[GURPS 4e] Banestorm fantasy restart (mock combat)

[yufra]

This is an IC thread to make sure everyone is on the same page in regards to combat and the use of the Martial Arts book. Specifically, Morgan Sword-Stealer is testing grip mastery with an unbalanced weapon.

--
Format

Text describing action.


Maneuver: Steps (eg. face NE, SE, SE, attack)
Grip
Skill roll
Damage roll

[yufra]

The dull roar of the crowd reaches Morgan's ears as he walks towards the northern arena entrance. His master had only laughed when Morgan asked who he was facing today, and the laugh had not been pleasant.


If you can post your equipment load-out and encumbrance I will open the arena gates and let you at it. :smallsmile:

[Lord Bayushi]

Morgan tested the straps on his armor, and swung his blade in wide, steady circles as he climbed the stairs toward the light and noise. He knew from experience, that the light would be blinding when he entered the arena, and paused in the doorway long enough for his eyes to partially adjust before stepping onto the sand.

The crowd was a single living thing, it greeted him with a friendly roar as he strode out on the ground that had been his home for years. He returned the greeting, presenting his sword to the crowd and giving a slow circle as he walked to the center. He could hear his heart beat ringing in his helmet, he began to thump his chest with his cestus in kind. He was ready. Finally, he pried his eyes from the crowd to scan the grounds for whatever poor, doomed bastard that Claudius thought was worth a snort.

Here is the gear breakdown; some of it is taken from MA and Fantasy, but it is definitely appropriate to the setting.

Armor by location:
Skull, Face: Bronze Helmet (DR 3, 7.5 lbs)
Torso: NONE (It was customary for skilled gladiators to go without chest armor, as a sign of prowess)
Left Arm: Galerus (F223; DR 4, allows unarmed parries against weapons, 7 lbs)
Right Arm: None
Left Hand: Cestus (MA214 and MA226; See Below, DR 4, 1 lb)
Right Hand: Leather Glove (DR 2, Neg. lbs)
Groin, Legs: Leather Pants (DR 1, 3 lbs)
Feet: Boots (DR 2, 3 lbs)

Weapons:
Thrusting Bastard Sword (sadly, neither Fine nor Weapon Bonded, but one day...) (5 lbs)
Cestus (MA214 and MA226; weight counted above)

Total Weight: 28.5 lbs, Light Enc. for Morgan

Notable Combat Skills:
Broadsword -16
-TA (Broadsword Thrust/Vitals) -15
Two Handed Sword -15
-TA (Two Handed Swing/Neck) -12
Brawling -15
-Head Butt -15
-Knee Strike -15

Notable Damages:
Bastard Sword, One Handed
-Thrust 1d+1 Imp / Swing 1d+2 Cut
Bastard Sword, Two Handed
-Thrust 1d+2 Imp / Swing 1d+3 Cut
Cestus
-Thrust 1d Cr
Head Butt (w/ Helmet)
-Thrust 1d Cr
Knee Strike
-Thrust 1d Cr

Your move, Yufra.

[yufra]

Three poor sods are pushed out of the opposite gate by a gruff looking man. They were not prepared for the brightness or the noise, and one of them drops his spear and lifts both his hands to shield his eyes. Each man is dressed in ragged leather armor and each has a different weapon: spear, staff and broadsword. The crowd roar dies down a bit and some murmurs can be heard in the stands.


You are up first, post detailed actions (including movement) and move your name and arrow on the map. You have seen the style in the other mock combat threads, but feel free to ask if you have any format questions.

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Map updated. (http://dabbleboard.com/draw/yufra/mockup)

[Lord Bayushi]

From under his helmet, the crowd couldn't see the cheer fall from Morgan's features. From the looks of these three, they were being sent here to die. One of the unfortunate realities of the arena was that gladiators were often executioners. He walked toward the center of the arena, watching the three for any signs of deception. It was always possible that people were more than they first appeared.

