We are now out of combat, so everyone gets 10 experience and a level for resolving the situation!
It's also time to implement the items changes I mentioned earlier this week.
Update Notes
Character Sheets reorganized for better readability (vertically).
Coalfang now has actual properties to explain what it does! (What gender is it, anyway?)
Enchantment system removed. Each item now only has a single effect.
Artifacts now have their own inventory slot. No one in the party currently has an artifact - there are unique artifacts, or they can be created with the Permanence ritual.
Items overhauled. Notable changes:
-Armor enchantments are now split into two different slots, Armor and Accessories.
-Armor is now solely defensive, providing a reaction skill that protects against a certain attack type. It also includes the utility options of Climbing Gear, Diving Gear, and Camouflage.
-Heavy Armor's weight absorbs area attacks, Medium Armor offers a balance between defense and mobility suitable for defending against melee attacks, Light Armor lets one evade ranged attacks, and Clothing is enchanted to protect against an axis of magic.
-Weapons have been partially reworked and rebalanced. Many effects are similar, but some have changed.
-Victor's orb has been changed (buffed/effect changed).
-Aub's greatsword she found as loot has had its effect changed (new effect).
-Aub's (and the bandits') Tier 1 shields and swords have been weakened slightly (by -1).
-Har's long hammer has been changed (nerfed slightly).
-Plating has been removed from the game.
-Crafting ritual changed.
-Many new consumables have been added. (The letter "C" in the effect field means a consumable.)
-Value and material costs have changed.
-The grappling hook in the cart is now rope, which can be reused, but also can be destroyed.
Questions I Need Answered By Each Player @discrider
Har's current armor was described as "leathers," but I think from an effect/playstyle standpoint, medium armor fits better. Choose one:
T1 Light Armor - Reaction - Ranged Guard (4): Block -4 damage from a ranged attack.
T1 Medium Armor - Reaction - Melee Guard (4): Block -4 damage from an attack made from adjacent to you.
Victor's armor should probably stay as a robe (Reaction - [Axis] Guard: Block -4 damage from an axis of magic), but you need to choose an axis to protect against. Choose one:
Spirit axis (fightery / gold skills) - Probably not the best choice against humans since you have two frontliners in the party, but great against animals
Twisting axis (roguey / green skills) - Good if you expect to get dove by an rogue/assassin or sniped by a ranger (you know the enemy has rogues)
Unity axis (supporty / blue skills) - Not great unless you're up against a necromancer or paladin
Evocation axis (wizardy / red skills) - Good choice for dueling wizards (you know the enemy has pyromancers and geomancers)
Aub has had a higher tier of armor crafted (bristle-reinforced leather armor), so there are two choices:
Keep the armor as Tier 2, and choose one:
-T2 Light Armor - Reaction - Ranged Guard (6): Block -6 damage from a ranged attack.
-T2 Medium Armor - Reaction - Melee Guard (6): Block -6 damage from an attack made from adjacent to you.
OR
Have your armor be T1 Light Armor you picked up off a dead bandit (Reaction - Ranged Guard (4): Block -4 damage from a ranged attack), and retcon the crafting to be any Tier 2 Accessory.
Please post in the thread with your choices.
Once everyone's done, let me know which direction you want to head in the fort - tell me a tile to move to on the map or an exit you want to explore.
Regarding what armor actually protects against:
Both heavy and light armor protects against skills such as Fireball, since it is both ranged and area. Heavy armor protects against skills like the drake's Fire Breath or bursts such as Lightning Storm or Rising Phoenix. Light armor protects against attacks from weapons such as bows or guns, as well as spells such as Thunderbolt or Force Rays. Medium armor protects against any type of attack, as long as they make it from adjacent to you.
Har eyes the apparently empty door-jam.
'How 'bout we let Colonel off here?
We should take the gate shortly too, just in case any o' the others comes back.'
Har's vote is to send Colonel North, and then quickly head East to the gate house.
Colonel should be fine in the yard by himself.. really.
Can't imagine guards are going to attack a random horse.
Likely come looking for the riders though...
Also went with light armour, because people attacking in melee range get hit with a hammer.
You cautiously move out the door, and are able to secure Colonel nearby. There are fresh bootprints on the snow, leading directly north. The prints travel through the center of a set of chairs arranged in a semicircle before a large tree, on which hang a few bright orange fruit, despite the season. The tree has shiny leaves and a glow of health that contrasts with the cold wind and snow on its boughs. You can see there are drawn windows in every direction, and many more footprints lead towards the open gate to the east, from the commotion you caused earlier.
Back inside, there is a large room to your right, a window with an open shade providing a view inside. Three wooden chairs are in front of the window, one askew. Looking through the window, the inside of the room is pocked with numerous scorch marks, only a few of which are on the large target dummies at the end of the room. A sharp smell of ozone permeates the air. There is a locked metal gate at the very rear of the room.
A hallway curves off to the east of the fort.
A spiral staircase leads up here.
From the symmetrical design of the similar hallway to the west, you can tell that you should either be able to make it to the base of the gate or to whatever room is above it. Which way do you go? @joshgotro@AustinP0027@discrider
Har starts to head down the path towards the base of the gate.
The controls to the external gate are probably there, and it's likely best to clear that room out before handling any guards up top.
Once both are clear, then they can close the gate.
