a wary opponent they get a chance to Guard, and H.M. made his roll. But I gave you a Happenstance roll that the coffee was hot enough to be a missile weapon, so you still ended up hurting him.]
Buck isn't quite as quick as Zarko. Before he can grab his man the elves set up for some fancy maneuvers of their own. Doctor Dropkick drops to all fours, and Professor Pain vaults onto his back. Leaping off in a move known to students of Elf Championship Wrasslin' as the Deconstructor, he plunges toward Buck in a pre-emergent paradox of postmodern punching power. Lucky for Buck, the professor's calculations are off and he sails right overhead, belly-flopping in the dust.
Buck grabs the fallen elf and tries to hoist him over his back in a fireman's carry. At first the elf rolls free, but Buck gets hold of him again and heaves him onto his shoulders. The elf thrashes wildly as Buck staggers toward the giant, peppering Buck with rabbit punches. Buck struggles and hurls the elf -- he's well short of the giant, but he slams down the elf with a satisfying thud.
[Take 5 HP from punches -- you can make a Saving Throw as normal. Roll your attack damage for tossing the elf on his head d3 and, what the heck, add +2 for missile damage].
Max
wulfgar
Creature throat punches the giant.
Each of the giant's heads roars as it approaches:
"Fee Fi..."
"...Fo Fine..."
"...I smell...I smell..."
"It's 'the blood of a frankenstein,' you numskull."
"BLOOD!! I smell BLOOD!!"
'Stein and giant charge each other and the two heavyweights trade mighty blows. Flexing his Adam's apple in a fearsome display of manliness, Creature punches the giant in the stomach with his own throat. The giant grunts, his pot belly rippling with the blow, and counters with fists and feet. Creature catches a fist on his shield, and spins away from a kick. The giant swings down a second fist...
[Need an extra Saving Throw from you here, and then you can fill in what happens to Creature based on whether he takes full, half or no damage (saving against 2 hp damage, so it's not a crushing blow).
[Mini-Magog attacks 3/round, so go ahead and give me 3 Saves when you fight him.
[Did you ever roll for HP healed overnight, Wulf? You get back d4. And take 2 HP from the Giant's fist gonging off your shield, plus whatever his second punch deals.
Rondo
Save: 11% (made it.)
Damage on the elf: 3
Am I within range of the giant since he's ontop of Creech? Just curious.
Max
[Sure, but the elf wrestler you tossed is between you and Mini-Magog.
[I rolled initiative for Buck & Creech for that last round. Could you each roll when you take your actions for this next round? (Zarko's roll of 14 stays as it is)]
wulfgar
Healed 3 Hit points.
Missed my saving throw with a 63%.
Creature takes a blow to the head that sprains one of his cranial feelers and makes him bite his own tounge.
"OW"
Rondo
3 total on initiative on this end....
Max
[I'll be able to update at lunch, so if you dudes get a chance let me know your next move, attack rolls, damage, etc.
[General Note: I've been letting you guys take center stage, with your posse mostly standing around, but in case it's not clear you can think of them as henchmen. Feel free to interact with 'em and give orders, etc.]
Coffee
"Don't just stand there!" Zarko roars, backing away from the elf and pointing at him. "This is the audience participation part of the show, guys! Get him!"
(Zarko is badly hurt, but not out yet. I'm hoping my boys will take care of the creep. I'm going on full defensive this round, though.)
Save (37%): 48
Or, y'know, not.
wulfgar
Creature spews hot coffee in the face of the giant.
Attack: 32% HIT
Damage: ???? What does hot coffee in the face do? Hopefully scald his eyeballs!
Saving throws: 82,3,83 Made 1, missed the other 2.
Max
[By spew d'you mean spitting coffee in his face? Cos if it's hot enough to scald his eyes it's hot enough to burn yo tongue...]
wulfgar
Yes, I mean summon the coffee within me that I just drank, up my esophogus and out my mouth. My thinking is that while it may be scalding to a giant's eyeballs, it might just be a nice warm drink to the digestive system of a Frankenstein.
Unpleasant Order: 34% Made
Feat: 79% Made lesser, missed Greater
Do those help?
Rondo
ha!!!
Max
[How can I argue with that?]
"I've killed five--" "No, it's seven, you jackass." "How many times do we have to tell you? It's seven men with a single blow." Mini-Magog seems surprised that Creature hasn't fallen before his giantly might. He throws three more distracted punches, and looks very peevish when not a one of them connects.
Peevish doesn't even begin to describe the look on his face when Creature barfs on him. He dodges away from the worst of it, but when the acidic brew spew begins sizzling away at the gold medallions on his chest all three heads scream in rage!
[Lessee, can't really give you a strength bonus here, so here ya go: roll d6 twice and take the higher for damage. Don't think you can make Bulimic Brawling a habit though, lest you suffer Deluxe Acid Reflux Deliquescence]
wulfgar
6 damage for the Java Vomit attack. (rolled a 2 and a 6)
Rondo
(Take that you 3-stooges-headed-mofo!!)
I'll try to grab the nearest elf by the collar and nail him in the face as hard as I can.
Attack: 5% (ouch for him!)
Damage: 3 rolled
Save: 18% (made it again! I can't believe it)
Max
When Buck reaches down to drag the elf to his feet, the crafty wrestler grabs his arms and boots Buck in the stomach. The elf tries to launch him with an airplane kick but Buck manages to pull his arms free. When Professor Pain scrambles to his feet Buck taps him with a jab.
[Buck takes 3 HP damage]
Coffee
"Don't just stand there!" Zarko roars, backing away from the elf and pointing at him. "This is the audience participation part of the show, guys! Get him!"
Despite the burning pain of his head-mashing Zarko keeps his battle advantage. Stalwart Bob the Fighter moves to stand between Zarko and the Masher, and the ape retreats to safety.
The Head-Masher throws himself at Bob, eager to punish his insolence. They crash into each other, but neither fighter lands a telling blow. Meanwhile, Malone roars up to Doctor Dropkick like a freight train fueled by cuss words...and gets his potty mouth shut by a boot to the face. Malone goes out like a f*&#ing light.
The grizzled orangutan Philimon steps over the cyclopean, moving in warily. He bobs and weaves from side to side, darts in with a low kick, but misses.
Rondo
I'm gonna try stompin' his face in...
Attack: 20% (made it)
Damage: 4
Save: 64% (missed)
Coffee
Zarko is pretty much knocked around, so he'll be avoiding any specific fighting unless he absolutely has to get involved. So he'll hang around the fringes of the fights and make suggestions to those who are still hale and hearty.
Max
Buck and the Professor slug it out toe-to-toe. The elf lands a stinging palm strike to Buck's chest, but the spacer steps back and delivers a solid head kick. The Professor's mortarboard goes flying off, but the elf shakes his head and raises his fists.
Meanwhile Bob and Philimon continue battling the other two-thirds of the School of Pain. Bob catches a backhand, but Doctor Dropkick misses a fancy double kick and ends up sprawling. Taking full advantage of a brachiator's reach, Philimon wallops him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.
Zarko doesn't have much time for kibbitzing. Leeplo the Man-Frog bounces up to him, croaking in panic. "Hell's br-r-r-reaking loobse, Zar-r-r-ko!"
Sure enough, fighters are moving in on all sides. One of the knucklehead teens who joined your crew overnight is already down....
Rondo
Buck goes for an elbow to the back of the neck...
Attack: 5% (smokin' made it)
Damage: 2 (not sure if i get a bonus for anything...probably not)
Save: 90% (failed)
Max
Professor Pain tries to clothesline Buck, but he ducks. As the elf runs past Buck swings his elbow sharply and thwacks him in the back of the head! The elf grunts and tumbles forward, down...but not out. The elf surges back to his feet, teeth clenched. His breath is ragged and his eyes are wild as he lunges for Buck's throat...
[Let's have a new initiative roll here. He went down but Survived, so you might get a chance to better your init count]
Elsewhere, big dudes clash. Creature and Mini-Magog are locked in a clinch, each straining every muscle for an advantage. With a twist M-M throws Creature to one side, lashing out with punches and a brutal knee. One punch mashes the frankenstein's ear, but Creature's swings his iron shield around to block the knee strike. With a sound like the Lost Bell of Anahat Nada* the giant's knee bwongs off the shield, bending it nearly in half.
[3 HP damage from the punch. To keep things moving I used your saving throws from this post; all of the giants attacks that round missed you anyway. The good news is the shield prevented you from taking damage from a critical hit. The bad news is it now only gives a 14% Save bonus]
*Anahat Nada, a Sulduku Hierophant known chiefly for a 27 year vow of silence broken one groggy morning when he kicked his morning alarm bell so hard as to break three toes. In despair he cast the bell into the Sea of Great Peril, from whence it has never yet been recovered.
Coffee
Zarko moves as close to Creature as he can; the big guy is still my meal ticket. Any fighting I do will be in self defense or to aid Creature (or Buck, but he seems to be doing okay).
I'll call on the rest of the gang to form a tight perimeter, so we can contain the attacks against us and only present out best faces to the attackers.
Rondo
Buck, at first, starts grinning at the 3 headed micro-giant heading towards him, that should grow in perspective, but instead shrinks as he moves towards the party. Then he hears the elves in mortar boards, spins and takes in their proclamation of 'ass kicking being in session,' and bursts out laughing. Buck is gonna attempt to grab and lift one of the PhD. elves over his head in order to chuck him at the giant when the giant is on top of us.
(I rolled a 4 on my hit point restore a second ago)
Attack: 46%
Damage: not sure what to roll, if any
Save: 22% (missed by a point, I think)
Max
[Sounds awe-some, dude. This is a grapple, so we'll count that 46% as a Feat roll. The elf gets to oppose with his own Feat roll.
[In order to pick him and throw him you'll need to succeed with a Great Feat. In order to pick him and throw him *at the giant* you'll need to succeed at, hmmm, two Great Feats. The giant and the elves are a ways away from each other, so you'll have to carry the elf for awhile to get within elf-chucking range.
Rondo
Buck picks the Elf up like a ragdoll, I think...I rolled an 8% for the first Great Feat! As I walk to chuck him, I roll a 71 % for the second Great Feat, which I'm hoping means he gets chucked elbows over ass, but I think I missed the 'giant.'
Coffee
Zarko takes a coffee and pops the lid off of the to-go cup. He sips it idly as he walks over and studies the elves.
He smirks, as if these guys won't be too tough to beat at all.
Then he throws the coffee in the face of one of them (I'm leaning toward the Head Masher here, but I don't know which one Buck grabbed), upon whom he then launches a Sneak Attack.
Initiative (+4): 14
Sneak Attack (62): 08 (!)
Damage (+0): 1
Saving Throw (37): 95 (I'm so screwed...)
wulfgar
Creature chugs a couple coffees and waits to see if the elves and the giant come to hurt us or help us.
Never mind, they seem hostile.
Attack: 34% Hit
damage: 10
Save: 21% make
Creature throat punches the giant.
Max
Zarko's got a cunning plan, but Head Masher knows a thing or two about dirty tricks. He blocks the coffee cup with one hand, yelling as the scalding coffee burns his arm, and brushes aside the ape's sucker punch. The elf clinches with Zarko, and grinds his knuckles brutally against the ape's temple. He's able to squirm loose of the elf wrestler, but he can barely see straight.
[10 HP damage. When you get a noogie from The Head Masher, you feel it.
[As before, when you Sneak Attack a wary opponent they get a chance to Guard, and H.M. made his roll. But I gave you a Happenstance roll that the coffee was hot enough to be a missile weapon, so you still ended up hurting him.]
Buck isn't quite as quick as Zarko. Before he can grab his man the elves set up for some fancy maneuvers of their own. Doctor Dropkick drops to all fours, and Professor Pain vaults onto his back. Leaping off in a move known to students of Elf Championship Wrasslin' as the Deconstructor, he plunges toward Buck in a pre-emergent paradox of postmodern punching power. Lucky for Buck, the professor's calculations are off and he sails right overhead, belly-flopping in the dust.
Buck grabs the fallen elf and tries to hoist him over his back in a fireman's carry. At first the elf rolls free, but Buck gets hold of him again and heaves him onto his shoulders. The elf thrashes wildly as Buck staggers toward the giant, peppering Buck with rabbit punches. Buck struggles and hurls the elf -- he's well short of the giant, but he slams down the elf with a satisfying thud.
[Take 5 HP from punches -- you can make a Saving Throw as normal. Roll your attack damage for tossing the elf on his head d3 and, what the heck, add +2 for missile damage].
Max
wulfgar
Creature throat punches the giant.
Each of the giant's heads roars as it approaches:"Fee Fi..."
"...Fo Fine..."
"...I smell...I smell..."
"It's 'the blood of a frankenstein,' you numskull."
"BLOOD!! I smell BLOOD!!"
'Stein and giant charge each other and the two heavyweights trade mighty blows. Flexing his Adam's apple in a fearsome display of manliness, Creature punches the giant in the stomach with his own throat. The giant grunts, his pot belly rippling with the blow, and counters with fists and feet. Creature catches a fist on his shield, and spins away from a kick. The giant swings down a second fist...
[Need an extra Saving Throw from you here, and then you can fill in what happens to Creature based on whether he takes full, half or no damage (saving against 2 hp damage, so it's not a crushing blow).
[Mini-Magog attacks 3/round, so go ahead and give me 3 Saves when you fight him.
[Did you ever roll for HP healed overnight, Wulf? You get back d4. And take 2 HP from the Giant's fist gonging off your shield, plus whatever his second punch deals.
Rondo
Save: 11% (made it.)
Damage on the elf: 3
Am I within range of the giant since he's ontop of Creech? Just curious.
Max
[Sure, but the elf wrestler you tossed is between you and Mini-Magog.
[I rolled initiative for Buck & Creech for that last round. Could you each roll when you take your actions for this next round? (Zarko's roll of 14 stays as it is)]
wulfgar
Healed 3 Hit points.
Missed my saving throw with a 63%.
Creature takes a blow to the head that sprains one of his cranial feelers and makes him bite his own tounge.
"OW"
Rondo
3 total on initiative on this end....
Max
[I'll be able to update at lunch, so if you dudes get a chance let me know your next move, attack rolls, damage, etc.
[General Note: I've been letting you guys take center stage, with your posse mostly standing around, but in case it's not clear you can think of them as henchmen. Feel free to interact with 'em and give orders, etc.]
Coffee
"Don't just stand there!" Zarko roars, backing away from the elf and pointing at him. "This is the audience participation part of the show, guys! Get him!"
(Zarko is badly hurt, but not out yet. I'm hoping my boys will take care of the creep. I'm going on full defensive this round, though.)
Save (37%): 48
Or, y'know, not.
wulfgar
Creature spews hot coffee in the face of the giant.
Attack: 32% HIT
Damage: ???? What does hot coffee in the face do? Hopefully scald his eyeballs!
Saving throws: 82,3,83 Made 1, missed the other 2.
Max
[By spew d'you mean spitting coffee in his face? Cos if it's hot enough to scald his eyes it's hot enough to burn yo tongue...]
wulfgar
Yes, I mean summon the coffee within me that I just drank, up my esophogus and out my mouth. My thinking is that while it may be scalding to a giant's eyeballs, it might just be a nice warm drink to the digestive system of a Frankenstein.
Unpleasant Order: 34% Made
Feat: 79% Made lesser, missed Greater
Do those help?
Rondo
ha!!!
Max
[How can I argue with that?]