Sword in one handed grip in the right hand (Morgan is right handed, for the record), moving toward the center of the arena, three hexes south, facing most appropriate to the group of opponents. I can't see them on the whiteboard, so I am wondering if something got cut off, or I just don't know how to use the program... either is quite possible.

[yufra]

@Lord Bayushi

I seem to remember we had some canvas size problems with Dabbleboard before. Try clicking on the gear symbol (top right) and setting the canvas size to 1200x800. The software can be a little awkward, particularly at first. You have to click on an object to deselect it, and in order to move something you have to click it and then drag the two crossed arrow (one set vertical, one set horizontal). Arrows can be redirected by dragging the single diagonal arrow symbol after selecting an object.


Round 1 - Spear Sod
The man's eyes appear to have adjusted to the light now, and he hastily crouches fumbling for the spear.

--

Round 1 - Staff Sod
The wiry looking fellow glances behind him at the gruff man and then steps forward carefully, holding the staff across his body.

--

Round 1 - Sword Sod
A strangled cry escapes from his lips and he charges forward, outpacing his companions.

--

Map updated. (http://dabbleboard.com/draw/yufra/mockup)

--

OOC: Next up, Morgan.

[Lord Bayushi]

Morgan's eyes narrowed at the shouting youth. This one is reckless. He quickened his own pace, slipping gracefully to the east while bringing his weapon into a defensive position, finally turning toward the brash youth when he was between Morgan and his other opponents.

Move maneuver, changing grip to a Defensive Grip (MA109-111), and making a Body Language roll against the Sword Sod, evaluating his state of mind (nervous, scared, enraged, drugged, etc.)

Body Language -13; [roll0]

Tried to move my icon on the whiteboard, just messing with the program really, I will usually leave that kind of thing to you, though.

[yufra]

Round 2 - Spear Sod
The man's nervous hands grasp the spear and he stands up, looking towards Marcus and the swordsman.

--

Round 2 - Staff Sod
The man with the staff looks between his two fellows and opts to stay with the now standing spearman.

--

Round 2 - Sword Sod
The man's wide eyes and trembling grip belay his fear. The fear seems to be so great that it has driven him mad, and he continues his wild cry as he runs to Morgan's left and strikes at Morgan's exposed torso.

--

Map updated. (http://dabbleboard.com/draw/yufra/mockup)

OOC: Next up, Morgan's defense.

[Lord Bayushi]

As the crazed man ran by, swinging wildly, Morgan took a quick step away, arcing his body away from the attack

Retreating dodge, stepping strait away from the Sword Sod (directly west), turning to face in the process.

Dodge 9+3 due to Retreat -12; [roll0]

Also, I seem to have closed the chat feature in Dabbleboard, and can't reopen it... so I'll just let you handle that part from here out.

[yufra]

Round 2 - Sword Sod
The blade whistles through the empty air as Morgan leaps to the side, but the crazed man continues his pursuit.

--

OOC: Next up, Morgan.

@Lord Bayushi

Try the "Share+Chat" button. I won't use the chat feature frequently, though. I am going to be AFK for the next hour or so, but will start posting again after that.

[Lord Bayushi]

As the flailing man continued to advance, Morgan decided he couldn't afford to have his attention monopolized. He removed his left hand from his weapon, jabbing towards the swordsman's weapon with his armored glove to distract his attention from his now inverted blade, raised above his shoulder level. As soon as the man flinched, he drove his weapon viciously towards his heart, intending to put the wild man down fast.

With no one else close enough to take advantage, I'll try to take this guy out now. Grip change to single handed Reversed Grip (MA111). All Out Attack, Feint and Attack option.

First Action: Feint with Brawling -15; [roll0]

Second Action: Broadsword Thrust/Vitals -15; [roll1]

Damage, should it connect, is 1d6+2 Imp, to Vitals Hit Location (x3 Damage Mod); [roll2]

See ya when you come back.

[yufra]

Round 3 - Morgan
The wild man doesn't flinch as Morgan's left hand swings toward him, and even manages to get his own sword up in time to deflect the incoming blade. The crowd begins to raise in volume during the exchange, and a loud cry accompanies the clang of metal on metal.

