D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

[MrAbdiel]

Surprise, here's an OOC thread. I'll edit this post with relevant information soon.

For now, please sign in with your character name, race, class, and atleast one quirk about them that their fellow soldiers would know from drilling for this drop again and again over the past weeks.

For example, in addition to all the other NPC's...

I'll be playing Captain Lorana Longsummer. She's a High Elven, Fey Wanderer Ranger and a Virtuosa Gentlewoman, a woman of class from one of the oldest princedoms in the Union. The unconfirmed rumor is that she was being courted by Virtuosa's prince, but severed the relationship when he refused to enlist personally. All through training, she played violin in a string quartet with three other elven officers who call themselves collectively The Contraband. Usually, she's a highly efficient but approachable officer and expects great things from Echo Company.




1st Squad
2nd Squad
3rd Squad



Sgt. Nikolai Farley
Sgt. Ladaran "Xilo" Xiloscient
Sgt. Alston Hillfield



Cpl. Spade
Cpl. John Falcon
Cpl. Eugene "Wolf" Vognar



Pvt Ssassten Monroe
Pvt. James O'Hara Jr
Pvt. Thaddeus "Doc" Helmholtz



Pvt. Jason Catchell
Pvt. Bruce Gamble
Pvt. Salamir "Sal" Malichinni



Pvt. Deliandi Jukbar
(Reserved for a PC)
Pvt. K'Ral Burnfaire



Pvt. Kruz Brassbeard
Pvt. Jukebox
Pvt. Jenya Moore



Pvt. Omniel Madan
Pvt. Kuzzank Stronghunter
Pvt. Lynnova Xenyss



Pvt. Harvey "Creed" Douglas
Pvt. Enshun Xanderthrax
Pvt. Brikenya McCleod



Pvt. Marguerite Curry
Pvt. Hector Longfoot
Pvt. Tarron Chaegwyn



Pvt. Gladys Hayden
Pvt. Xu Nandreth
Pvt. Tristain Ordo









Lt. Temperance Bathory
Spl. Vivienne Pierce





The LT of the 101st Skyknives, Echo Company, 3rd Platoon, is Lady Temperance Bathory! Her capable Sgts are Ladaran and Alston, along with Sgt. Nikolai Farley, a dependable half-orc rune knight and his warforged corporal Spade. Bold characters, of course, are PC's.

Standard Starting Kit (in addition to any equipment you’ve taken). This equipment weighs in at about 60 pounds, but your pack and webbing are laced with a minor enchantment that shaves it down to 10lb when properly worn.

1 pocket knife
1 set of 101st Skyknives dogtags, finely plated in silver to make them more easily targetable with friendly locating magic.
1 watch (wrist or pocket), synchronized to the platoon.
1 personal grooming kit
1 compass
2 fragmentation grenades (Thrown up to 30+(5*Strength Bonus)ft. 10ft Radius blast; 3d6 piercing, 3d6 fire damage, Reflex 13 for half and move out of the radius.)
1 Stick of Silver Putty (can be thrown like a level 1 Ice Knife spell or affixed to a frag grenade to cause it to destroy barbed wire obstacles.)
1 “Behir” class Anti-Tank mine (5d10 damage to a tank that trips it; 50% chance of reducing immunity to resistance)
1 “Weasel” class bomb (two point plastic explosive. 5d10 damage; 50% chance of reducing immunity to resistance)
1 .45 Pistol (Hand Crossbow.)
1 bayonet
2 cartons of cigarettes (normal)
1 black cigarette (‘potion’ of Spare the Dying)
1 lighter
1 flashlight (lantern)
1 first aid kit (5 charges of healer’s kit)
1 inflatable life jacket
1 helmet, with the sprayed on stencil of a dagger with angel wings
1 Skyknives Ring

Because of the unique nature of your battalion, you are not issued a standard battery of weapons, but individualized ones - the ones you’ve already chosen and reskinned.

Your Skyknives ring is a magic item that requires attunement. It is a Lesser Spell Storing ring that can hold up to three levels of spells, with cantrips occupying one level. Its stored spells can only target the wearer of the ring. They can be filled by casters normally, or ‘charged’ and stations deployed on the battlefront with spells appropriate for combat conditions. The spellcasting modifier of the ring is +1.

Before the jump, your ring is filled with the following spells:


Feather Fall
Healing Word
Purify Food and Drink.



Tomorrow, IC begins.

Edit: D-Day, Ladies and Gentlemen (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?638417-The-Ballad-of-Echo-Company-Episode-1-Naphto-Beach&p=25257777#post25257777).


“Alright, Echo Company. Listen up.”

The room hushes around you, as Captain Lorana Longsummer begins to speak. She’s soft spoken by nature, like many Virtuosans, but you and the rest of Echo Company have come to appreciate her respectful hand with the line soldiers, and the plain diligence with which she does her job preparing the company for war. Standing before the company, there is a quiet resolve in her face that forecasts the words before she speaks them.