"I've killed five--" "No, it's seven, you jackass." "How many times do we have to tell you? It's seven men with a single blow." Mini-Magog seems surprised that Creature hasn't fallen before his giantly might. He throws three more distracted punches, and looks very peevish when not a one of them connects.
Peevish doesn't even begin to describe the look on his face when Creature barfs on him. He dodges away from the worst of it, but when the acidic brew spew begins sizzling away at the gold medallions on his chest all three heads scream in rage!
[Lessee, can't really give you a strength bonus here, so here ya go: roll d6 twice and take the higher for damage. Don't think you can make Bulimic Brawling a habit though, lest you suffer Deluxe Acid Reflux Deliquescence]
wulfgar
6 damage for the Java Vomit attack. (rolled a 2 and a 6)
Rondo
(Take that you 3-stooges-headed-mofo!!)
I'll try to grab the nearest elf by the collar and nail him in the face as hard as I can.
Attack: 5% (ouch for him!)
Damage: 3 rolled
Save: 18% (made it again! I can't believe it)
Max
When Buck reaches down to drag the elf to his feet, the crafty wrestler grabs his arms and boots Buck in the stomach. The elf tries to launch him with an airplane kick but Buck manages to pull his arms free. When Professor Pain scrambles to his feet Buck taps him with a jab.
[Buck takes 3 HP damage]
Coffee
"Don't just stand there!" Zarko roars, backing away from the elf and pointing at him. "This is the audience participation part of the show, guys! Get him!"
Despite the burning pain of his head-mashing Zarko keeps his battle advantage. Stalwart Bob the Fighter moves to stand between Zarko and the Masher, and the ape retreats to safety.
The Head-Masher throws himself at Bob, eager to punish his insolence. They crash into each other, but neither fighter lands a telling blow. Meanwhile, Malone roars up to Doctor Dropkick like a freight train fueled by cuss words...and gets his potty mouth shut by a boot to the face. Malone goes out like a f*&#ing light.
The grizzled orangutan Philimon steps over the cyclopean, moving in warily. He bobs and weaves from side to side, darts in with a low kick, but misses.
Rondo
I'm gonna try stompin' his face in...
Attack: 20% (made it)
Damage: 4
Save: 64% (missed)
Coffee
Zarko is pretty much knocked around, so he'll be avoiding any specific fighting unless he absolutely has to get involved. So he'll hang around the fringes of the fights and make suggestions to those who are still hale and hearty.
Max
Buck and the Professor slug it out toe-to-toe. The elf lands a stinging palm strike to Buck's chest, but the spacer steps back and delivers a solid head kick. The Professor's mortarboard goes flying off, but the elf shakes his head and raises his fists.
Meanwhile Bob and Philimon continue battling the other two-thirds of the School of Pain. Bob catches a backhand, but Doctor Dropkick misses a fancy double kick and ends up sprawling. Taking full advantage of a brachiator's reach, Philimon wallops him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.
Zarko doesn't have much time for kibbitzing. Leeplo the Man-Frog bounces up to him, croaking in panic. "Hell's br-r-r-reaking loobse, Zar-r-r-ko!"
Sure enough, fighters are moving in on all sides. One of the knucklehead teens who joined your crew overnight is already down....
Rondo
Buck goes for an elbow to the back of the neck...
Attack: 5% (smokin' made it)
Damage: 2 (not sure if i get a bonus for anything...probably not)
Save: 90% (failed)
Max
Professor Pain tries to clothesline Buck, but he ducks. As the elf runs past Buck swings his elbow sharply and thwacks him in the back of the head! The elf grunts and tumbles forward, down...but not out. The elf surges back to his feet, teeth clenched. His breath is ragged and his eyes are wild as he lunges for Buck's throat...
[Let's have a new initiative roll here. He went down but Survived, so you might get a chance to better your init count]
Elsewhere, big dudes clash. Creature and Mini-Magog are locked in a clinch, each straining every muscle for an advantage. With a twist M-M throws Creature to one side, lashing out with punches and a brutal knee. One punch mashes the frankenstein's ear, but Creature's swings his iron shield around to block the knee strike. With a sound like the Lost Bell of Anahat Nada* the giant's knee bwongs off the shield, bending it nearly in half.
[3 HP damage from the punch. To keep things moving I used your saving throws from this post; all of the giants attacks that round missed you anyway. The good news is the shield prevented you from taking damage from a critical hit. The bad news is it now only gives a 14% Save bonus]
*Anahat Nada, a Sulduku Hierophant known chiefly for a 27 year vow of silence broken one groggy morning when he kicked his morning alarm bell so hard as to break three toes. In despair he cast the bell into the Sea of Great Peril, from whence it has never yet been recovered.
Coffee
Zarko moves as close to Creature as he can; the big guy is still my meal ticket. Any fighting I do will be in self defense or to aid Creature (or Buck, but he seems to be doing okay).
I'll call on the rest of the gang to form a tight perimeter, so we can contain the attacks against us and only present out best faces to the attackers.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Brawl: Keg Stands & Coffee Breaks
The wookies defeated, the lads get a few hours of rest...
Max
You and your fighters relax again after the wookies are defeated. Someone rolls in a keg, and Schleppy rummages up a stack of plastic cups from one of his pockets. The Tenmen play till midnight, ending with a 20 minute version of something called "Surfin Bird." Pinching his mouth disapprovingly, Philimon laments the damaging influence of Terran religious music on Vanthian popular culture. He seems poised to launch into a lengthy diatribe when Abdul Nomascus silences him with a raised eyebrow.
As the show wears on the crowd begin to get frisky. Moods darken and fights break out in the crush of bodies near the stage. No doubt the kegs of dwarf grog and ale contribute to the delinquency of the brawlers. Thanks to your watches no one bugs you.
However, a few of your crew find trouble on their own. Wiggy Plop and a few others sneak off to watch the Tenmen up close, and not all of them make it back. One of the klengon deserters loses a headbutting contest with a rock gnome. The motor-mouthed Sugar Ray Rocketblaster yaps to the wrong chap and ends up eating his words, with a fistful of knuckles for an appetizer.
Muruzabal and the hobling Harmon Brewster polish off the keg in an all-night drinking contest. The mad amazon passes out during an ill-advised keg stand and is rolled off in the tarp by fast-moving goblin medics.
Happily, you draw new fighters to your ranks, and by morning your crew is 16 strong, not counting Creature, Buck and Zarko.
[Anyone who took damage heals 1-4 HP]
[Sorry to blow off last night guys. Hella busy day at work yesterday; needed to chill last night. Probably won't post much till evening -- feel free to chat amongst yourselves, talk to your crew, etc.]
Rondo
Buck and Zarko are keeping their eyes peeled for any action that might be heading their way. "Wonder if I should just start something," Buck says looking for another fight to get him towards the end of this thing. "How's Creature holding up?" he asks Zarko...he also surveys some of our new crowd, taking stock of what sort of gang is on hand in case things heat up soon.
wulfgar
"Creature...ok...been..better..though."
(I haven't read every post, did we ever hear anything about Darryl? I should be back on track for checking in at least once a day on weekdays.)
Rondo
(we've discovered literally NIL on the Daryl situation...I'm pretty concerned about that as well).
Coffee
On the other hand, we really don't have any reason to believe Daryl is in any trouble.
He wanted to fight, he fought. Then he got knocked out. Then they hauled him away, like they do with everyone.
My guess is, he's sitting up there with Mama, watching us and cringing every time we do something he disagrees with.
Rondo
You may be right, Coffee, at least by all logical 'game appearances.'
Max
Around dawn the goons are back. Under the whips of a team of drovers, they haul out a cart filled with tarnished robo-perc units, and roll empty kegs down the ramp. Bleary, bruised and grumpy fighter line up for coffee. No rolls are served.
[Dudes, sorry. Totally fell asleep on the couch after watching Wild Zero on the dvd last night.]
wulfgar
About how many contestants are left in the brawl?
Max
[Maybe a hundred? Most of them look to be tough hombres. Yours is probably the largest crew -- but judging by appearances not necessarily the baddest.]
Max
Buck checks out the new recruits, and finds them mostly a sorry lot. There's a pair of human twin brothers barely old enough to shave, a planetary ape with the mange and a red-faced, overweight vulkin. Buck can't figure how any of 'em made it through yesterday.
A bit more promising is a sneering ratling and a strapping lizard man shaman, both of whom are a bit banged up but eager for action. Rounding out the new meat are a lanky wooky in a coonskin cap and dusky-skinned human with a sly grin.
[You can give these guys names if you want to. More later, as time allows.]
Max
[Anyone who took damage heals 1-4 HP]
[No need to make a separate post for it, but let me know how many HP you've healed next time you post.]
Coffee
I think I only took one point, so I'll say that I rolled a 1. (If my ability to scan back through messages is impaired, and I actually took more than one point, please let me know...)
Max
Unbidden, Bob the Fighter and One Eye Malone make a coffee run for the crew. The 'run' part turns out to be literal, as the two of them jog back to camp as quickly as they can laden down with 10 coffees each.
"Trouble coming!" calls out Bob, motioning over his head with a jerk of his head. "Three-motherf*c%ing-headed $h#t-damned giant," adds Malone.
Well, technically a giant. At first you don't see him at all. Then you realize that this particular giant is only seven feet tall. It's three-headed for sure, though, and it definitely looks P-Oed. It stomps deliberately across the arena, sweeping aside anyone foolish enough not to clear aside.
At the same time there's an alarm from the rear! A trio of elves in graduation gowns and mortar boards struts up to your perimeter. "Doctor Dropkick! Professor Pain! The Head-Masher!" Each in turn strips down to a speedo and wrestling boots. "Ass-kicking class is now in session!"
Max
You and your fighters relax again after the wookies are defeated. Someone rolls in a keg, and Schleppy rummages up a stack of plastic cups from one of his pockets. The Tenmen play till midnight, ending with a 20 minute version of something called "Surfin Bird." Pinching his mouth disapprovingly, Philimon laments the damaging influence of Terran religious music on Vanthian popular culture. He seems poised to launch into a lengthy diatribe when Abdul Nomascus silences him with a raised eyebrow.
As the show wears on the crowd begin to get frisky. Moods darken and fights break out in the crush of bodies near the stage. No doubt the kegs of dwarf grog and ale contribute to the delinquency of the brawlers. Thanks to your watches no one bugs you.
However, a few of your crew find trouble on their own. Wiggy Plop and a few others sneak off to watch the Tenmen up close, and not all of them make it back. One of the klengon deserters loses a headbutting contest with a rock gnome. The motor-mouthed Sugar Ray Rocketblaster yaps to the wrong chap and ends up eating his words, with a fistful of knuckles for an appetizer.
Muruzabal and the hobling Harmon Brewster polish off the keg in an all-night drinking contest. The mad amazon passes out during an ill-advised keg stand and is rolled off in the tarp by fast-moving goblin medics.
Happily, you draw new fighters to your ranks, and by morning your crew is 16 strong, not counting Creature, Buck and Zarko.
[Anyone who took damage heals 1-4 HP]
[Sorry to blow off last night guys. Hella busy day at work yesterday; needed to chill last night. Probably won't post much till evening -- feel free to chat amongst yourselves, talk to your crew, etc.]
Rondo
Buck and Zarko are keeping their eyes peeled for any action that might be heading their way. "Wonder if I should just start something," Buck says looking for another fight to get him towards the end of this thing. "How's Creature holding up?" he asks Zarko...he also surveys some of our new crowd, taking stock of what sort of gang is on hand in case things heat up soon.
wulfgar
"Creature...ok...been..better..though."
(I haven't read every post, did we ever hear anything about Darryl? I should be back on track for checking in at least once a day on weekdays.)
Rondo
(we've discovered literally NIL on the Daryl situation...I'm pretty concerned about that as well).
Coffee
On the other hand, we really don't have any reason to believe Daryl is in any trouble.
He wanted to fight, he fought. Then he got knocked out. Then they hauled him away, like they do with everyone.
My guess is, he's sitting up there with Mama, watching us and cringing every time we do something he disagrees with.
Rondo
You may be right, Coffee, at least by all logical 'game appearances.'
Max
Around dawn the goons are back. Under the whips of a team of drovers, they haul out a cart filled with tarnished robo-perc units, and roll empty kegs down the ramp. Bleary, bruised and grumpy fighter line up for coffee. No rolls are served.
[Dudes, sorry. Totally fell asleep on the couch after watching Wild Zero on the dvd last night.]
wulfgar
About how many contestants are left in the brawl?
Max
[Maybe a hundred? Most of them look to be tough hombres. Yours is probably the largest crew -- but judging by appearances not necessarily the baddest.]
Max
Buck checks out the new recruits, and finds them mostly a sorry lot. There's a pair of human twin brothers barely old enough to shave, a planetary ape with the mange and a red-faced, overweight vulkin. Buck can't figure how any of 'em made it through yesterday.
A bit more promising is a sneering ratling and a strapping lizard man shaman, both of whom are a bit banged up but eager for action. Rounding out the new meat are a lanky wooky in a coonskin cap and dusky-skinned human with a sly grin.
[You can give these guys names if you want to. More later, as time allows.]
Max
[Anyone who took damage heals 1-4 HP]
[No need to make a separate post for it, but let me know how many HP you've healed next time you post.]
Coffee
I think I only took one point, so I'll say that I rolled a 1. (If my ability to scan back through messages is impaired, and I actually took more than one point, please let me know...)
Max
Unbidden, Bob the Fighter and One Eye Malone make a coffee run for the crew. The 'run' part turns out to be literal, as the two of them jog back to camp as quickly as they can laden down with 10 coffees each.
"Trouble coming!" calls out Bob, motioning over his head with a jerk of his head. "Three-motherf*c%ing-headed $h#t-damned giant," adds Malone.
Well, technically a giant. At first you don't see him at all. Then you realize that this particular giant is only seven feet tall. It's three-headed for sure, though, and it definitely looks P-Oed. It stomps deliberately across the arena, sweeping aside anyone foolish enough not to clear aside.
At the same time there's an alarm from the rear! A trio of elves in graduation gowns and mortar boards struts up to your perimeter. "Doctor Dropkick! Professor Pain! The Head-Masher!" Each in turn strips down to a speedo and wrestling boots. "Ass-kicking class is now in session!"
Friday, November 7, 2008
Hobson & Quazarn in A Clockwork Sombrero
Quazarn & Hobson attempt to rendezvous with a ratling fixer...
[despite adding a link to a groovy Nadsat glossary to my forum signature I now suspect the ratling's Clockwork Orange derived slang got old quick. For convenience I've added mouse-over translations here.]
Max
Age of Fable
Noticing that Quazarn seems to have had another attack, Hobson will try to follow the ratling, observing her while being unobserved if possible.
[rolled a 55]
Dr Rotwang!
Surreptitiously, Quazarn follows the ratling.
The ratling is nowhere to be seen. However, it seems Logical to Hobson that she probably intended to meet them in the beer garden, so the two of you make your way there as inconspicuously as you can.
As you sidle into the deep shade of the baobabbler tree it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the gloom, and for your ears to tune out the constant chattering of the tree.*
"Hisst," says a low voice, just two tables over. It's the ratling. "You are like sore thumbs, sticking out. Sit!"
[*This, naturally, is a domestic baobabbler, and thus merely annoying. The voice of the wild baobabbler is rumored to cause agonizing headaches, tympanal edema and contagious glossolalia.]
Dr Rotwang!
Quazarn sits.
Max
The ratling regards Quazarn through rosy pink eyes. Her thick Slavic accent tells you her forebears must have migrated to Vanth via a Roosky colony ship.