--

Round 3 - Spear Sod
The man with the spear steps forward, shaking slightly. He is holding the spear in two hands near one end, but his focus seems broken and he constantly is checking on his companion to his right and the gruff man still standing at the gate he was pushed through.

--

Round 3 - Staff Sod
The most confident man of the group advances parallel to the man with the spear. His eyes never leave the exchange between Morgan and the swordsman.


--

Round 3 - Sword Sod
The close call seems to have tempered the man's fear and his eyes return to a normal size. He launches a weak strike toward Morgan, but it goes wide well before reaching Morgan. Panting slightly the swordsman steps away.

--

OOC: Next up, Morgan.

[Lord Bayushi]

Morgan was surprised by the swordsman's skillful parry, but recovered quickly from his over-extension. After the swordsman backed off, Morgan did too, watching him carefully while planning his next move.

Evaluate maneuver, step NE, face SW
Grip change to standard two handed grip
No skill or damage rolls needed.

[yufra]

Round 4 - Spear Sod
The man continues to approach Morgan from the southwest, but he continues to shift his attention from crowd to Morgan to the other sods.

--

Round 4 - Staff Sod
The open space in front of Morgan begins to close as the man wielding the staff steps forward to fill the space between the spearman and the swordsman.

--

Round 4 - Sword Sod
The swordsman glances to his left as his fellows approach and shouts "For Lucilia!" as he steps toward Morgan again. He launches one swing towards Morgan's torso and immediately reverses direction into a counter-swing.

--

OOC: Two defenses from Morgan, potential damage resolution or straight to Morgan if both are defended.

[Lord Bayushi]

The gladiator moved to parry the first attack, then side-stepped as the second attack came, attempting to avoid the second blow entirely.

First attack defense: Parry -11; [roll0]
Second attack defense: Retreating Dodge; Sideslip (MA124) to NE hex (face SW) -9+2; [roll1]

Looks like time to blow the luck roll, as being wounded with a sword with three opponents up would be bad so, on to the next post...

[Lord Bayushi]

Luck roll for first defense: 1st re-roll: [roll0]
2nd re-roll: [roll1]

So, successful defenses... such as it is. Which leads us to our famous TRIPLE POST!!

[Lord Bayushi]

Morgan avoided both attacks, however narrowly, and took advantage of the poor man's mistake, moving in beside him and bringing his own blade up in a powerful swing aimed at his undefended neck.

Attack maneuver, Step 1 hex E, Face SW
Grip still standard Two Handed
Telegraphed Two Handed Swing to Neck 12 +1 Evaluate +4 Telegraph; -17; [roll0]
Assuming no Critical Failure, Damage roll is 1d+3 Cut to Neck Hit Location (x2 Damage Mod) [roll1]

Unspoken Highlander reference somewhere...

BTW, sorry for the multi-posting, but I had to make a series of rolls, not sure how to avoid that in this case. Also sorry for the bad formatting, which has now been corrected. Its getting late on my end, so I suggest we continue this tomorrow.

[yufra]

@Lord Bayushi

No worries. I am not sure how this forum handles editing in rolls AFTER other rolls in posts. I will try to test that here:

Pre-editing:
Adding during editing: [roll]3d6

So the answer is it destroys all the rolls in the post. Multiple posts seems like it is the only way to go! :smallbiggrin:


Round 5 - Morgan
Morgan's blade whips down onto the back of the swordsman's neck and a stream of blood flicks off of the sword as it completes its swing. The swordsman lets out a scream that quickly drowned out by the roar of the crowd at first blood, but the wounded man keeps his footing... for now.

--

Round 5 - Spear Sod
The vicious attack and blood finally lock the sod's attention to Morgan, and although his face visibly pales. He continues his advance, but it is noticeably cautious now.

--

Round 5 - Staff Sod
The sod with the staff also slows, and begins circling to Morgan's left.