“Tomorrow’s drop is on. Command says there’s no more cancellations, and we’re looking at calm wind and clear skies. This time tomorrow, you’ll be in the air above occupied Aquiteaux. A few minutes later, when your boots hit the ground, you’ll be standing on the first liberated patch of Aquiteaux since the Vult rolled through two years ago. Follow your sergeants, remember your training, and we’ll be pushing them back across the river Herne, and we’ll be home before Winterfeast."

It’s an ambitious hope; but you’re burning with ambition now. The drop has been cancelled five times already, and you’ve been running laps and doing combat drills with your squad for so long that you find yourself more than ready to be out there in the hurricane of lead and glory that young soldiers long for.

An aide flips a switch, and the coastal map of Aquiteaux you have by now committed to memory is flashed up on the screen with the purr of the smoothly running projector. Captain Lorana stands within the projection, casting her shadow like the dark omen of a goddess over the occupation’s bunkers, and troop distributions.

“At oh-six-hundred hours, our air raiders will start hitting the defensive installations on Naphto beach, and our ships will move into position to start shelling. We expect heavy arcane shielding, so this is as much about confusion and smoke as the chance of doing damage. A hundred and fifty thousand troops are going to be landing on that beach under the cover of that bombardment just thirty minutes later. Our job is to drop behind the bunker lines, and take out the acolytes that we know are funneling mana into the Kreigshielders. No mana means no shields; no shields means our guns hit the enemy; enemy casualties means our boys and girls down on the beach don’t have to die there. There’s no second chance, to this. If we fail to take out those shields, then Operation: Myrmidon can only succeed at the cost of more and more of our soldier’s blood, if at all. Each of you was selected to be part of Echo Company because you have the skills that make you more deadly and capable than the average soldier. That’s why the most critical task falls to you. Take out the Kreigshielders’ acolytes; then dig into cover and prepare to engage enemy reinforcements as they scramble.”

With this rehashed description of the plan you’ve heard in detail dozens of times now, Captain Longsummer gestures with patience and precision and each site and location of note. Finally, the projector clicks off; and her thoughtful elven eyes sweep their attention slowly across the assembly. She gives a bittersweet smile.

“Get some good sleep, or low-activity meditation tonight. I’ll see you all in the air. Echo Company dismissed.”


----------------------------------

So I watched Band of Brothers again, and was struck with madness. This game proposal is the result. Bring your camo-robed wizard artillerist, and your elven arcane bolt-action 'archer'; bring your tortle combat engineer and your gallant warforged bard-sergeant. The plan is for a combat heavy game with a distinct You Got Fantasy In My WW2 flavour that has been done before, but not at all done to death. Details below!

1. What game system are you running (D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palladium, GURPS, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, Revised, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)?

D&D5E, with some tweaks.

2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be (i.e. "Shadow Chasers" or "Agents of Psi" for d20 Modern)? What is the setting for the game (eg. historic period, published or homebrewed campaign setting, alternate reality, modern world, etc.)?

A thinly veiled World War 2 Analogue. How thinly veiled? Omigosh it’s so thinly veiled you guys; but setting a game in “Fantasy world that is basically WW2 Europe” is just a smoother experience to write and run than “WW2 Europe with fantasy tropes”. The world map is roughly as you’d expect it, nations have similar cultures and languages, but it’s not a perfect 1-to-1. The Unified Princedoms of Amcara, for example, is very close to the United States of America, without being precisely the same. The Kreigsvolk, presently under the command of the overbearing and meglomaniacal Vult Accord… Well, that should be pretty straight forward. You get it.

3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many?

Up to five players. Also, as many ‘drop ins’ as would like are free to show up in battle scenes with compelling one-off characters who are almost certainly fated to die tragically. But five is the number for the core group.

4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)?

The GitP forums.

5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?

Starting at Level 5. Experience will probably come fairly quickly, and I’m expecting there to be some character deaths. Replacement PCs come in one level behind the existing PCs, and level up twice to catch up with them if they survive a mission.

6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with?

None. You begin with your class’s and your background’s starting gear, plus whatever you want to buy with your starting money - and then your money goes to zero. I encourage you, and will help you, to ‘reskin’ as much of this gear as possible to something that feels WW2 era. Chainmail might be a flak jacket and helmet. A bastard sword might be a serrated Ka-Bar. And if you want to be an orc barbarian from fantasy Kentucky who kills fantasy Nazis with his entrenching tool, then as God is my witness, I will let you take an entrenching tool as a great axe.

But conversely, this isn’t a hard rule. Maybe your barbarian actually carries a great axe, which makes him distinct in a field of exploding mortar shells and bullets. That’s fine too - but a little give-and-take with the aesthetic wouldn’t hurt to keep it feeling on point.

7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or homebrewed classes?