"That thing you mentioned. Buying or selling?"
Dr Rotwang!
"Buying."
[Max -- you're kind of running two games now and it's all my fault. How do we get the band back together?]
Max
[It's really not a thing, Doc! PbP works very well for divided parties -- I can attend to each group based on the speed of your posts without forcing anyone to sit around. Remember, Fable/Hobson never really wanted to fight in the Brawl anyway, so don't feel bad.
[That said, if either side feels things are sputtering or stalled, let me know. I'm having a blast with this -- and I want all of you to be having a blast (having blasts?) too!]
rondo
(I got no problems with the split game...it's a blast anyway you slice it, thanks to some great players and an visionary JM. I would like us to float back together at some point too, but I'm sure we'll work it out).
Max
Max
"That thing you mentioned. Buying or selling?"
Dr Rotwang!
"Buying."
"I maybe have what you are looking for. Expensive goods, no?"
Glancing at Hobson she chitters impatiently, "Sit down, malenky. Pony?"
Dr Rotwang!
"Well," replies Quazarn flatly, but not impolitely, "I'm simply interested in a regular Ontobian sombreroid -- no fancy haberdashery, merely the traditional transfelt and blam-wicker...show us what you have, for I am in the market." He flashes a big, friendly smile. Everybody likes Quazarn!
Max
[phew, sure am glad to find out what the heck an Ontobian sombreroid is!]
Max
[What's up with Hobson?]
Age of Fable
I'm keeping a regular eye on things, but I have no strong opinions on the sombrero industry.
Max
"Vat can I say, droog? Ever since Ontobian Sanz Chapeau Rebellion prices go up and up. And there is price on your gulliver too. Adds up, da?" Her eyes twinkle with sinister mirth.
Age of Fable
"Oh I get it...this is a shakedown. Well it won't work, see? Because...well, because we don't have any money. But, we do happen to know the location of an enormous pile of cheese."
Max
Twitching her whiskers the ratling smirks. With deliberate movements she reaches into her leather jacket, unsheathes a wicked stiletto, and sets it gently on the table.
"I am vegetarian, malenky."
Age of Fable
"An enormous pile...of soy cheese."
"Also, you probably mean vegan."
Max
"Sha, child! Shut your chumble, em and pee are talking," she says dismissively, turning to Quazarn. Her hand rests lightly now on the handle of the knife. The sharp nails on her fingers are painted the pink to match her eyes.
Some time passes without a post from the Good Dr Rotwang...
Age of Fable
"No you're not, you're just sitting there."
Max
After an awkward pause the rat-girl sighs and rolls her eyes. Leaning across the table she snaps her fingers in front of Quazarn's face. "Bog-damn bezoomy shoot," she mutters to herself.
She pockets her knife and turns to the hobling. "This pointy head eggiweg is terrible warlock? Who would fear this sneetnik, always day dreaming? How can I bargain with a stone?"
Age of Fable
"Don't ask me - last time I tried to talk to you I didn't even get a roll."
Max
"Roll? Now you vant bread. Always you are talking about food, malenky."
[If you want to roll against a skill, go for it -- let me know what you want to do and throw the dice. Can't promise you it'll get you anywhere, but don't let that stop you trying.]
Dr Rotwang!
[Sorry, I got distracted.]
"Ratling friend, do you have the sombreroid to sell? And what price is there upon our heads, pray tell?"
Max
"Ah, horrowshow! Govoreet golly, now ve talk business," smiles the ratling, showing two or three gold teeth and a pierced tongue. Eying Quazarn's silken cravvy and fine clothes, she continues, "Traders and lovers both: I like them rich and desperate....
"So. I can get sombreroid. And price on your head is not yet set -- but for you is cheaper to pay not to see Bigby, I think. Da? You pony?"
Dr Rotwang!
Quazarn grins. He reaches into his bag and extracts this magically-shrunken beast of burden.
"It's a burro, actually," he says. "Hardier than a pony for sure."
Rondo
(The mini-burro kicks ass! pardon the pun)
Max
[Mule have to excuse me for not braying with laughter.]
Her nose twitching, the ratling squeals with unabashed delight. "It's a real live little ossyel!"
Checking her glee she says more sternly, "What else for the hat and your safety?"
After another awkward silence sternness turns to peevish boredom. The rat girl drums her fingers on the table, nails clicking on the wood. Eventually she stands up.
"If you vecks get tired of sodding around ask for Ika Norvegova. Maybe we still do business," she sneers, "Maybe you gloops snuff it first."
Age of Fable
"Maybe we should, as I believe the young people say, split the scene?" I ask Quazarn.
Dr Rotwang!
"Totally."
Max
The Remulaki grunts through a morbid psychometric fog, "Where oh where will my little donkey go?" With a shudder he carefully stows the mini-mule and stands, ready to follow Hobson.
[despite adding a link to a groovy Nadsat glossary to my forum signature I now suspect the ratling's Clockwork Orange derived slang got old quick. For convenience I've added mouse-over translations here.]
Max
Age of Fable
Noticing that Quazarn seems to have had another attack, Hobson will try to follow the ratling, observing her while being unobserved if possible.
[rolled a 55]
Dr Rotwang!
Surreptitiously, Quazarn follows the ratling.
The ratling is nowhere to be seen. However, it seems Logical to Hobson that she probably intended to meet them in the beer garden, so the two of you make your way there as inconspicuously as you can.
As you sidle into the deep shade of the baobabbler tree it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the gloom, and for your ears to tune out the constant chattering of the tree.*
"Hisst," says a low voice, just two tables over. It's the ratling. "You are like sore thumbs, sticking out. Sit!"
[*This, naturally, is a domestic baobabbler, and thus merely annoying. The voice of the wild baobabbler is rumored to cause agonizing headaches, tympanal edema and contagious glossolalia.]
Dr Rotwang!
Quazarn sits.
Max
The ratling regards Quazarn through rosy pink eyes. Her thick Slavic accent tells you her forebears must have migrated to Vanth via a Roosky colony ship.
"That thing you mentioned. Buying or selling?"
Dr Rotwang!
"Buying."
[Max -- you're kind of running two games now and it's all my fault. How do we get the band back together?]
Max
[It's really not a thing, Doc! PbP works very well for divided parties -- I can attend to each group based on the speed of your posts without forcing anyone to sit around. Remember, Fable/Hobson never really wanted to fight in the Brawl anyway, so don't feel bad.
[That said, if either side feels things are sputtering or stalled, let me know. I'm having a blast with this -- and I want all of you to be having a blast (having blasts?) too!]
rondo
(I got no problems with the split game...it's a blast anyway you slice it, thanks to some great players and an visionary JM. I would like us to float back together at some point too, but I'm sure we'll work it out).
Max
Max
"That thing you mentioned. Buying or selling?"
Dr Rotwang!
"Buying."
"I maybe have what you are looking for. Expensive goods, no?"
Glancing at Hobson she chitters impatiently, "Sit down, malenky. Pony?"
Dr Rotwang!
"Well," replies Quazarn flatly, but not impolitely, "I'm simply interested in a regular Ontobian sombreroid -- no fancy haberdashery, merely the traditional transfelt and blam-wicker...show us what you have, for I am in the market." He flashes a big, friendly smile. Everybody likes Quazarn!
Max
[phew, sure am glad to find out what the heck an Ontobian sombreroid is!]
Max
[What's up with Hobson?]
Age of Fable
I'm keeping a regular eye on things, but I have no strong opinions on the sombrero industry.
Max
"Vat can I say, droog? Ever since Ontobian Sanz Chapeau Rebellion prices go up and up. And there is price on your gulliver too. Adds up, da?" Her eyes twinkle with sinister mirth.
Age of Fable
"Oh I get it...this is a shakedown. Well it won't work, see? Because...well, because we don't have any money. But, we do happen to know the location of an enormous pile of cheese."
Max
Twitching her whiskers the ratling smirks. With deliberate movements she reaches into her leather jacket, unsheathes a wicked stiletto, and sets it gently on the table.
"I am vegetarian, malenky."
Age of Fable
"An enormous pile...of soy cheese."
"Also, you probably mean vegan."
Max
"Sha, child! Shut your chumble, em and pee are talking," she says dismissively, turning to Quazarn. Her hand rests lightly now on the handle of the knife. The sharp nails on her fingers are painted the pink to match her eyes.
Some time passes without a post from the Good Dr Rotwang...
Age of Fable
"No you're not, you're just sitting there."
Max
After an awkward pause the rat-girl sighs and rolls her eyes. Leaning across the table she snaps her fingers in front of Quazarn's face. "Bog-damn bezoomy shoot," she mutters to herself.
She pockets her knife and turns to the hobling. "This pointy head eggiweg is terrible warlock? Who would fear this sneetnik, always day dreaming? How can I bargain with a stone?"
Age of Fable
"Don't ask me - last time I tried to talk to you I didn't even get a roll."
Max
"Roll? Now you vant bread. Always you are talking about food, malenky."
[If you want to roll against a skill, go for it -- let me know what you want to do and throw the dice. Can't promise you it'll get you anywhere, but don't let that stop you trying.]
Dr Rotwang!
[Sorry, I got distracted.]
"Ratling friend, do you have the sombreroid to sell? And what price is there upon our heads, pray tell?"
Max
"Ah, horrowshow! Govoreet golly, now ve talk business," smiles the ratling, showing two or three gold teeth and a pierced tongue. Eying Quazarn's silken cravvy and fine clothes, she continues, "Traders and lovers both: I like them rich and desperate....
"So. I can get sombreroid. And price on your head is not yet set -- but for you is cheaper to pay not to see Bigby, I think. Da? You pony?"
Dr Rotwang!
Quazarn grins. He reaches into his bag and extracts this magically-shrunken beast of burden.
"It's a burro, actually," he says. "Hardier than a pony for sure."
Rondo
(The mini-burro kicks ass! pardon the pun)
Max
[Mule have to excuse me for not braying with laughter.]
Her nose twitching, the ratling squeals with unabashed delight. "It's a real live little ossyel!"
Checking her glee she says more sternly, "What else for the hat and your safety?"
After another awkward silence sternness turns to peevish boredom. The rat girl drums her fingers on the table, nails clicking on the wood. Eventually she stands up.
"If you vecks get tired of sodding around ask for Ika Norvegova. Maybe we still do business," she sneers, "Maybe you gloops snuff it first."
Age of Fable
"Maybe we should, as I believe the young people say, split the scene?" I ask Quazarn.
Dr Rotwang!
"Totally."
Max
The Remulaki grunts through a morbid psychometric fog, "Where oh where will my little donkey go?" With a shudder he carefully stows the mini-mule and stands, ready to follow Hobson.
The Brawl: Wombie Zombie
Two wookies down, zombie to go...
wulfgar
Not really sure what's going on (sorry guys, work has picked up quite a bit, and I've foolishly been spending my time on the site arguing over in the off topic forum)
Initiative: 2
Attack: 59% hit
Damage: 10
Max
[Politics is the last thing I want to talk about with my fellow gamers, man ]
[Just need a saving throw roll for Creature. I'll be back in 20-30 minutes to update.]
wulfgar
Saving throw 55% fail
Max
Not one to be shown up by his mates, Creature finally snaps out of his reverie and charges the wook-zombie! The half-dead thing is ready, and smacks him upside the head with a flailing claw. The furious frankenstein keeps charging though, battering through the wombie's guard and smashing his nose with a vicious head butt. Grave dirt and black blood smear Creature's forehead...
...but the wombie is still fighting. He grabs at Creature's neck, trying to drag him into a clinch, but a spark of necrolectricity from the frankenstein's neck bolts zaps him and he backs away.
[Take 5 HP damage, Creech. Lucky you though: the wombie tried to catch you in a grapple and Fumbled his feat roll. Free attack for you!
[The sparking neck bolt is just color commentary. Don't get any fresh ideas ]
Max
Buck and Zarko watch Creature struggle with the wombie (whose name, Frochanbo, is spelled out in beads on his bandolier). The rest of your crew, and a few spectators, crowd around to watch. Goblin medics shove through with stretchers to cart away the two cold-cocked wookies. The third wooky shrugs off a medic trying to coax him into a wheelchair, waiting to see how Fro' fairs against the Creech.
Coffee
Is anybody else looking on, say from other mobs? Zarko keeps an eye out for looky-lous from other gangs. In particular, I want to know if they're impressed we took out the wooks, or how scared they might seem of us. That sort of thing.
Rondo
Buck stands with Zarko, arms crossed checking out the Creature. Same protocol: Should Creech get in trouble, Zarko and I are gonna jump in there and stomp the wooky's ass in the dirt if we can, otherwise we're just checking it out.
Rondo
(This is like a Texas Saturday night 'front yard' fight! Stinky, growling wookies and all!)
Max
From a distance, in the poorly lit arena, it's hard too tell. The clumps of people gathered seem to cheer for Creature and Fronchanbo alike, though Creature's headbutt was definitely a crowd pleaser.
[Wulf, here's the situation: you're still fighting that wook-zombie, and it's your move. Need your hit and damage roll if you want to take a shot.
[If Wulfgar can't chime in before, say, 5 PM EST could Coffee or Rondo roll for Creech? Only home for an hour or so after work and I'd like to update then.]
Rondo
I'm here, and can fill in if everyone wants me to.
Coffee
Go ahead, if Wulf can't make it. I know I'd trust my character with your rolls.
Rondo
Cool.
Initiative: 5 (not sure if he has some bonuses)
Attack: 65 (ditto as above)
Damage: ? Let me know what you need me to roll for our Frankenstein
Max
[Just roll d6, I'll add the STR bonus.]
Rondo
(btw: not sure if you can check the dice record on the roller I'm using, but be sure and let me know if you want me to try to link you to that...I HAVE been rolling lucky, but honest, I swear! ha)
Max
[Seeing as I don't post my rolls for NPCs at all, I'm not too worried about it. I am satisfied with the honor system. If anybody ever wants to make things more 'official,' let me know. ]
Rondo
"1"....what was the braggin I was doing about rolling earlier...groan...
Coffee
It was tempting fate, that's what it was! A gamer of your experience should really know better...
Rondo
(yea, ha...no kiddin', rookie mistake! Dice always getcha in the end...)....
Max
[Ahh, gamers, and their strange ideas about probability ;) ]
Max
Sparks still arcing from his neck bolts Creature backhands the wombie. With a groan Frochanbo sinks to his knees and slumps to the ground.
The last of the wookies growls angrily and climbs into the waiting wheelchair. Your crew and the other fighters crowd in, cheering and yelling. Someone rolls a keg into the middle of one of the dirt circles.
Rondo
Buck wonders to himself, amongst the revelry, "Is this thing over with, finally?" and he starts to grin at Zarko, wiping some dried blood off his nose and lip.
Max
[If Buck thinks about for a minute he'll realize there's a whole day left -- you can leave any time you like though.]
Coffee
"For today, maybe," Zarko says with a smirk. "Meanwhile, do you know any kind of first aid that would help our Fearless Leader over here?" He points a thumb toward Creature, who quite frankly has looked better. I mean like this morning he looked better.
"I'll set up watches for the night."
Rondo
"Hmm...see what I can do..." Buck approaches Creech..."Easy buddy...let me see here" trying to administer what he can with water and cloth.