--

Round 5 - Sword Sod
The swordsman stumbles around, weakly brings his sword up.

--

OOC: Next up, edit in the spoiler to add a roll and then Morgan.

[Lord Bayushi]

Morgan brought his sword back up in front of him, watching his opponents carefully. He would give them a breath to attack if they wished, then decided he might be able to break morale if he took out the most confident opponent.

Wait maneuver, no step.
Grip change to Defensive Grip.

Wait until after all three have had an opportunity to attack, defending normally. As long as situations permit, Move and Attack (Slam) on the Staff Sod following defenses.

Just so I know, the sword wielder took 9 points to the neck (18 after modifier) and is still armed and standing? That guy is either lucky as all get out or a beast on HT and HP.

Off to work, won't be back on until about 6:00 p.m., Central time.

[yufra]

@Lord Bayushi

I was debating on whether or not to mention exactly HOW lucky some of the rolls have been and breaking the fourth wall. However this is mock combat, and since you asked... I count 5 success by either 0 or 1 by the sword sod alone, not to mention three great rolls in the HT department to stay conscious, avoid stunning and then stay conscious again. I had the other sods roll fright check after that attack, too, and one succeeded by 1 while the other got a fairly non-threatening short-term effect (picked up a new mental quirk).

But the Sword Sod luck had to end eventually! I left the name at his feet and stretched the arrow to represent his head. The Staff Sod has used his retreat this turn, but still appears to be in a defensive stance. Morgan will be moving at a velocity of 3 when he hits, so you should be rolling brawling to hit and 1d6-2 for damage (unless you take AoA strong).


--

Round 6 - Spear Sod
The spearman steps within range and thrusts the spear clumsily into the ground at Morgan's feet. The determination on his face and the actual result were more comical than threatening, and some in the crowd closest to the action began to laugh.

--

Round 6 - Staff Sod
The cautious approach continues, drawing alongside the wounded swordsman. The man's eyes never leave Morgan's sword, though.

--

Round 6 - Sword Sod
A manic smile spreads over his face and then slackens. He tips backwards and falls towards the man with the staff, who shifts sideways to avoid the brunt of the man's weight. The swordsman lies on his back, eyes half-closed, and the wound is hidden from sight. The crowd knows it is there, though and cheers as the arena has taken its first victim.

--

[Lord Bayushi]

Seeing the sword-fighter overcome with his wound heartened Morgan for a moment, and seemed to dishearten the spearman. The gladiator ignored his least motivated foe, locking eyes on the man holding the staff. He lowered his armored left shoulder and ran forth, aiming to strike him square in the chest at a run.

Move and Attack maneuver, Slam attack, move 3 hexes SW, then 1 SE to enter the target's hex.
Grip remains unchanged, two handed defensive grip
Slam attack, aimed at Torso Hit Location (not sure you can even aim a slam); Brawling -15; [roll0]


Morgan will be moving at a velocity of 3 when he hits, so you should be rolling brawling to hit and 1d6-2 for damage (unless you take AoA strong).

Don't think I can select the AoA option now, I believe I am stuck with the Move and Attack I declared with the Wait. Either way, I'll stick to it now (but I am interested in your ruling on that).

Also, I wanted to ask about the velocity of 3, as I have always counted either the starting hex or the ending hex as part of movement (thus, the last hex entered for Close Combat would count here), making it 4 velocity (but not affecting the damage roll, so it is simply a scholastic question). Checking the Basic book, I find it unclear on this point, so it seems up to GM decision. So, do you count only intervening hexes for velocity, or do you also count either the starting or ending hex? This matters for all other instances of velocity as well. Anyway, back to the action.

Damage 1d-2 Cr; [roll1]

Thanks for telling me about the lucky HT rolls, I was afraid I missed the part in the man's description where he was seven and a half feet tall and pure muscle.

I adjusted positions as best as possible in the Dabbleboard, it's kinda hard to depict a shared hex given scale. Anyway, even should he dodge, Morgan is out of movement at his hex, so they would still be at Close Combat range, where neither of their primary weapons are very effective.