As you make your way through the hallway, Nasim's cloak shimmers again, taking on the color of the blank stone walls. The hallway ends in an entrance open to the outside, facing an area you know must be right in front of the gate. You can see two carts, one of which is being loaded by two men, who don't seem to have noticed you yet. There are two doors to your left and right.
The assassin's shadow moves forwards, clearly trying to sneak up behind the men. You think you may be able to move closer without being noticed if you do not act.
Har advances to I10 tensing her grip on her hammer.
She shoots the closed door next to her some dubious side-eye, before assuming her Counter stance next to it. @AustinP0027
A set of fresh, overlapping bootprints in the snow catches Victor's eye, leading directly out from the path they are on. It seems whoever else was in the training area they had just been in fled through this passageway not minutes ago.
Victor pauses to point out the fresh boot prints. "Someone just ran down this very path." he whispers to the group. "You think that someone might have heard us coming and now ran to alert the rest?"
Victor moves cautiously closer to Har, setting himself up to support her while peering carefully into the room to try and see if anything else looks out of the ordinary.
@AustinP0027
The door is closed, and made of sturdy wood, with no obvious openings. It does not have a lock, and it has a simple metal handle attached. Do you want to open it? Otherwise, you can spend your action to make another Ini check to try to see if there's anything you can hear on the other side.
Posts
It's also time to implement the items changes I mentioned earlier this week.
Update Notes
-Armor enchantments are now split into two different slots, Armor and Accessories.
-Armor is now solely defensive, providing a reaction skill that protects against a certain attack type. It also includes the utility options of Climbing Gear, Diving Gear, and Camouflage.
-Heavy Armor's weight absorbs area attacks, Medium Armor offers a balance between defense and mobility suitable for defending against melee attacks, Light Armor lets one evade ranged attacks, and Clothing is enchanted to protect against an axis of magic.
-Weapons have been partially reworked and rebalanced. Many effects are similar, but some have changed.
-Victor's orb has been changed (buffed/effect changed).
-Aub's greatsword she found as loot has had its effect changed (new effect).
-Aub's (and the bandits') Tier 1 shields and swords have been weakened slightly (by -1).
-Har's long hammer has been changed (nerfed slightly).
-Plating has been removed from the game.
-Crafting ritual changed.
-Many new consumables have been added. (The letter "C" in the effect field means a consumable.)
-Value and material costs have changed.
-The grappling hook in the cart is now rope, which can be reused, but also can be destroyed.
Questions I Need Answered By Each Player
@discrider
@AustinP0027
@joshgotro
- Keep the armor as Tier 2, and choose one:
OR-T2 Light Armor - Reaction - Ranged Guard (6): Block -6 damage from a ranged attack.
-T2 Medium Armor - Reaction - Melee Guard (6): Block -6 damage from an attack made from adjacent to you.
Please post in the thread with your choices.
Once everyone's done, let me know which direction you want to head in the fort - tell me a tile to move to on the map or an exit you want to explore.
Both heavy and light armor protects against skills such as Fireball, since it is both ranged and area. Heavy armor protects against skills like the drake's Fire Breath or bursts such as Lightning Storm or Rising Phoenix. Light armor protects against attacks from weapons such as bows or guns, as well as spells such as Thunderbolt or Force Rays. Medium armor protects against any type of attack, as long as they make it from adjacent to you.
'How 'bout we let Colonel off here?
We should take the gate shortly too, just in case any o' the others comes back.'
Colonel should be fine in the yard by himself.. really.
Can't imagine guards are going to attack a random horse.
Likely come looking for the riders though...
Also went with light armour, because people attacking in melee range get hit with a hammer.
I'll choose Evocation axis for Guard on the robe.
I'd also agree with dropping Colonel off, and heading East.
Definitely drop off Colonel and sneaky sneaky through to the east.
Back inside, there is a large room to your right, a window with an open shade providing a view inside. Three wooden chairs are in front of the window, one askew. Looking through the window, the inside of the room is pocked with numerous scorch marks, only a few of which are on the large target dummies at the end of the room. A sharp smell of ozone permeates the air. There is a locked metal gate at the very rear of the room.
A hallway curves off to the east of the fort.
A spiral staircase leads up here.
@joshgotro @AustinP0027 @discrider
Geth, roll 1d10 for Nasim perception
go East.
The controls to the external gate are probably there, and it's likely best to clear that room out before handling any guards up top.
Once both are clear, then they can close the gate.
The assassin's shadow moves forwards, clearly trying to sneak up behind the men. You think you may be able to move closer without being noticed if you do not act.
@AustinP0027 @discrider @joshgotro Make another Initiative check for stealth / perception at the start of battle!
Har's turn!
Har also upgraded her speed
Geth roll 1d10 for Sneak Sneak
Thematically this makes sense.
Har and Aub are just gearing up to fight)
She shoots the closed door next to her some dubious side-eye, before assuming her Counter stance next to it.
@AustinP0027
Something doesn't add up here.
@AustinP0027 Victor's turn!
Victor moves cautiously closer to Har, setting himself up to support her while peering carefully into the room to try and see if anything else looks out of the ordinary.
@joshgotro
The door is closed, and made of sturdy wood, with no obvious openings. It does not have a lock, and it has a simple metal handle attached. Do you want to open it? Otherwise, you can spend your action to make another Ini check to try to see if there's anything you can hear on the other side.
Geth, roll 1d10+1 for What’s that sound
Good enough time as any to poke @joshgotro