"I'll get the next watch," he nods to Zarko.
wulfgar
Not really sure what's going on (sorry guys, work has picked up quite a bit, and I've foolishly been spending my time on the site arguing over in the off topic forum)
Initiative: 2
Attack: 59% hit
Damage: 10
Max
[Politics is the last thing I want to talk about with my fellow gamers, man ]
[Just need a saving throw roll for Creature. I'll be back in 20-30 minutes to update.]
wulfgar
Saving throw 55% fail
Max
Not one to be shown up by his mates, Creature finally snaps out of his reverie and charges the wook-zombie! The half-dead thing is ready, and smacks him upside the head with a flailing claw. The furious frankenstein keeps charging though, battering through the wombie's guard and smashing his nose with a vicious head butt. Grave dirt and black blood smear Creature's forehead...
...but the wombie is still fighting. He grabs at Creature's neck, trying to drag him into a clinch, but a spark of necrolectricity from the frankenstein's neck bolts zaps him and he backs away.
[Take 5 HP damage, Creech. Lucky you though: the wombie tried to catch you in a grapple and Fumbled his feat roll. Free attack for you!
[The sparking neck bolt is just color commentary. Don't get any fresh ideas ]
Max
Buck and Zarko watch Creature struggle with the wombie (whose name, Frochanbo, is spelled out in beads on his bandolier). The rest of your crew, and a few spectators, crowd around to watch. Goblin medics shove through with stretchers to cart away the two cold-cocked wookies. The third wooky shrugs off a medic trying to coax him into a wheelchair, waiting to see how Fro' fairs against the Creech.
Coffee
Is anybody else looking on, say from other mobs? Zarko keeps an eye out for looky-lous from other gangs. In particular, I want to know if they're impressed we took out the wooks, or how scared they might seem of us. That sort of thing.
Rondo
Buck stands with Zarko, arms crossed checking out the Creature. Same protocol: Should Creech get in trouble, Zarko and I are gonna jump in there and stomp the wooky's ass in the dirt if we can, otherwise we're just checking it out.
Rondo
(This is like a Texas Saturday night 'front yard' fight! Stinky, growling wookies and all!)
Max
From a distance, in the poorly lit arena, it's hard too tell. The clumps of people gathered seem to cheer for Creature and Fronchanbo alike, though Creature's headbutt was definitely a crowd pleaser.
[Wulf, here's the situation: you're still fighting that wook-zombie, and it's your move. Need your hit and damage roll if you want to take a shot.
[If Wulfgar can't chime in before, say, 5 PM EST could Coffee or Rondo roll for Creech? Only home for an hour or so after work and I'd like to update then.]
Rondo
I'm here, and can fill in if everyone wants me to.
Coffee
Go ahead, if Wulf can't make it. I know I'd trust my character with your rolls.
Rondo
Cool.
Initiative: 5 (not sure if he has some bonuses)
Attack: 65 (ditto as above)
Damage: ? Let me know what you need me to roll for our Frankenstein
Max
[Just roll d6, I'll add the STR bonus.]
Rondo
(btw: not sure if you can check the dice record on the roller I'm using, but be sure and let me know if you want me to try to link you to that...I HAVE been rolling lucky, but honest, I swear! ha)
Max
[Seeing as I don't post my rolls for NPCs at all, I'm not too worried about it. I am satisfied with the honor system. If anybody ever wants to make things more 'official,' let me know. ]
Rondo
"1"....what was the braggin I was doing about rolling earlier...groan...
Coffee
It was tempting fate, that's what it was! A gamer of your experience should really know better...
Rondo
(yea, ha...no kiddin', rookie mistake! Dice always getcha in the end...)....
Max
[Ahh, gamers, and their strange ideas about probability ;) ]
Max
Sparks still arcing from his neck bolts Creature backhands the wombie. With a groan Frochanbo sinks to his knees and slumps to the ground.
The last of the wookies growls angrily and climbs into the waiting wheelchair. Your crew and the other fighters crowd in, cheering and yelling. Someone rolls a keg into the middle of one of the dirt circles.
Rondo
Buck wonders to himself, amongst the revelry, "Is this thing over with, finally?" and he starts to grin at Zarko, wiping some dried blood off his nose and lip.
Max
[If Buck thinks about for a minute he'll realize there's a whole day left -- you can leave any time you like though.]
Coffee
"For today, maybe," Zarko says with a smirk. "Meanwhile, do you know any kind of first aid that would help our Fearless Leader over here?" He points a thumb toward Creature, who quite frankly has looked better. I mean like this morning he looked better.
"I'll set up watches for the night."
Rondo
"Hmm...see what I can do..." Buck approaches Creech..."Easy buddy...let me see here" trying to administer what he can with water and cloth.
"I'll get the next watch," he nods to Zarko.
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Brawl: Ape Fu
Rondo
"Whew! What a big galoot...guys, I ain't feelin' so hot..." Buck staggers over to Zarko and goes down on one knee..."Wow, that guy had a southpaw"....he leans next to Creature and sets down gazing around for some water.
wulfgar
(I'm back...sort of...pretty busy..but I'll try catching up and chiming in sometime today)
Max
[Condensed: While Buck and Zarko chatted with the mystic vobling Starshine, some wookies busted into your area and have been taunting your crew. Buck took up a challenge and knocked one out. The half-zombie leader wants to fight Creature.]
Coffee
Yeah, and the other one wants to fight me! I don't want to fight something that big. I'm just a scrawny little guy.
But hey, I will go ahead and taunt him. I'm totally cool with that; it's what us little guys do. (I can run faster scared than he can mad...)
"Oooga Booga!" Zarko bellows at the Wookie. He walks up next to the circle and starts to go around it, but doesn't step inside. All the while, he makes any rude gestures he can think of (flipping him off, etc.), trying to get the wook's goat and make him lose his cool.
What I learned from Starshine is this: There is fighting, and then there is fighting. You have to play to your strengths.
(I was hoping there was some kind of skill or power I could use in this, but don't see anything that seems applicable. Oh, well. If the ref wants me to roll something, he has but to say so.)
Max
[Roleplaying this out is fine. If you're hoping for some mechanical effect (a la kender taunting foes into attacking at a penalty) I'd say you could try rolling Psychic Implant -- but you might want to sling some nastier insults than "Ooga Booga."]
Coffee
Sorry, too subtle? I was implying that he didn't speak, just made noises. I.e., he's not a "real person" and therefore not worth fighting.
Yeah, that probably was too subtle, for a wookie.
Zarko runs his fingers through his lush pompadour. "Get a comb, ya shaggy loser."
"No wonder ya got hairballs."
Max
[Sir, wookies everywhere take grave offense at your assumptions. Why this very wooky is a renowned slam poet, and won an honorable mention from the New Anthology of Kashyyk Poetry for his chapbook RRRRRRRRRrrggghhhrrra'k. ]
wulfgar
Sure- Creature will throw down with the wooky zombie
Max
[Rock on, blood. Roll dem bones, show 'em what you got.]
Max
Coffee
Zarko runs his fingers through his lush pompadour. "Get a comb, ya shaggy loser."
"No wonder ya got hairballs."
Zarko is joined by the young wrestler 'Sugar' Ray Rocketblaster, who has a few choice words of his own for the wooky. "Come on outta ya circle tall dark an' hairy! I'll make a wig outta ya! Ya sideways poodle..."
The wook bares his teeth and growls derisively. He mimics each of your gestures in as mincing a way as is possible for a 6'6" wooky. Suddenly his eyes go blank. As if possessed by a Warlock Mime he silently acts out a breathtakingly filthy scene involving Zarko, Rocketblaster, their parents and a pack of stray dogs. The crowd of fighters watching gasps.
Rocketblaster clenches his fists, his neck muscles, his teeth, heck even his eyes clench. Just barely, he manages to control himself. Zarko feels his hackles rise, and struggles against a rush of pure gorilla rage.
[You got served, dogg. Wooky got reeeal lucky with his Psychic Implant roll.]
[You need to roll Psi-Resist. If you fail you'll take a 10% penalty to *all* percentile rolls for the duration of the Brawl, unless you take a swing at the wooky who just humiliated you in front of your crew.]
Coffee
Okay, that's no problem. My Psi-Resist is a healthy 58 and I rolled...99.
Okay, so I'm on him like -- well, like stink on a wooky.
Initiative: 5
Melee Attack: Need 55, rolled 19 -- hit!
Damage: 1
Saving Throw: Need 37, rolled -- Another bloody 99! My dice hate me today!
But hey, why should today be any different.
Ball's in your court, hairbag.
Rondo
Buck is feeling a little bit better (I only have 4 HPS left, so I'm not how sure how 'in the fight' Buck still is). He motions to the zombie critter, "Take it easy on the poor slob Creech...just tear off ONE of his arms."....Buck is keeping a close eye on Zarko too, in case anyone else tries to jump in there and outnumber him and our NPC. If that happens Buck is in there like lightning. Well, as close to lightning as a beat-up space pilot can muster!
Max
[I may not have time to post any full updates till this evening -- it's likely to be a busy day for this particular widget salesman. Few things:
* Wulf: need Creature's initiative, melee & save when possible.
* Coffee: in the cold light of morning I feel the choice I gave you last night was too harsh -- if you want to forgo clobbering the wooky your skill penalty will only be 5%. Feel free to edit your post above if you wish.
* Rondo: carry on.]
Coffee
Nah, my post stands. I needed motivation, and pride is always a big motivator.
My post stands, although I'm hoping I can get some help going on, because I'm better at sneak attack then I am at melee attack. If someone could distract the oversized drain-clog, I'd be happier.
Assuming, that is, that I survive what's about to happen!
I ain't taking no penalty, because I AM clobbering the mook! (well, as best I can...)
Rondo
(Buck can do some distractin'!....give me a wink, goriller-man when your ready, and I'll do some serious distracting!)
Max
[Buck is well enough to act -- and a distraction is a possibility. Just roll initiative per normal and tell me what you're planning.]
Rondo
Rolled: 5 +2=7 total
"Hey! You!!" Buck yells towards the opposing Wook, "Could you do us a favor?" He pinches off his nose and points, "MOVE DOWN WIND! YOU SMELL LIKE A DINO ISLAND PORTA-POTTY!!" With this Buck literally throws his stick towards the Wooky's head as hard as he can chunk it..
Att: 5! (Sweeeet)
Dam: 1 rolled, +2=3
Save: 90% (back to the shitty save rolls! Oh well, maybe I don't need it...I'm just trying to get this chump's attention anyway)
Max
Coffee
My dice hate me today!
[That's ok, mine seem to like you...]
Zarko charges! The arena walls have twisted into a tunnel of rage with Zarko on one end and the wooky crouching at the other in a blood-red spotlight. He hardly hears Buck hollering over the sound of his judding heartbeat.
The wooky is ready for Zarko's charge and leaps high, smashing downward with doubled fists...and misses the ape completely. At that instant Buck hurls his club. His aim is deadly, but luck is with the wooky. The club rockets straight at his temple, but the wooky stumbles when he attack misses Zarko, and the club merely grazes his shaggy dome.
Even in a primal rage, Zarko still has his cunning. In the split second that his foe is distracted the ape jabs a finger in his eye. It doesn't do much damage, but it must hurt like hell, 'cause the wooky yowls and clutches its eye.
[Wacky round! Buck's Critical Hit got canceled by a Critical Save, but then the wooky Fumbled his Save against Zarko's attack.
[Zarko's head is clear again, so he can fight on or not as he sees fit. If you keep fighting don't worry about re-rolling initiative.]
Coffee
Okay, press the attack -- maybe I'm on a roll!
Attack: Need 55, got 60, (so no damage)
Saving Throw: Need 37, got 16, so less than half!
Max
Zarko throws a quick jab but the wooky steps out of reach. Still holding his eye he throws a wild right cross, but Zarko ducks and it whooshes over his head.
[If Wulf doesn't chime in in the morning can someone run Creature tomorrow? He said he wants to tangle with the wook-zombie, but I need melee, damage and save rolls from him.]
Coffee
Zarko still has his rage, but is in the fight now, so he's going to try to maneuver into a better position. (Not easy in a circle, I know...)
Where is the mop handle (or whatever) that Buck threw? It could be around here somewhere. If I can see it, and grab it and use it as a weapon, groovy. If not, fine.
Attack roll (55): 96
Damage (d3+0): --
Saving Throw (37): 10
Max
Zarko keeps moving, jabbing and stepping to the side. He takes a chance with a looping overhand, aiming for the wooky's injured eye, but as he throws the punch he slips on Buck's club. He twists an ankle and stumbles to one knee but is nimble enough to roll out of the way of a head kick from the wooky. The club is almost close enough to grab...
[You can grab the club and either attack or make a saving throw in the next round, but not both. Note that a club does only 1d4 damage.
[The twisted ankle is from the Critical Fumble on your attack roll. Take 1 hp damage, reduce your move by 1]
Rondo
Buck is wide eyed taking in his comrades situation...if Zarko takes a solid punch Buck is ready to go in....(I can run Creature today too, if need be....I'm qualified: I have a Frankenstein image tattooed on my forearm!)
Rondo
Buck makes an attempt to distract the wooky, "Hey you fat sack of crap!"...it dawns on him: "I can't speak wooky!...geeesh," so then he attempts to make the weirdest, loudest, bellowing growl he can, "GRrroooowrreeeeeeeeeee!!!!" just to see if the furball will turn his head and think, "wha!?"
(should I roll to see if by some weird chance maybe Buck uttered some butchered Engrish (Wookrish)? )
Max
[Heh, Wookrish. Let's call that a Happenstance roll.]
Rondo
WEEEEE! (I SWEAR...i can't believe it...I have a lousy "18"...i rolled a "15"!..)
Max
Sure enough, Buck's growl* catches the wooky off Guard. He does a double take, furrowing his brow in confusion, and growls back angrily, "NNNgrrN?!"
*"Sister bubblegum mating dance two-for-one"
[Coffee: 10% bonus to your actions this round. If you choose to grab the club you'll still need to choose between attack and defense (i.e. saving throw)]
Coffee
Sneak attack on him when he's distracted!
Need (62 + 10) = 72, rolled 15!
Damage is 3!
I'm on a roll -- now, my question is this: Since I succeeded on a sneak attack, can I try a Murder roll to kill him? (I know it's not a fight to the death, but c'mon -- I'm a criminal! I'm just over-enthusiastic, that's all!)
If so, I roll my 15% (or would that get the +10% also?) and I get .. 32. Yeah, never mind.
Max
[Sneak Attack & Murder Notes:
[A foe you've already engaged in melee gets to roll Guard vs a Sneak Attack -- in this case Rondo took care of that with his distraction.
[Don't forget about a Criminal's bonus damage for Sneak Attacks (+5 at 1st level). So the total damage for your current attack is 8!
[We'll handle Murder just as you suggest: an optional separate roll any time you succeed at a Sneak Attack. Truly lethal attacks require a weapon, but in the context of the Brawl a Murder success equals a knockout. A moot point, as you'll see...]
Max
When the wooky turns away Zarko judo chops him in the throat. The furball sinks to his knees, gasping, and it's lights out for another wook.
Rondo
How's my hit points, JM? Am I still sitting at 4? I'm assuming so, since Buck's fight went down a mere few minutes ago eh?
Max
[Seconds ago, actually. It's just time dilation makes it seem longer.
[PbP, the natural high. Did you ever look at yr dice man? I mean really looook at them?]
Rondo
Yea, what i figured...I'm pretty sore still...
"Nice job workin' over the offending Wook, there Zarko...!...CHOP TO THE THROAT!
Coffee
"Well, he shouldn't have said that. Gestured that. Oh, you know what I mean!"
Zarko stands up, collecting Buck's club and handing it to him.