[yufra]

The staff was waiting for Morgan as he charged, and a solid strike to the galerus sets Morgan off stride and he has to pull up short just to keep his footing. The transfer of momentum sends the staff quivering, and the man wielding it barely keeps his grip.


I will do my best to give reasonable descriptions of the opponents you have, but feel free to ask for more information if you think I overlooked something (size, etc). In the future I will probably save discussion of rolls, etc. until after the combat to add some suspense to the battles, though.

I don't see any changes to Dabbleboard, and the SW-SW-SW-SE movement doesn't coincide with the staff sod by my calculation. Remember that Morgan is in the hex where his name is, not where the arrow is. SE-SE-SW would hit the staff sod... never mind, you appear to be moving the pieces now. Technology is fun! That looks fine, now. In regards to velocity, I will consider the number of moves including the entrance to close combat as the velocity. We just happen to disagree on the exact movement leading up to the slam which is why we have different velocities in mind.

The Wait maneuver (B366) will have to be well-defined before hand since it is supposed to simulate a reflex action, so yes you were locked into doing it. :smallsmile:


--

OOC: Morgan up.

[Lord Bayushi]

A grin appeared on Morgan's face again, he was happy that this opponent seemed to have a bit of sense. He decided to see how much. Now shoulder to shoulder with the staff-wielder, he simply whipped his head forward to smash his armored head into his target's unarmored face.

Attack maneuver, step depends (see below)
Grip unchanged, still Defensive Grip
Head Butt, using natural target of Face (no penalty) -15; [roll0]
Damage 1d Cr; [roll1]

Step will follow the target if he tries to retreat, maintaining Close Combat for now. If he doesn't attempt to retreat, then I will slip to his right side, SW, facing NW, as if he doesn't retreat it probably means that he wants to maintain Close Combat.

[yufra]

Round 7 - Morgan
The staff sod's grim smile at having stopped Morgan's charge is short lived. The man's eyes widen as he sees Morgan launch his head forward and connects just below the staff sod's eye. As Morgan steps back he sees tears welling up in the man's eyes.


Thanks again for the FAQ reference on headbutt. I wanted to point out that the staff sod already used his retreat (to avoid the swordsman falling on him). If you still want to take a step out of close combat feel free to do so, but B391 indicates that a step can only exit close combat on your side of the hex (valid moves are NW, NE and E). I am going to go ahead and move the sod's forward a round since whether you step or not shouldn't affect their actions. Feel free to edit your previous post to update the step.


--

Round 7 - Spear Sod
The spearman continues his slow movement around Morgan's back, but a spectator near the front row shouts "Behind you, Sword-Stealer!"

--

Round 7 - Staff Sod
The man steps backwards, blinking back the tears caused by Morgan's headbutt. He retains a firm grip on his staff, though, and isn't dropping his guard.

--

Round 7 - Sword Sod
No movement.

--

OOC: Morgan next.

[Lord Bayushi]

Morgan smirked at the fan's warning. He raised his voice to a roar, but didn't divert his attention from his target.

"I'll get to him in a minute."

As he shouted to the crowd, he circled his quarry slightly, bringing his gantleted hand off the sword and in front of him while moving his sword in tight then wide circles in the other hand, watching his foes reactions to the sword movements.

I'll just stay in place, having wasted my step with indecision and forgetting rules. For now we'll go with:

Feint Maneuver, step SE, face NW
Grip changed to standard single-handed grip
Feint with Broadsword skill, -16; [roll0]
No damage roll needed.

Also, roll for Public Speaking, to be heard by the crowd, -13; [roll1]

This brings up another good question; as the Shock section (B419):

Shock affects DX- and IQ-based skills, but not active defenses or other defensive reactions...
So, based on this, would you consider the defender's part of the Quick Contest for a Feint to be a defensive action, thus free from Shock penalty, or would the Shock penalty apply?

Either way, I'm pressing my attack against the Staff Sod.