"Thanks for the distraction. Here's your stick."
Rondo
"Thanks bud...nice moves!" Buck flips the stick over in his hand. Now how's things looking around us?
"Whew! What a big galoot...guys, I ain't feelin' so hot..." Buck staggers over to Zarko and goes down on one knee..."Wow, that guy had a southpaw"....he leans next to Creature and sets down gazing around for some water.
wulfgar
(I'm back...sort of...pretty busy..but I'll try catching up and chiming in sometime today)
Max
[Condensed: While Buck and Zarko chatted with the mystic vobling Starshine, some wookies busted into your area and have been taunting your crew. Buck took up a challenge and knocked one out. The half-zombie leader wants to fight Creature.]
Coffee
Yeah, and the other one wants to fight me! I don't want to fight something that big. I'm just a scrawny little guy.
But hey, I will go ahead and taunt him. I'm totally cool with that; it's what us little guys do. (I can run faster scared than he can mad...)
"Oooga Booga!" Zarko bellows at the Wookie. He walks up next to the circle and starts to go around it, but doesn't step inside. All the while, he makes any rude gestures he can think of (flipping him off, etc.), trying to get the wook's goat and make him lose his cool.
What I learned from Starshine is this: There is fighting, and then there is fighting. You have to play to your strengths.
(I was hoping there was some kind of skill or power I could use in this, but don't see anything that seems applicable. Oh, well. If the ref wants me to roll something, he has but to say so.)
Max
[Roleplaying this out is fine. If you're hoping for some mechanical effect (a la kender taunting foes into attacking at a penalty) I'd say you could try rolling Psychic Implant -- but you might want to sling some nastier insults than "Ooga Booga."]
Coffee
Sorry, too subtle? I was implying that he didn't speak, just made noises. I.e., he's not a "real person" and therefore not worth fighting.
Yeah, that probably was too subtle, for a wookie.
Zarko runs his fingers through his lush pompadour. "Get a comb, ya shaggy loser."
"No wonder ya got hairballs."
Max
[Sir, wookies everywhere take grave offense at your assumptions. Why this very wooky is a renowned slam poet, and won an honorable mention from the New Anthology of Kashyyk Poetry for his chapbook RRRRRRRRRrrggghhhrrra'k. ]
wulfgar
Sure- Creature will throw down with the wooky zombie
Max
[Rock on, blood. Roll dem bones, show 'em what you got.]
Max
Coffee
Zarko runs his fingers through his lush pompadour. "Get a comb, ya shaggy loser."
"No wonder ya got hairballs."
Zarko is joined by the young wrestler 'Sugar' Ray Rocketblaster, who has a few choice words of his own for the wooky. "Come on outta ya circle tall dark an' hairy! I'll make a wig outta ya! Ya sideways poodle..."
The wook bares his teeth and growls derisively. He mimics each of your gestures in as mincing a way as is possible for a 6'6" wooky. Suddenly his eyes go blank. As if possessed by a Warlock Mime he silently acts out a breathtakingly filthy scene involving Zarko, Rocketblaster, their parents and a pack of stray dogs. The crowd of fighters watching gasps.
Rocketblaster clenches his fists, his neck muscles, his teeth, heck even his eyes clench. Just barely, he manages to control himself. Zarko feels his hackles rise, and struggles against a rush of pure gorilla rage.
[You got served, dogg. Wooky got reeeal lucky with his Psychic Implant roll.]
[You need to roll Psi-Resist. If you fail you'll take a 10% penalty to *all* percentile rolls for the duration of the Brawl, unless you take a swing at the wooky who just humiliated you in front of your crew.]
Coffee
Okay, that's no problem. My Psi-Resist is a healthy 58 and I rolled...99.
Okay, so I'm on him like -- well, like stink on a wooky.
Initiative: 5
Melee Attack: Need 55, rolled 19 -- hit!
Damage: 1
Saving Throw: Need 37, rolled -- Another bloody 99! My dice hate me today!
But hey, why should today be any different.
Ball's in your court, hairbag.
Rondo
Buck is feeling a little bit better (I only have 4 HPS left, so I'm not how sure how 'in the fight' Buck still is). He motions to the zombie critter, "Take it easy on the poor slob Creech...just tear off ONE of his arms."....Buck is keeping a close eye on Zarko too, in case anyone else tries to jump in there and outnumber him and our NPC. If that happens Buck is in there like lightning. Well, as close to lightning as a beat-up space pilot can muster!
Max
[I may not have time to post any full updates till this evening -- it's likely to be a busy day for this particular widget salesman. Few things:
* Wulf: need Creature's initiative, melee & save when possible.
* Coffee: in the cold light of morning I feel the choice I gave you last night was too harsh -- if you want to forgo clobbering the wooky your skill penalty will only be 5%. Feel free to edit your post above if you wish.
* Rondo: carry on.]
Coffee
Nah, my post stands. I needed motivation, and pride is always a big motivator.
My post stands, although I'm hoping I can get some help going on, because I'm better at sneak attack then I am at melee attack. If someone could distract the oversized drain-clog, I'd be happier.
Assuming, that is, that I survive what's about to happen!
I ain't taking no penalty, because I AM clobbering the mook! (well, as best I can...)
Rondo
(Buck can do some distractin'!....give me a wink, goriller-man when your ready, and I'll do some serious distracting!)
Max
[Buck is well enough to act -- and a distraction is a possibility. Just roll initiative per normal and tell me what you're planning.]
Rondo
Rolled: 5 +2=7 total
"Hey! You!!" Buck yells towards the opposing Wook, "Could you do us a favor?" He pinches off his nose and points, "MOVE DOWN WIND! YOU SMELL LIKE A DINO ISLAND PORTA-POTTY!!" With this Buck literally throws his stick towards the Wooky's head as hard as he can chunk it..
Att: 5! (Sweeeet)
Dam: 1 rolled, +2=3
Save: 90% (back to the shitty save rolls! Oh well, maybe I don't need it...I'm just trying to get this chump's attention anyway)
Max
Coffee
My dice hate me today!
[That's ok, mine seem to like you...]
Zarko charges! The arena walls have twisted into a tunnel of rage with Zarko on one end and the wooky crouching at the other in a blood-red spotlight. He hardly hears Buck hollering over the sound of his judding heartbeat.
The wooky is ready for Zarko's charge and leaps high, smashing downward with doubled fists...and misses the ape completely. At that instant Buck hurls his club. His aim is deadly, but luck is with the wooky. The club rockets straight at his temple, but the wooky stumbles when he attack misses Zarko, and the club merely grazes his shaggy dome.
Even in a primal rage, Zarko still has his cunning. In the split second that his foe is distracted the ape jabs a finger in his eye. It doesn't do much damage, but it must hurt like hell, 'cause the wooky yowls and clutches its eye.
[Wacky round! Buck's Critical Hit got canceled by a Critical Save, but then the wooky Fumbled his Save against Zarko's attack.
[Zarko's head is clear again, so he can fight on or not as he sees fit. If you keep fighting don't worry about re-rolling initiative.]
Coffee
Okay, press the attack -- maybe I'm on a roll!
Attack: Need 55, got 60, (so no damage)
Saving Throw: Need 37, got 16, so less than half!
Max
Zarko throws a quick jab but the wooky steps out of reach. Still holding his eye he throws a wild right cross, but Zarko ducks and it whooshes over his head.
[If Wulf doesn't chime in in the morning can someone run Creature tomorrow? He said he wants to tangle with the wook-zombie, but I need melee, damage and save rolls from him.]
Coffee
Zarko still has his rage, but is in the fight now, so he's going to try to maneuver into a better position. (Not easy in a circle, I know...)
Where is the mop handle (or whatever) that Buck threw? It could be around here somewhere. If I can see it, and grab it and use it as a weapon, groovy. If not, fine.
Attack roll (55): 96
Damage (d3+0): --
Saving Throw (37): 10
Max
Zarko keeps moving, jabbing and stepping to the side. He takes a chance with a looping overhand, aiming for the wooky's injured eye, but as he throws the punch he slips on Buck's club. He twists an ankle and stumbles to one knee but is nimble enough to roll out of the way of a head kick from the wooky. The club is almost close enough to grab...
[You can grab the club and either attack or make a saving throw in the next round, but not both. Note that a club does only 1d4 damage.
[The twisted ankle is from the Critical Fumble on your attack roll. Take 1 hp damage, reduce your move by 1]
Rondo
Buck is wide eyed taking in his comrades situation...if Zarko takes a solid punch Buck is ready to go in....(I can run Creature today too, if need be....I'm qualified: I have a Frankenstein image tattooed on my forearm!)
Rondo
Buck makes an attempt to distract the wooky, "Hey you fat sack of crap!"...it dawns on him: "I can't speak wooky!...geeesh," so then he attempts to make the weirdest, loudest, bellowing growl he can, "GRrroooowrreeeeeeeeeee!!!!" just to see if the furball will turn his head and think, "wha!?"
(should I roll to see if by some weird chance maybe Buck uttered some butchered Engrish (Wookrish)? )
Max
[Heh, Wookrish. Let's call that a Happenstance roll.]
Rondo
WEEEEE! (I SWEAR...i can't believe it...I have a lousy "18"...i rolled a "15"!..)
Max
Sure enough, Buck's growl* catches the wooky off Guard. He does a double take, furrowing his brow in confusion, and growls back angrily, "NNNgrrN?!"
*"Sister bubblegum mating dance two-for-one"
[Coffee: 10% bonus to your actions this round. If you choose to grab the club you'll still need to choose between attack and defense (i.e. saving throw)]
Coffee
Sneak attack on him when he's distracted!
Need (62 + 10) = 72, rolled 15!
Damage is 3!
I'm on a roll -- now, my question is this: Since I succeeded on a sneak attack, can I try a Murder roll to kill him? (I know it's not a fight to the death, but c'mon -- I'm a criminal! I'm just over-enthusiastic, that's all!)
If so, I roll my 15% (or would that get the +10% also?) and I get .. 32. Yeah, never mind.
Max
[Sneak Attack & Murder Notes:
[A foe you've already engaged in melee gets to roll Guard vs a Sneak Attack -- in this case Rondo took care of that with his distraction.
[Don't forget about a Criminal's bonus damage for Sneak Attacks (+5 at 1st level). So the total damage for your current attack is 8!
[We'll handle Murder just as you suggest: an optional separate roll any time you succeed at a Sneak Attack. Truly lethal attacks require a weapon, but in the context of the Brawl a Murder success equals a knockout. A moot point, as you'll see...]
Max
When the wooky turns away Zarko judo chops him in the throat. The furball sinks to his knees, gasping, and it's lights out for another wook.
Rondo
How's my hit points, JM? Am I still sitting at 4? I'm assuming so, since Buck's fight went down a mere few minutes ago eh?
Max
[Seconds ago, actually. It's just time dilation makes it seem longer.
[PbP, the natural high. Did you ever look at yr dice man? I mean really looook at them?]
Rondo
Yea, what i figured...I'm pretty sore still...
"Nice job workin' over the offending Wook, there Zarko...!...CHOP TO THE THROAT!
Coffee
"Well, he shouldn't have said that. Gestured that. Oh, you know what I mean!"
Zarko stands up, collecting Buck's club and handing it to him.
"Thanks for the distraction. Here's your stick."
Rondo
"Thanks bud...nice moves!" Buck flips the stick over in his hand. Now how's things looking around us?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The Brawl: Wooky Trouble
Max
Taking leave of Starshine the vobling, Buck & Zarko can't help but to notice a few sidelong glances and shaking heads among the crew. But there's no time to ponder. Leeplo croaks out an alarm! At the same time there's a cackle from Shifty and a yelp of wookish rage. After a brief scuffle in the dark Shifty's laughter stops.
Four shaggy wookies stride fiercely through your ranks, parting your fighters with a Commanding roar. Sugar Ray blanches and ducks behind Creature, and only Mad Muruzabal and One Eye Malone stand their ground unflinchingly.
One of the wookies drags Shifty's limp body with one hand and clutches a wound in his belly with the other. The wooky's fur is dark with blood. He drops the elf roughly to the ground and tosses a bloody shiv onto his body, growling with rage.
Another of the wookies steps forward. His hair is dull grey, patchy save for a wild and tangled mane atop his head, and his flesh is withered. He points a decayed finger at Creature, then at himself, then throws his arms out. Mouth gaping, he rears back and squeaks, "GGGnnnnrrrgaaaagh!"
"GGGnnnnrrrgaaaagh!" one of the other wooks repeats.
[One of you guys got a convincing reason why you understand wooky let me hear it.]
Rondo
"Uh oh..." says Buck in a low disparaging voice. "Trouble, boys...now what...?" Buck turns to Zarko, "Get Creature and let's start moving the hell away from this place!"
Rondo
(Looks like we've hung around too long!)
(Ha, ha! This thing has gotten nuts!! Har!! Fun though...Buck bears the burden of some of the chaos...but it takes all of us to 'tango,' as it were, and besides: gotta see how bad we can jack-up the JM's planning! Isn't that always the classic RPG situation? ha!)
Max
[Keep in mind the party is split up in time as well as space. Hobson & Quaz's antics are happening within minutes of the crane fiasco! The rest of you are hours ahead.
[Much fun as it'd be to fly Fable in from Australia and converge in some central location (or better yet fly ourselves down there!) here's one instance that I'm glad we're playing PbP and not tabletop.]
Rondo
(Ow, wow, i hadn't thought of that, in all this chaos!...yikes...that changes things to some degree)
Max
[You just worry about kicking asses in the Brawl. Or running away from ass-kickers, as the case may be. I'll figure out the rest.]
Coffee
"Well, Creature," Zarko says. "Do you wanna stand and fight, or should we clear out and live to fight later?
"Whichever you decide, we're with you."
Zarko eyes the bloody shiv and remembers that he 'forgot' to leave his pistol in the locker room. But then, guns make noise...
Max
In the manner of their race the wookies are clad only in their own pelts, and unless their weapons are concealed in compromising places they appear unarmed. Glancing at the shiv Zarko notes that it's crafted in the shape of an elfin ear -- in a shade of blue perfectly matching Shifty Mcjumper's blue skin. Glancing between the blade and the indignant and bleeding wooky he realizes just who shanked who.
[WRT your forgotten gun: you also forgot to tell your JM that you forgot to stow your weapon. It might be wise to remember that you left it in your locker after all. Just sayin.']
Coffee
Okay, ya got me.
I thought about it earlier, but didn't say one way or the other. Mostly, I've been assuming that I did leave it behind in the locker. So I'll go with that assumption and not try anything funny.
(And it's not because Zarko's afraid of breaking Bigby Smalls's rules; it's that Zarko is afraid of Darryl's Mom breaking Zarko. You don't cross the boss!)
I'd still like to hear a response from Creature before I decide what to do. Although this puts a decidedly different spin on it.
Max
[Wulfgar mentioned upthread he's mid-move, so how 'bout we give him this evening to respond? If he doesn't get a chance to chime in we'll move things along tomorrow.]
Coffee
Fine by me.
Max
The zombie wookie is lean but hard-muscled despite his withered flesh. He has a wild red mane like the corona of a dying star. His eyes are black marbles, his cheekbones hollow, his nose cracked and dry. He fixes Creature with a wild-eyed stare, then rears back his head and roars threateningly. "RRRrrnnnggrrr!"
Well, his roar would be threatening anyway, if not for the tiny balloon squeak of his voice. His number two wooky steps up and repeats, "RRRrrnnnggrrr!" The half-zombie nods, and begins to walk a wide circle, dragging one foot behind him to mark it off in the dust. He stares at creature the whole time, grinning.
Two other wookies begin making similar circles, snarling and hooting contemptuously at you and your fighters.
Rondo
"You flea bags need to find something else to do...hate to see you buncha walking carpets trying to walk with an arm shoved up your ass..." Buck has had enough. He not so sure how he'll do against these giant bigfoots, but his patience is to the point where he doesn't really care.
Max
"Kashykk?" snorts one of the wookies. He takes a long sneering look at you. Chuffing with mirth, he finishes drawing his circle and steps to the center. He motions you over then, turns away dismissively.
Rondo
"Fine, goddamn it.." Buck grits his teeth and grips the pipe he was carrying from earlier. "I'm gonna go see exactly what the stinking problem is here..." Buck takes off walking towards the motioning Wook.....I'm watching for ANY sign that will indicate I can strike or if he intends to....I can't speak Wookie so how do I know he wants to fight? I'm not taking ANY chances.
Max
Buck wonders briefly if the wookies might be enacting some sort of wookish diplomatic ritual, but their body language says fight, no question about it. They ain't drawin' circles in the dirt for a game of duck duck goose.
The other wooky struts about his circle, arms out and palms up, daring anyone to step in. The half-zombie stares at Creature, still angrily squeaking in wookish. It seems safe to assume Creature's parentage, grooming habits and manhood are called into question.
[Rondo: Pipe? What pipe? Citation?]
Rondo
(Remember? I've been carrying around that piece that I found earlier? I used it in the last fight didn't I? Honestly: I might be imagining it, but I could of swore I had a piece of club or a pipe or somethin!!! Ha)
I'm clubbing the flea bag in the forkin' head right NOW....(and if i don't have that I'm gonna have to just slug him)
Attack: 17 (made it in the clear)
Damage: 6 total (rolled a good ol' four, and +2)
Save: 60 (missed)
Max
[Oh yeaaahh, now I remember. Your mop handle club! Ok-doke.]
[I'll need an initiative roll, too. d10 + your missile damage bonus]
Rondo
With the bonus, I got a 4, and I'm so glad you remembered my mop handle! I'm probably gonna end up wagging that thing like a tail, anyway. :O
Coffee
Zarko watches the wooks carefully. Are there just two of them making their half-assed crop circles?
He's also gonna keep an eye on our guys. If the shiv-meister looks like he's gonna get us all in trouble, then he's somebody who needs to be ended right quick. (Or if I missed it and the wooks already ended him then that's fine by me.)
Max
The lowdown as Zarko sees it: Two wookies and a wook-zombie stand in their circles, taunting your crew. Three at full fighting strength, check. The fourth wookie squats besides Shifty and begins tearing the elf's jerkin, making rags to staunch his stab wound. Done for? Not sure. Shifty is smurfed though: out like a little blue lightbulb.
All of your fighters have crowded round to watch, including your sentries. Malone, Bob and Philimon watch the wookies impassively but the rest of your fighters seem a little spooked. Even the boastful Rocketblaster is silent, watching Creature expectantly.
Cursing under his breath, Buck squares his shoulders and steps into the circle with one of the wookies...
Coffee
"Hey, youse guys!" Zarko barks at the wayward sentries. "Back on watch! And thanks for letting us know a bunch of wookies were sneaking up on us!"
He stalks off, fuming, to see what happens to Buck.
Max
[In defense of your sentries, one of them did his best. The other decided to get all stabby:]
Max
Leeplo croaks out an alarm! At the same time there's a cackle from Shifty and a yelp of wookish rage. After a brief scuffle in the dark Shifty's laughter stops.
[When you have an evil magical birthmark stuff like that happens.]
Leeplo and one of the klengons trot off to guard your flanks.
Zarko watches Buck and the wooky circle each other, taking each others measure in the ring. He's so focused he doesn't have a chance to duck when something dark and squishy bounces off his cheek. Zarko looks down to find a large hairball at his feet, fresh and spitty. The wooky two rings over slaps his knee and wheezes. If wookies had eyebrows, his'd be raised as if to say, "Gonna do something about it?"
[Arrangement of fighting rings: L: hairball tosser, C: zombie-wook, R: Buck & wooky toe-to-toe]
Max
After a moment of pacing around the ring warily, Buck and his foe lunge at each other! The spaceman swings high with his club but the wook is faster, catching him with a sharp jab. Buck rolls with the punch and swings again, cracking the wooky across the cheek. The two reel back from each other, both rocked.
[Buck takes 8 HP damage. If you're going to keep fighting re-roll initiative along with ATT, DAM and save]
Rondo
Buck shakes his head and spits out some blood. "Wow..ugh..." His vision is a bit blurred and his breathing is bugging him. "Damn...what was the number of that truck?!" he shouts to his comrades. He takes off charging forward attempting to butt his head as solid into the wookie's gut as is possible to wind him.
Initiative: 10 (that's with bonus...d10 right?)
Attack: 62% (made it)
Damage: 6 total
Save: 11% (FINALLY SCORED ONE! ha)
Max
Buck is first to clear his head, and he lunges at the wooky like a blitzing linebacker. The wook takes a wild swing but it passes over Buck's head. The spaceman's helmet and shoulder plow into his opponent's shaggy belly and the speared wooky goes down gasping.
[Feel free to elaborate on your knock out if you want, Rondo! The wooky's not dead or anything, but he's out of the Brawl for sure]
[Hopefully Wulfgar's about done with his move. I'll probably post again tomorrow noonish. Want to give Coffee a chance to respond to the wet hairball barrage.]
Taking leave of Starshine the vobling, Buck & Zarko can't help but to notice a few sidelong glances and shaking heads among the crew. But there's no time to ponder. Leeplo croaks out an alarm! At the same time there's a cackle from Shifty and a yelp of wookish rage. After a brief scuffle in the dark Shifty's laughter stops.
Four shaggy wookies stride fiercely through your ranks, parting your fighters with a Commanding roar. Sugar Ray blanches and ducks behind Creature, and only Mad Muruzabal and One Eye Malone stand their ground unflinchingly.
One of the wookies drags Shifty's limp body with one hand and clutches a wound in his belly with the other. The wooky's fur is dark with blood. He drops the elf roughly to the ground and tosses a bloody shiv onto his body, growling with rage.
Another of the wookies steps forward. His hair is dull grey, patchy save for a wild and tangled mane atop his head, and his flesh is withered. He points a decayed finger at Creature, then at himself, then throws his arms out. Mouth gaping, he rears back and squeaks, "GGGnnnnrrrgaaaagh!"
"GGGnnnnrrrgaaaagh!" one of the other wooks repeats.
[One of you guys got a convincing reason why you understand wooky let me hear it.]
Rondo
"Uh oh..." says Buck in a low disparaging voice. "Trouble, boys...now what...?" Buck turns to Zarko, "Get Creature and let's start moving the hell away from this place!"
Rondo
(Looks like we've hung around too long!)
(Ha, ha! This thing has gotten nuts!! Har!! Fun though...Buck bears the burden of some of the chaos...but it takes all of us to 'tango,' as it were, and besides: gotta see how bad we can jack-up the JM's planning! Isn't that always the classic RPG situation? ha!)
Max
[Keep in mind the party is split up in time as well as space. Hobson & Quaz's antics are happening within minutes of the crane fiasco! The rest of you are hours ahead.
[Much fun as it'd be to fly Fable in from Australia and converge in some central location (or better yet fly ourselves down there!) here's one instance that I'm glad we're playing PbP and not tabletop.]
Rondo
(Ow, wow, i hadn't thought of that, in all this chaos!...yikes...that changes things to some degree)
Max
[You just worry about kicking asses in the Brawl. Or running away from ass-kickers, as the case may be. I'll figure out the rest.]
Coffee
"Well, Creature," Zarko says. "Do you wanna stand and fight, or should we clear out and live to fight later?
"Whichever you decide, we're with you."
Zarko eyes the bloody shiv and remembers that he 'forgot' to leave his pistol in the locker room. But then, guns make noise...
Max
In the manner of their race the wookies are clad only in their own pelts, and unless their weapons are concealed in compromising places they appear unarmed. Glancing at the shiv Zarko notes that it's crafted in the shape of an elfin ear -- in a shade of blue perfectly matching Shifty Mcjumper's blue skin. Glancing between the blade and the indignant and bleeding wooky he realizes just who shanked who.
[WRT your forgotten gun: you also forgot to tell your JM that you forgot to stow your weapon. It might be wise to remember that you left it in your locker after all. Just sayin.']
Coffee
Okay, ya got me.
I thought about it earlier, but didn't say one way or the other. Mostly, I've been assuming that I did leave it behind in the locker. So I'll go with that assumption and not try anything funny.
(And it's not because Zarko's afraid of breaking Bigby Smalls's rules; it's that Zarko is afraid of Darryl's Mom breaking Zarko. You don't cross the boss!)
I'd still like to hear a response from Creature before I decide what to do. Although this puts a decidedly different spin on it.
Max
[Wulfgar mentioned upthread he's mid-move, so how 'bout we give him this evening to respond? If he doesn't get a chance to chime in we'll move things along tomorrow.]
Coffee
Fine by me.
Max
The zombie wookie is lean but hard-muscled despite his withered flesh. He has a wild red mane like the corona of a dying star. His eyes are black marbles, his cheekbones hollow, his nose cracked and dry. He fixes Creature with a wild-eyed stare, then rears back his head and roars threateningly. "RRRrrnnnggrrr!"
Well, his roar would be threatening anyway, if not for the tiny balloon squeak of his voice. His number two wooky steps up and repeats, "RRRrrnnnggrrr!" The half-zombie nods, and begins to walk a wide circle, dragging one foot behind him to mark it off in the dust. He stares at creature the whole time, grinning.
Two other wookies begin making similar circles, snarling and hooting contemptuously at you and your fighters.
Rondo
"You flea bags need to find something else to do...hate to see you buncha walking carpets trying to walk with an arm shoved up your ass..." Buck has had enough. He not so sure how he'll do against these giant bigfoots, but his patience is to the point where he doesn't really care.
Max
"Kashykk?" snorts one of the wookies. He takes a long sneering look at you. Chuffing with mirth, he finishes drawing his circle and steps to the center. He motions you over then, turns away dismissively.
Rondo
"Fine, goddamn it.." Buck grits his teeth and grips the pipe he was carrying from earlier. "I'm gonna go see exactly what the stinking problem is here..." Buck takes off walking towards the motioning Wook.....I'm watching for ANY sign that will indicate I can strike or if he intends to....I can't speak Wookie so how do I know he wants to fight? I'm not taking ANY chances.
Max
Buck wonders briefly if the wookies might be enacting some sort of wookish diplomatic ritual, but their body language says fight, no question about it. They ain't drawin' circles in the dirt for a game of duck duck goose.
The other wooky struts about his circle, arms out and palms up, daring anyone to step in. The half-zombie stares at Creature, still angrily squeaking in wookish. It seems safe to assume Creature's parentage, grooming habits and manhood are called into question.
[Rondo: Pipe? What pipe? Citation?]
Rondo
(Remember? I've been carrying around that piece that I found earlier? I used it in the last fight didn't I? Honestly: I might be imagining it, but I could of swore I had a piece of club or a pipe or somethin!!! Ha)
I'm clubbing the flea bag in the forkin' head right NOW....(and if i don't have that I'm gonna have to just slug him)
Attack: 17 (made it in the clear)
Damage: 6 total (rolled a good ol' four, and +2)
Save: 60 (missed)
Max
[Oh yeaaahh, now I remember. Your mop handle club! Ok-doke.]
[I'll need an initiative roll, too. d10 + your missile damage bonus]
Rondo
With the bonus, I got a 4, and I'm so glad you remembered my mop handle! I'm probably gonna end up wagging that thing like a tail, anyway. :O
Coffee
Zarko watches the wooks carefully. Are there just two of them making their half-assed crop circles?
He's also gonna keep an eye on our guys. If the shiv-meister looks like he's gonna get us all in trouble, then he's somebody who needs to be ended right quick. (Or if I missed it and the wooks already ended him then that's fine by me.)
Max
The lowdown as Zarko sees it: Two wookies and a wook-zombie stand in their circles, taunting your crew. Three at full fighting strength, check. The fourth wookie squats besides Shifty and begins tearing the elf's jerkin, making rags to staunch his stab wound. Done for? Not sure. Shifty is smurfed though: out like a little blue lightbulb.
All of your fighters have crowded round to watch, including your sentries. Malone, Bob and Philimon watch the wookies impassively but the rest of your fighters seem a little spooked. Even the boastful Rocketblaster is silent, watching Creature expectantly.
Cursing under his breath, Buck squares his shoulders and steps into the circle with one of the wookies...
Coffee
"Hey, youse guys!" Zarko barks at the wayward sentries. "Back on watch! And thanks for letting us know a bunch of wookies were sneaking up on us!"
He stalks off, fuming, to see what happens to Buck.
Max
[In defense of your sentries, one of them did his best. The other decided to get all stabby:]
Max
Leeplo croaks out an alarm! At the same time there's a cackle from Shifty and a yelp of wookish rage. After a brief scuffle in the dark Shifty's laughter stops.
[When you have an evil magical birthmark stuff like that happens.]
Leeplo and one of the klengons trot off to guard your flanks.
Zarko watches Buck and the wooky circle each other, taking each others measure in the ring. He's so focused he doesn't have a chance to duck when something dark and squishy bounces off his cheek. Zarko looks down to find a large hairball at his feet, fresh and spitty. The wooky two rings over slaps his knee and wheezes. If wookies had eyebrows, his'd be raised as if to say, "Gonna do something about it?"
[Arrangement of fighting rings: L: hairball tosser, C: zombie-wook, R: Buck & wooky toe-to-toe]
Max
After a moment of pacing around the ring warily, Buck and his foe lunge at each other! The spaceman swings high with his club but the wook is faster, catching him with a sharp jab. Buck rolls with the punch and swings again, cracking the wooky across the cheek. The two reel back from each other, both rocked.
[Buck takes 8 HP damage. If you're going to keep fighting re-roll initiative along with ATT, DAM and save]
Rondo
Buck shakes his head and spits out some blood. "Wow..ugh..." His vision is a bit blurred and his breathing is bugging him. "Damn...what was the number of that truck?!" he shouts to his comrades. He takes off charging forward attempting to butt his head as solid into the wookie's gut as is possible to wind him.
Initiative: 10 (that's with bonus...d10 right?)
Attack: 62% (made it)
Damage: 6 total
Save: 11% (FINALLY SCORED ONE! ha)
Max
Buck is first to clear his head, and he lunges at the wooky like a blitzing linebacker. The wook takes a wild swing but it passes over Buck's head. The spaceman's helmet and shoulder plow into his opponent's shaggy belly and the speared wooky goes down gasping.
[Feel free to elaborate on your knock out if you want, Rondo! The wooky's not dead or anything, but he's out of the Brawl for sure]
[Hopefully Wulfgar's about done with his move. I'll probably post again tomorrow noonish. Want to give Coffee a chance to respond to the wet hairball barrage.]
Monday, October 27, 2008
Hobson & Quazarn: Exit, Pursued by a Bard
Max
[Which way now? To your right are the turnstiles and the tunnel leading to the front, to your left is the gate and ramp to the arena, with lounges branching off to either side before the ramp]
Having hobbled Chief Tallbard, Quazarn and Hobson are ready to get...
Dr Rotwang!
[OUT. Right. Tunnel. Out. Away. Gone. Tunnel. OUT.]