[yufra]

Round 8 - Morgan
The crowd roars at Morgan's words whilst his opponent continues to blink back tears. He keeps his eye on the motion of the sword and flinches slightly as his blink coincides with the blade sweeping forward.


Good question in regards to the QC portion of the feint. I believe the shock penalty does not apply, but am appealing to the greater GURPS world here (http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?p=999101).

EDIT: Ruling changed so shock penalty does apply to feint QC.


--

Round 8 - Spear Sod
The man glares towards the stands before charging forward and thrusting the spear slowly towards Morgan's exposed torso.

--

OOC: Morgan's defense at +2 for telegraphic attack.

[Lord Bayushi]

Morgan swats back the spear thrust with his sword, backing away in the process.

Retreating Parry with Broadsword skill (step SW, facing still NW)
Parry with Retreat: -12+1; [roll0]

[yufra]

Staff Sod
The man seems emboldened by his fellow's attack, and launches one of his own trying to sneak the blow past Morgan's galerus before stepping back.

--

OOC: Morgan's defense and then turn.

[Lord Bayushi]

Morgan interposes his armored gauntlet in between himself and the incoming staff.

Brawling Parry using special ability of the galerus to do so without penalty.
Brawling Parry -11; [roll0]

@Yufra
I don't see any movement or change of facing for the Staff Sod on the Dabbleboard. Please update the map so I can proceed with my turn.

[Lord Bayushi]

Morgan continues to circle the staff wielder, giving a bit of ground to the spearman in the process. He jabs his sword tip low, turning it at the last instant and angling it to pierce a lung. He then, in the back-swing, returns the blade to a double handed grip.

As far as the Feint defense is concerned, I am fine with it being defensive, I just wanted to know your ruling.

Now, I am going to open a new can of worms, in the form of Extra Effort, or Fighter Spells, as one of my players has deemed them. The rules for them appear on B357, as an optional rule, with more elaboration and options on MA131. They are definitely considered cinematic rules, but I would like to know if you are allowing them or not.

As far as I have seen, I am not sure whether you intend your game to cinematic or realistic, as I don't think you've said. Anyway, should you be allowing them, I will be spending a Fatigue Point this round in order to take a Giant Step, and strike my target from the side. It will change the listed move, below, to Step 2 hexes W, facing NE, and give a penalty to his defenses, should you allow it. I will also alter the flavor text a bit to reflect this.

Assuming you will not be using the rules, my action is as follows:
Attack maneuver; step E, facing NE
Grip begins one-handed, changed to a Defensive Grip following the strike.

I do remember that you ruled that there will be no parry following a single handed strike; it sets up my next planned round.

Deceptive Broadsword Attack at Vitals Hit Location; -15-4 (11); [roll0]

Damage, should my gamble pay off, is 1d+1 Imp; [roll1]

Should you choose to allow the Extra Effort, it would defenses would be at an additional -2 for an attack to the side.

[yufra]

@Lord Bayushi

I have edited the feint post above and applied the shock modifier. I will probably rule this way in the future, but if Kromm posts in favor of no penalty I won't argue. :smallwink: In regards to cinematic rules... I prefer a grittier game so no to extra effort. I will post in the recruitment thread to confirm that with the others.


Round 9 - Morgan
The attack begins just as the man blinks again, and that fraction of a second proves to be too much. The man's eyes grow wide as the blade changes angle and pierces the leather armor above his heart. He staggers backwards a step, staring dumbly at his chest. The arena erupts with shouts and applause for such a marvelous stroke.

--

Round 9 - Spear Sod
The spearman can only watch as Morgan's blow falls on his last companion, and a look of desperation descends upon his face. He yells wordlessly and charges toward Morgan trying to copy his last attack. He judges the change of angle poorly, and the spear jabs the open space to Morgan's left.

--

Round 9 - Staff Sod
The man looks up from his crimson stained chest and takes another step backwards, weakly pulling the staff up in front of him.

--

OOC: Morgan up next.