Age of Fable
Me too.
Max
[JM cues Benny Hill theme, plans for chase scene involving bikini-clad doxies and orcs in bobbies' helmets...]
Age of Fable
"Gosh", thinks Hobson,"As per the movement rules on p22, no one can catch me."
Max
Like a bowling ball chasing a runaway pin hobling scampers after conehead down the tunnel. The Chief calls after for a moment then retreats into the locker room.
At the end of the tunnel you find yourselves back on the front lawn. Food and drink stalls and gambling counters crowd right up against the walls of the Vulkin manse, and tents crowded with spectators overrun the front gardens. Beyond the tents the lawn is a parking lot.
Pausing near the tunnel you both feel a bit conspicuous -- you are, after all, a crossbow-wielding hobling in a police uniform and The Warlock Who Almost Tore Bigby's Playhouse Down.
Age of Fable
"Gosh", thinks Hobson, "As per the movement rules on p22, no one can catch me."
Even as he smiles at this thought Hobson hears a voice in his head reply, "Ah, but life is not merely something you read in a book, little hobling. The stronger a fellow is the longer he can run...and on a scale of one to twenty you rate only about a six."
Age of Fable
"And yet, fie on this pessimism" I think.
"With a nature as robotic as mine (and corresponding ability to give myself unpleasant orders) surely I can keep going through the pain like it ain't no thang."
Max
"Hrmmph," grumbles the voice in Hobson's head, "I suppose there's no arguing with that, if you want to run yourself to exhaustion."
[That's good thinking, Fable! If it's necessary to figure out a house rule for forced marches/extended running I'll definitely work that in!]
Age of Fable
[Thanks...I'd treat Robot Nature as including willpower/self-discipline.]
Max
As you linger near the tunnel there's no doubt you're beginning to draw a few stares from the crowd. No sign of any Brawl security. At the moment, anyway.
Age of Fable
Who's lingering? I'm heading away from all this, and encouraging Quazarn to do likewise.
Max
Just a pause to await your choices.
So, away away? As in hoofing it through the parking lot and trucking on down the road?
Dr Rotwang!
Max
[Y]ou are, after all, a crossbow-wielding hobling in a police uniform and The Warlock Who Almost Tore Bigby's Playhouse Down.
[Dude, we're gettin' a rep!]
"Well, my hobling cohort," says Quazarn to Hobson, "we'd best make ourselves hard-to-find -- say, get lost among the crowd? And what of the others? How will we find them?" He twists his lips in searing, incandescent thought. "Splitting up," he reflects, "may well have been a bad idea." Then, "To the stalls! Let us lose ourselves among the throng, visually if not in terms of merit."
Age of Fable
I change my clothes to something which will fit in with the crowd.
"An excellent plan. And yet, it's possible that they may search the crowd - believing as they do that you're a major criminal, and responsible for the head of security (and former senior police officer) getting a crossbow bolt in the leg."
"Also, you have a great big pointy head, presenting some difficulties vis a vis passing unnoticed."
Max
Quazarn is momentarily confused when he notices the hobling in a Hawaiian shirt and deck shoes talking to him, but his keen intellect swiftly pierces Hobson's disguise. The pair do their best to disappear into the crowd.
The food stalls are the usual mix of fast cheap and out of control: rat-on-a-stick, roof lizard eggs fried in savory dough, burgers and brats, toasted chickenoid blood (a favorite despite the raging ontological debate over the question of the chickenoids' sentience). There are also souvenir vendors, betting counters, and tents set up for spectators to watch the fight via holoscreen, scrying pool and quadrophenic sens-surround. Touts race back and forth between the viewing parlors and a beer garden in the shade of a huge baobabbler tree.
Hobson seems to pass unnoticed as long as he keeps out from underfoot, but Quazarn's still drawing a few sidelong looks.
Rondo
(major points for the JG "Rat-On-A-Stick" reference!)
Dr Rotwang!
Quazarn looks around the stalls. "Surely," he mutters, "a crowd such as this is a good market for Ontobian sombreroids. Surely..."
Max
A sharp-eared ratling twitches her head in your direction. She is clean for her species, though her pelt is shaved in strange teknomagical patterns. She points a clawed finger at the beer garden and ducks out of view.
Age of Fable
"Well, she was clean for her species. That...that wasn't true of my last girlfriend."
Age of Fable
Noticing that Quazarn seems to have had another attack of Psychometric Morbidity, Hobson will try to follow the ratling, observing her while being unobserved if possible.
[rolled a 55]
Dr Rotwang!
Surreptitiously, Quazarn follows the ratling.
[Which way now? To your right are the turnstiles and the tunnel leading to the front, to your left is the gate and ramp to the arena, with lounges branching off to either side before the ramp]
Having hobbled Chief Tallbard, Quazarn and Hobson are ready to get...
Dr Rotwang!
[OUT. Right. Tunnel. Out. Away. Gone. Tunnel. OUT.]
Age of Fable
Me too.
Max
[JM cues Benny Hill theme, plans for chase scene involving bikini-clad doxies and orcs in bobbies' helmets...]
Age of Fable
"Gosh", thinks Hobson,"As per the movement rules on p22, no one can catch me."
Max
Like a bowling ball chasing a runaway pin hobling scampers after conehead down the tunnel. The Chief calls after for a moment then retreats into the locker room.
At the end of the tunnel you find yourselves back on the front lawn. Food and drink stalls and gambling counters crowd right up against the walls of the Vulkin manse, and tents crowded with spectators overrun the front gardens. Beyond the tents the lawn is a parking lot.
Pausing near the tunnel you both feel a bit conspicuous -- you are, after all, a crossbow-wielding hobling in a police uniform and The Warlock Who Almost Tore Bigby's Playhouse Down.
Age of Fable
"Gosh", thinks Hobson, "As per the movement rules on p22, no one can catch me."
Even as he smiles at this thought Hobson hears a voice in his head reply, "Ah, but life is not merely something you read in a book, little hobling. The stronger a fellow is the longer he can run...and on a scale of one to twenty you rate only about a six."
Age of Fable
"And yet, fie on this pessimism" I think.
"With a nature as robotic as mine (and corresponding ability to give myself unpleasant orders) surely I can keep going through the pain like it ain't no thang."
Max
"Hrmmph," grumbles the voice in Hobson's head, "I suppose there's no arguing with that, if you want to run yourself to exhaustion."
[That's good thinking, Fable! If it's necessary to figure out a house rule for forced marches/extended running I'll definitely work that in!]
Age of Fable
[Thanks...I'd treat Robot Nature as including willpower/self-discipline.]
Max
As you linger near the tunnel there's no doubt you're beginning to draw a few stares from the crowd. No sign of any Brawl security. At the moment, anyway.
Age of Fable
Who's lingering? I'm heading away from all this, and encouraging Quazarn to do likewise.
Max
Just a pause to await your choices.
So, away away? As in hoofing it through the parking lot and trucking on down the road?
Dr Rotwang!
Max
[Y]ou are, after all, a crossbow-wielding hobling in a police uniform and The Warlock Who Almost Tore Bigby's Playhouse Down.
[Dude, we're gettin' a rep!]
"Well, my hobling cohort," says Quazarn to Hobson, "we'd best make ourselves hard-to-find -- say, get lost among the crowd? And what of the others? How will we find them?" He twists his lips in searing, incandescent thought. "Splitting up," he reflects, "may well have been a bad idea." Then, "To the stalls! Let us lose ourselves among the throng, visually if not in terms of merit."
Age of Fable
I change my clothes to something which will fit in with the crowd.
"An excellent plan. And yet, it's possible that they may search the crowd - believing as they do that you're a major criminal, and responsible for the head of security (and former senior police officer) getting a crossbow bolt in the leg."
"Also, you have a great big pointy head, presenting some difficulties vis a vis passing unnoticed."
Max
Quazarn is momentarily confused when he notices the hobling in a Hawaiian shirt and deck shoes talking to him, but his keen intellect swiftly pierces Hobson's disguise. The pair do their best to disappear into the crowd.
The food stalls are the usual mix of fast cheap and out of control: rat-on-a-stick, roof lizard eggs fried in savory dough, burgers and brats, toasted chickenoid blood (a favorite despite the raging ontological debate over the question of the chickenoids' sentience). There are also souvenir vendors, betting counters, and tents set up for spectators to watch the fight via holoscreen, scrying pool and quadrophenic sens-surround. Touts race back and forth between the viewing parlors and a beer garden in the shade of a huge baobabbler tree.
Hobson seems to pass unnoticed as long as he keeps out from underfoot, but Quazarn's still drawing a few sidelong looks.
Rondo
(major points for the JG "Rat-On-A-Stick" reference!)
Dr Rotwang!
Quazarn looks around the stalls. "Surely," he mutters, "a crowd such as this is a good market for Ontobian sombreroids. Surely..."
Max
A sharp-eared ratling twitches her head in your direction. She is clean for her species, though her pelt is shaved in strange teknomagical patterns. She points a clawed finger at the beer garden and ducks out of view.
Age of Fable
"Well, she was clean for her species. That...that wasn't true of my last girlfriend."
Age of Fable
Noticing that Quazarn seems to have had another attack of Psychometric Morbidity, Hobson will try to follow the ratling, observing her while being unobserved if possible.
[rolled a 55]
Dr Rotwang!
Surreptitiously, Quazarn follows the ratling.
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Brawl: Guru, U Rug?
Max
"The Tenmen are Go!" shouts Wiggy, slapping Leeplo on the back. "Rock ab Rooglgll!" croaks the man-frog. They start jogging toward the stage, but Wiggy stops abruptly and does an exaggerated about face. "Whaddya say, bosses three?"
"Bessh. Sheeet mezzic. Let's go mek some mether-fekkers bleed," wheedles Shifty, tugging at his collar and scratching his neck irritably.
wulfgar
Max
A psi-witch known as Starshine Moonchilde, practitioner of something called Recumbent Kung Fu, has so far defeated all challengers and refused all alliances; many suspect him of secretly using his psychic powers.
Let's go find this psychic wizard dude who is a loner and possibly cheating and see what his deal is. If we can get him to join up it's a bonus for us. If we beat him down, lots of other people will join up (or quit in the face of our awesomeness).
Rondo
I have no ideas of my own as to what our next move shall be, Wulfgar....I'm up for that. Count Buck in.
wulfgar
With our army in tow, (a few scouts out a little bit along the perimeter) we go looking for Starshine Moodchilde.
Rondo
I second that.
Coffee
I'll go with the rest.
Max
[Go ahead and assign NPCs as your scouts as you like. Here's the roster.]
wulfgar
on point- Shifty McJumper
starboard flank- Mad Maruzabal
port flank- 'Leeplo
In the rear with the gear (well in the rear, without the gear I guess)- Abdul Nomascus.
Rest of us in the middle, scouts let us know if trouble is coming and pull back to the rest of the group.
Max
Your posse draws raised eyebrows and nods as you cross the arena. The Tenmen kick into a blistering raver, loud enough to stir up dust devils in front of their Marshall stack. No one hassles you.
Off in a far corner of the arena you find Starshine Moonchilde, an emaciated hobling-vulkin with bulging temples and faintly luminescent skin. His head is shaved save for a long braid knotted with loops of yarn, and he wears tie-dyed sackcloth and ashes. His eyes are covered with gargoyle sunglasses, dead black.
The vobling chants quietly as you approach, "...shamma lamma ding dong tingsha na nama shiva om golly padme humdinger kip winger banana fana fo finger chocko chakra sunsinger..."
wulfgar
Creature nudges Buck and Zarko forward to do the talking, aware of limits of his own articulateness...or lack there of. He's half a step right behind them though.
Coffee
Zarko bows respectfully (another boss, doncha know...) and waits for the vobling to notice him and come out of his chant.
(If he doesn't do so soon, Zarko will look questioningly at Buck and leave the matter up to him.)
Max
"...voulez-vous coucher avec mwa ha ha hamdullilah cucaracha cha cha ch-changes..." The vobling continues in this manner for a solid minute, ignoring all of you. It's sort of embarrassing.
Zarko shifts from foot to foot, glancing at the uncharacteristically silent Buck. The chanting rises in volume and pitch.
"Merry Christmas Merry Christmas Christmas Christmas Merry Merry Dies Irae Cooking Sherry Tom And Jerry Harum Scarum Hotsy Totsy Koyanisquaatsi Jaya Lakshmi Shave And A Haircut YAHTZEE"
The vobling springs straight up in the air, does three jumping jacks, tumbles face first to the ground, and ends up lying on his side with one knee up and his head cradled in one hand. "Shalom, Brother Zarko. What's the haps?"
Coffee
"Well, y'see, it's like this. We have a real contender here," Zarko says, pointing at Creature.
"And the word we get is that you're a contender, too."
Any reaction to this, so far? If not, I'll plunge right on...
Max
"I am the stars shining and the child of the moon. I contend chiefly for a cosmic prize, Ape-evolved-from-man. I seek contentment amidst this brutal contest of flesh and blood. What is it you seek?"
[Wish Blogger had 'rainbow' as a text color option. I'm not going to individually format each letter so you'll just have to picture his speaking voice in a froot loopy array of colors.
[By all means run with it, Coffee. Rondo's been incommunicado since Tuesday.]
Coffee
"Plain and simple?" Zarko says, staring right into the vobling's disturbing, half-engaged eyes. "We seek to survive. That's really the deal. We survive, we win our bets, everybody's happy."
He pauses, as if debating with himself.
"We had another goal, coming in here, but things have...changed."
Max
"Mere survival, Zarko? Keep your feet on the ground...and keep them there?" The vobling pushes his sunglases back up on his nose, the enormous lenses covering half his face. Zarko can't even make out his reflection. "It has been said that if we are to survive we must become a little....crazy. But who is crazy enough to thrive?"
Starshine lets out a low whistle. "But I think you have not come here to ponder the sages?"
Coffee
"Sages can do their thing," Zarko says with a snort. "I'll do mine.
"But the bottom line is this: Are you gonna be a threat to our survival? 'Cause if you are, we're gonna have to do something about it."
Max
"Who can say? I get low, I get high, there is no try, only do. I have the wings of heaven on my shoes -- I am a mystic man, I cannot lose.*"
[*Gibb, Gibb, & Gibb, freely adapted]
Age of Fable
[The way he uses his walk appears to be misleading, in that he clearly has a great deal of time to talk.]
Coffee
"Sure, right," Zarko says. He holds up a finger, then pulls Buck back for a whispered conference with Creature.
"Izzat all this skeezik does? Confuse people? Izzat how he wins?" Zarko shakes his head. "I don't think he's a real threat. But I sure wish we had some other dudes to send his way -- I'd like to see how he fights for real."
Max
[Since Rondo hasn't posted since Tuesday or contacted me otherwise I'm bumping him to NPC status for the moment. Rondo is free to chime in at any time, of course, but otherwise Buck will go along with your decision. So take it away, Zarko & Creech...]
wulfgar
Creature is torn between two ideas that have crept into his mind:
A. Sit down Indian style and listen to the melodious musings of recumbant kung-fu master like a child at storytime.
B. Bash him over the head while he's talking to Zarko.
As of right now he's conflicted and so stands there like a dummy.
Coffee
Either one of those sounds good to me.
I was hoping Buck would pipe up. I could really use his advice right about now. (It's Friday and my brain has already checked out for the day...)
Rondo
(HEy! Sorry guys....I'm back...I'm trying to get caught up here....major idjitnet disaster where I work AND at home, I swear...two different servers, two diff. problems. I can only post from the house, which means checking in on things after 5 until they get this computer thing worked out in my shop at work)
Buck eyes this show-off and raises an eyebrow..."I think we better consult, guys whaddya think?"
"I'm all for Creech bashing this chucklehead on the beezer, frankly, but....what do we have in mind to do with this joker?" Buck is leaning over to Zarko whispering with his hand on the side of his mouth.
Coffee
"What I'd really like," Zarko whispers back behind his own hand, "is to find some other guys to throw at this one. Then we'd see what he's made of. Either they'd take him out, problem solved, or he'd take them out and reduce the competition.
"Plus we'd get to see what we're up against."
Rondo
"Hmm...not a bad idea there, Zarko," says Buck as he glances back to the Creature to see how he's handling all this. "HEY!" Buck raises his voice to the king of the flashdance... "We were wondering..." he gestures over to some of the remaining rabble that still look like they'd kick up some dust, "how 'bout a little wager....think you could knock the socks off those idiots over there?" he's rubbing his fingers together in a gesture of money. "Not sure what I can pay you with, but we'd sure like to see you in action....what you've shown us so far has been pretty darned impressive! Why dont'cha go over there and finish some of these losers off?" Buck is grinning from ear to ear.
Command Roll:
Argue: 31% (made it)
Crowd Manipulate: 20% (made it)
Lesser Feat: 27% (made it)
Restore Courage: 82% (failed...jeez, I was on a roll!)
(hell, I'm trying 'em all...don't know what you want me to roll, and this EC stuff is a open-ended pain in the ass sometimes)
Max
"I did not catch your name, oh pilot without a ship?" smiles Starshine, turning to regard Buck through his black sunglasses. "It doesn't matter. It's a foolish gambler who bets money he does not have on a horse with no name. Why would I wish to ramble when it is you who wants to see me rumble?"
Max
[WRT the skills you rolled above, my thoughts: I'd say Argue is for logical, reason-based persuasion, as opposed to Command or Seduce for more emotional appeals. Crowd Manipulate is to influence a group or perform for an audience. Restore Courage could be used to rally henchmen with broken morale or save vs a fear spell. The Feats are generally for tests of physical strength only -- but if you wanted to intimidate someone you could try using Lesser Feat to do a Hulkamania type pose down.]
Rondo
"Ha! Fair enough....good call....truly I am a horseless rider" Buck misconstrues what Mr. Flippant throws at him... "I do have a buddy here though, that can tear the arms off of a goon and beat him with it!" he pats Creech on his box-like frame. "How'd you come to get mixed up in this whole rinky-dink fight? You seem like you can do greater things than scrap with a buncha goofs for prize dough."
Max
Starshine's mouth twists into a faraway smile, "On the first part of my journey I beheld life all around me: plants and birds and rocks, sand and hills and rings. I met a buzzing fly under a cloudless sky. The heat was hot and the ground was dry. But the air was full of sound. I meditated for--" he counts on his fingers, "nine days, and woke up here. It felt good to get out of the rain."
The vobling tilts his sunglasses up on his head but his eyes remain closed. He rolls onto his back, arms behind his head.
"I'm just a tiger's eye rocking in a hurricane, Buck Pulsar. Flippant is as flippant does. Do you wish to talk, or fight, or stare at the stars?"
Coffee
"I, personally," Zarko says, raising his hand "would lean toward the whole staring at the stars kinda thing.
"But we've got this whole brawl thing to get through, first."
Rondo
"Yea, same here....about this Brawl....you wanna help us out here? How 'bout teaming up with us or somethin'....we could sure use a fella like you." Buck extends a salute.
Max
"The stars will wait, Zarko," chuckles the vobling.
Returning Buck's salute with a hang ten gesture, Starshine continues, "There are many things about me you do not know anything about. Things you would not understand. Things you could not understand. Things you should not understand. I am a man who refuses to take things standing up."
Starshine rolls gracefully up into a mystical posture known as the Drooping Lotus, dropping his sunglasses down over his eyes. "This is this end, my friends, of our talk. I cannot ride your bus; you must either challenge me or leave. Ride the storm or walk on by?"
Rondo
"Hmm...I dunno 'bout this 'challenging you' affair," Buck looks over to Zarko and his eyebrows go up in confusion as he shrugs his shoulders with a 'now what?' expression.
He leans over and whispers to Zarko, "I say we hoof it...I don't see any point in messing with this guy..."
Coffee
"Yeah," Zarko replies. "I'm with you."
He straightens out and bows with respect toward Starshine.
"It was a pleasure to have met you, and I wish you well in the Brawl."
Rondo
(Good call, Zarko...well played)
Coffee
[Thank you!]
Max
"Take it easy, brothers," nods Starshine, "and remember: When in doubt, get horizontal."
"The Tenmen are Go!" shouts Wiggy, slapping Leeplo on the back. "Rock ab Rooglgll!" croaks the man-frog. They start jogging toward the stage, but Wiggy stops abruptly and does an exaggerated about face. "Whaddya say, bosses three?"
"Bessh. Sheeet mezzic. Let's go mek some mether-fekkers bleed," wheedles Shifty, tugging at his collar and scratching his neck irritably.
wulfgar
Max
A psi-witch known as Starshine Moonchilde, practitioner of something called Recumbent Kung Fu, has so far defeated all challengers and refused all alliances; many suspect him of secretly using his psychic powers.
Let's go find this psychic wizard dude who is a loner and possibly cheating and see what his deal is. If we can get him to join up it's a bonus for us. If we beat him down, lots of other people will join up (or quit in the face of our awesomeness).
Rondo
I have no ideas of my own as to what our next move shall be, Wulfgar....I'm up for that. Count Buck in.
wulfgar
With our army in tow, (a few scouts out a little bit along the perimeter) we go looking for Starshine Moodchilde.
Rondo
I second that.
Coffee
I'll go with the rest.
Max
[Go ahead and assign NPCs as your scouts as you like. Here's the roster.]
wulfgar
on point- Shifty McJumper
starboard flank- Mad Maruzabal
port flank- 'Leeplo
In the rear with the gear (well in the rear, without the gear I guess)- Abdul Nomascus.
Rest of us in the middle, scouts let us know if trouble is coming and pull back to the rest of the group.
Max
Your posse draws raised eyebrows and nods as you cross the arena. The Tenmen kick into a blistering raver, loud enough to stir up dust devils in front of their Marshall stack. No one hassles you.
Off in a far corner of the arena you find Starshine Moonchilde, an emaciated hobling-vulkin with bulging temples and faintly luminescent skin. His head is shaved save for a long braid knotted with loops of yarn, and he wears tie-dyed sackcloth and ashes. His eyes are covered with gargoyle sunglasses, dead black.
The vobling chants quietly as you approach, "...shamma lamma ding dong tingsha na nama shiva om golly padme humdinger kip winger banana fana fo finger chocko chakra sunsinger..."
wulfgar
Creature nudges Buck and Zarko forward to do the talking, aware of limits of his own articulateness...or lack there of. He's half a step right behind them though.
Coffee
Zarko bows respectfully (another boss, doncha know...) and waits for the vobling to notice him and come out of his chant.
(If he doesn't do so soon, Zarko will look questioningly at Buck and leave the matter up to him.)
Max
"...voulez-vous coucher avec mwa ha ha hamdullilah cucaracha cha cha ch-changes..." The vobling continues in this manner for a solid minute, ignoring all of you. It's sort of embarrassing.
Zarko shifts from foot to foot, glancing at the uncharacteristically silent Buck. The chanting rises in volume and pitch.
"Merry Christmas Merry Christmas Christmas Christmas Merry Merry Dies Irae Cooking Sherry Tom And Jerry Harum Scarum Hotsy Totsy Koyanisquaatsi Jaya Lakshmi Shave And A Haircut YAHTZEE"
The vobling springs straight up in the air, does three jumping jacks, tumbles face first to the ground, and ends up lying on his side with one knee up and his head cradled in one hand. "Shalom, Brother Zarko. What's the haps?"
Coffee
"Well, y'see, it's like this. We have a real contender here," Zarko says, pointing at Creature.
"And the word we get is that you're a contender, too."
Any reaction to this, so far? If not, I'll plunge right on...
Max
"I am the stars shining and the child of the moon. I contend chiefly for a cosmic prize, Ape-evolved-from-man. I seek contentment amidst this brutal contest of flesh and blood. What is it you seek?"
[Wish Blogger had 'rainbow' as a text color option. I'm not going to individually format each letter so you'll just have to picture his speaking voice in a froot loopy array of colors.
[By all means run with it, Coffee. Rondo's been incommunicado since Tuesday.]
Coffee
"Plain and simple?" Zarko says, staring right into the vobling's disturbing, half-engaged eyes. "We seek to survive. That's really the deal. We survive, we win our bets, everybody's happy."
He pauses, as if debating with himself.
"We had another goal, coming in here, but things have...changed."
Max
"Mere survival, Zarko? Keep your feet on the ground...and keep them there?" The vobling pushes his sunglases back up on his nose, the enormous lenses covering half his face. Zarko can't even make out his reflection. "It has been said that if we are to survive we must become a little....crazy. But who is crazy enough to thrive?"
Starshine lets out a low whistle. "But I think you have not come here to ponder the sages?"
Coffee
"Sages can do their thing," Zarko says with a snort. "I'll do mine.
"But the bottom line is this: Are you gonna be a threat to our survival? 'Cause if you are, we're gonna have to do something about it."
Max
"Who can say? I get low, I get high, there is no try, only do. I have the wings of heaven on my shoes -- I am a mystic man, I cannot lose.*"
[*Gibb, Gibb, & Gibb, freely adapted]
Age of Fable
[The way he uses his walk appears to be misleading, in that he clearly has a great deal of time to talk.]
Coffee
"Sure, right," Zarko says. He holds up a finger, then pulls Buck back for a whispered conference with Creature.
"Izzat all this skeezik does? Confuse people? Izzat how he wins?" Zarko shakes his head. "I don't think he's a real threat. But I sure wish we had some other dudes to send his way -- I'd like to see how he fights for real."
Max
[Since Rondo hasn't posted since Tuesday or contacted me otherwise I'm bumping him to NPC status for the moment. Rondo is free to chime in at any time, of course, but otherwise Buck will go along with your decision. So take it away, Zarko & Creech...]
wulfgar
Creature is torn between two ideas that have crept into his mind:
A. Sit down Indian style and listen to the melodious musings of recumbant kung-fu master like a child at storytime.
B. Bash him over the head while he's talking to Zarko.
As of right now he's conflicted and so stands there like a dummy.
Coffee
Either one of those sounds good to me.
I was hoping Buck would pipe up. I could really use his advice right about now. (It's Friday and my brain has already checked out for the day...)
Rondo
(HEy! Sorry guys....I'm back...I'm trying to get caught up here....major idjitnet disaster where I work AND at home, I swear...two different servers, two diff. problems. I can only post from the house, which means checking in on things after 5 until they get this computer thing worked out in my shop at work)
Buck eyes this show-off and raises an eyebrow..."I think we better consult, guys whaddya think?"
"I'm all for Creech bashing this chucklehead on the beezer, frankly, but....what do we have in mind to do with this joker?" Buck is leaning over to Zarko whispering with his hand on the side of his mouth.
Coffee
"What I'd really like," Zarko whispers back behind his own hand, "is to find some other guys to throw at this one. Then we'd see what he's made of. Either they'd take him out, problem solved, or he'd take them out and reduce the competition.
"Plus we'd get to see what we're up against."
Rondo
"Hmm...not a bad idea there, Zarko," says Buck as he glances back to the Creature to see how he's handling all this. "HEY!" Buck raises his voice to the king of the flashdance... "We were wondering..." he gestures over to some of the remaining rabble that still look like they'd kick up some dust, "how 'bout a little wager....think you could knock the socks off those idiots over there?" he's rubbing his fingers together in a gesture of money. "Not sure what I can pay you with, but we'd sure like to see you in action....what you've shown us so far has been pretty darned impressive! Why dont'cha go over there and finish some of these losers off?" Buck is grinning from ear to ear.
Command Roll:
Argue: 31% (made it)
Crowd Manipulate: 20% (made it)
Lesser Feat: 27% (made it)
Restore Courage: 82% (failed...jeez, I was on a roll!)
(hell, I'm trying 'em all...don't know what you want me to roll, and this EC stuff is a open-ended pain in the ass sometimes)
Max
"I did not catch your name, oh pilot without a ship?" smiles Starshine, turning to regard Buck through his black sunglasses. "It doesn't matter. It's a foolish gambler who bets money he does not have on a horse with no name. Why would I wish to ramble when it is you who wants to see me rumble?"
Max
[WRT the skills you rolled above, my thoughts: I'd say Argue is for logical, reason-based persuasion, as opposed to Command or Seduce for more emotional appeals. Crowd Manipulate is to influence a group or perform for an audience. Restore Courage could be used to rally henchmen with broken morale or save vs a fear spell. The Feats are generally for tests of physical strength only -- but if you wanted to intimidate someone you could try using Lesser Feat to do a Hulkamania type pose down.]
Rondo
"Ha! Fair enough....good call....truly I am a horseless rider" Buck misconstrues what Mr. Flippant throws at him... "I do have a buddy here though, that can tear the arms off of a goon and beat him with it!" he pats Creech on his box-like frame. "How'd you come to get mixed up in this whole rinky-dink fight? You seem like you can do greater things than scrap with a buncha goofs for prize dough."
Max
Starshine's mouth twists into a faraway smile, "On the first part of my journey I beheld life all around me: plants and birds and rocks, sand and hills and rings. I met a buzzing fly under a cloudless sky. The heat was hot and the ground was dry. But the air was full of sound. I meditated for--" he counts on his fingers, "nine days, and woke up here. It felt good to get out of the rain."
The vobling tilts his sunglasses up on his head but his eyes remain closed. He rolls onto his back, arms behind his head.
"I'm just a tiger's eye rocking in a hurricane, Buck Pulsar. Flippant is as flippant does. Do you wish to talk, or fight, or stare at the stars?"
Coffee
"I, personally," Zarko says, raising his hand "would lean toward the whole staring at the stars kinda thing.
"But we've got this whole brawl thing to get through, first."
Rondo
"Yea, same here....about this Brawl....you wanna help us out here? How 'bout teaming up with us or somethin'....we could sure use a fella like you." Buck extends a salute.
Max
"The stars will wait, Zarko," chuckles the vobling.
Returning Buck's salute with a hang ten gesture, Starshine continues, "There are many things about me you do not know anything about. Things you would not understand. Things you could not understand. Things you should not understand. I am a man who refuses to take things standing up."
Starshine rolls gracefully up into a mystical posture known as the Drooping Lotus, dropping his sunglasses down over his eyes. "This is this end, my friends, of our talk. I cannot ride your bus; you must either challenge me or leave. Ride the storm or walk on by?"
Rondo
"Hmm...I dunno 'bout this 'challenging you' affair," Buck looks over to Zarko and his eyebrows go up in confusion as he shrugs his shoulders with a 'now what?' expression.
He leans over and whispers to Zarko, "I say we hoof it...I don't see any point in messing with this guy..."
Coffee
"Yeah," Zarko replies. "I'm with you."
He straightens out and bows with respect toward Starshine.
"It was a pleasure to have met you, and I wish you well in the Brawl."
Rondo
(Good call, Zarko...well played)
Coffee
[Thank you!]
Max
"Take it easy, brothers," nods Starshine, "and remember: When in doubt, get horizontal."