[Lord Bayushi]

Morgan turns his attention to his last unwounded foe. He steps forward, twisting and raising his blade and swings it, broad-bladed, in a wide arc at knee level, attempting to knock his opponent off his feet.

Attack maneuver, Step E, facing remains NE
Grip continues to be Defensive Grip

Attack is a Sweep Technique (MA81), using Two Handed Sword Skill
Two Handed Sword -15-3 [12]; [roll0]

A Sweep is subject to normal defensive rolls. If defense fails, it starts a QC of Sweep (Two Handed Sword -3, 12) vs. the defenders ST, DX, Acrobatics Skill, or best Grappling Skill (Wrestling, Judo, or Sumo Wrestling). If he loses, he is Knocked Down.

QC Roll: (Two Handed Sword -3) [12]; [roll1]

[yufra]

Round 10 - Morgan
The spearman's lunge left him overextending and he cannot shift his balance from his leading foot in time. Morgan's sword catches him at ankle height and pulls the foot off the ground, sending the man to the ground with a sharp cry. The crowd noise reaches a frenzy, but through it all Morgan hears laughter coming from behind him.

--

Round 10 - Spear Sod
The fallen man scrambles to his knees facing Morgan, clutching the spear in only his right hand.

--

Round 10 - Staff Sod
The severely wounded man continues to back away from Morgan.

--

OOC: Morgan up next.

[Lord Bayushi]

Hearing the laughter behind, Morgan takes action to remove any threat the spearman might pose. He lashes out with the sword in his right hand, in a classic over the shoulder chop, aimed at the man's right hand. Once he finishes his attack, he steps slightly closer to the wall, turning to be able to view the gruff man standing at the southern entrance.

Attack maneuver, Step (after attack) E, facing W
Grip is changed to standard single handed grip

Attack is a Telegraphic Broadsword Swing targeting Right Hand Location
Broadsword -15 -4 (Hit Location), +4 (Telegraph) [15]; [roll0]

I believe, under the circumstances, the man will have few defenses to choose from, as he can't Parry with an unready spear, and kneeling gives your dodge a -2, negating the bonus for the telegraph, and he also can't retreat.

So, assuming damage is scored, its 1d+2 Cut; [roll1]

Afterward, Morgan will turn and ascertain if the gruff man is likely to become a threat. If applicable, Body Language roll -13; [roll2]

[yufra]

Round 11 - Morgan
The crowd quiets momentarily as Morgan's blade reaches the apex of the swing and then roars as the kneeling man's right hand falls to the ground still clasping the spear haft. Morgan turns towards the southern wall and sees the gruff man leaning against the doorframe, one hand resting on the hilt of a sheathed sword. He has a strong frame and appears oblivious to the crowd, returning Morgan's stare. The crowd quietens down realizing that though the action has ceased there is another battle going on. After a few moments the gruff man shifts his weight from the door frame and begins to turn away from the arena. "You could barely handle my three man servants, I don't know why your master thought you deserved a bout with me. Maybe some day, but not today." So saying he disappears down the passage.

A few claps turn into polite applause, but it is the undercurrent of murmuring that is most noticeable.


And scene! Feel free to RP any final actions/words and we can continue the discussion in the recruitment thread. Well done sir.

[Lord Bayushi]

Morgan strides to the center of the ring, ignoring the two hapless sods still holding onto their lives. He removes his helmet, raising it to the sky in one hand while raising his sword to salute the crowd in the other.

"And watch him leave, afraid," Morgan calls. "Do you see me hurt, do you see me bloody, do you see me tired? He must be afraid."

He lingers in the crowd's attention for a few moments, then attends to the grim duty of looking to the sponsors for the fates of the wounded. Inside, he hoped he wouldn't have to kill them, but somehow felt their master would if he didn't. Still, he knew that the only way out of cages was to appease the crowd and the sponsors, and he would do what he had to in order to be free again.

And, out. Thanks for the workout, good to get back in the player's shoes again. Three on one, at this point total, can be a chore even if they are not skilled opponents.