All the official books are fine, though I’d ask players to use the official races rather than using the TCE custom shop. No homebrew classes or paths for this one, but feel free to extensively reskin the visuals of how an official class looks to make it in theme. I’m completely down with an arcane archer who enchants the rounds she fires as the group sniper; but don’t go looking for “Arcane Rifleman” from dandwiki.com. Any questions or confusion, let me know.

8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow homebrewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species?

All official races work here. You’re from the UPA, a big old melting pot of peoples - Humans, Dwarves, Warforged, Tabaxi, all of it. Additionally, it’ll help me if you decide what state your character is from. That means deciding on an American regional stereotype (the not insulting kind), contriving a thin fantasy veil for it, and putting that in your character submission. Eg, if you decided you wanted to be a Tabaxi from with that classic cowboy drawl, you’d start with Texas, rename it… Let’s say, Tezazi. And now you’re a Tezazi Tabaxi. Possibly named Maxi. If you don’t know, or care, about such regional differences of the USA, then you’re from Virtuosa - fantasy Virginia.

9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points?

Roll 4d6, keep 3. Repeat this process once. Choose the best set, allocate as you wish. Begin with one free feat.

10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?

Nothing binding about alignment, but since it interacts with certain spells and whatnots, you might as well choose one. No restriction; just be a team player.

11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?

My default position is no multiclassing. But make me an impassioned argument, and I can bend a little.

12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them?

Standard roll allocations for D&D, excepting that I reserve the right to roll your things if it’s going to spur things along (initiative, or a save if you haven’t responded in a day.)

13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.

I considered variant encumbrance, but just don’t make my eyes pop with the amount of stuff you’re carrying and we’ll be okay. But we will be using:

Inverted Attunement: It takes one action to attune to an item, and a short rest to break that attunement. This way, you can put up a fallen enemy’s or ally’s magic item mid combat and use it almost immediately.

Feats: Technically this is an optional rule, but we’re using it.

Variant Human: Come on, man. Do you have to? Play something weird for a change, you feat-stacker. But if you MUST.

Initiative: We’ll start using normal initiative, but I’ll consider using initiative blocks if it starts feeling too restrictive. If that requires some character adjustment (Refund my initiative bonus feat!) then we’ll handle that at the time.

Combat Roles: This I’ll have to put together after we have characters, but the vision for this game is very much military themed, so having designated roles that are understood in character works well. Choose a couple of archetypes that might work for your concept - things like sergeant, sniper, shocktrooper, medic, engineer, chaplain, artillerist, and so on. When I’ve selected the characters, we’ll end up with someone leading the group as the sergeant, and everyone else in another role they chose. I’ll brew up a custom feat for each character to facilitate those archetypes, and we’ll workshop them a little together before play starts so everyone is happy. Importantly, this does mean the group dynamic is a little different from the normal democratic kill squad D&D tends to be. You have a leader, they are required to give commands, you are expected to follow them. A good sergeant player will not be overbearingly prescriptive about this. “Jenkins, take out that machine gun nest!” is much better than “Jenkins, you have a third level spell left - use a fireball spell specifically, on that machine gun nest.” Jenkins may decide he doesn’t care to use his third level slot on that machine gun nest, but if he brazenly disobeys his sergeant, he’s looking for a court-martial. If you’re applying for the role of sergeant, come into it prepared to be decisive, but not controlling.

14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)?

Just a short description of your character, and what their squadmates will know about them from training together.

15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above?

Lots of combat. Lots of set up to combat. You’re in the army now, kid. But I’m a sucker for RP, so that’ll make its way in.

The combat is going to be rough. I’ll be pitching encounters at you that are a little higher than the recommended levels, so join the game with a loose grip on your character and an idea of how dramatically, or tragically, they might die in combat. And have a second idea for a character brewing, too.

16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters?

No homebrew stuff without a truly Devil-And-Daniel-Webster level convincing argument.



New Conditions:

PINNED - A pinned creature is frightened of the source of their pinning, and falls prone. They cannot stand up until they are no longer pinned, or until they have at least half-cover from the source of the pinning. A creature has advantage to save against any effect that causes pinning once the source of their pinning is no longer SUPPRESSING. A tank that would become pinned is not pinned. Instead, they make a have a 10% chance of becoming BUTTONED for one turn.

SUPPRESSING - A creature that is SUPPRESSING is maintaining steady, denying fire on a target. A target that is SUPPRESSING has a movement value of zero, and must spend their action doing nothing but maintaining their suppressing fire. They retain their Move and Bonus actions.

TANK - A tank is immune to damage from weapons and spells that are not specifically listed as Tank-Buster weapons or spells.

BUTTONED - A tank that is buttoned has closed all its hatches and slots to protect its crew from intense small arms fire. It has disadvantage on all attack rolls.

These conditions may need tweaking as that becomes obvious; but as it stands, having a rifle means you can attack with it normally, or use it to attempt to suppress a target (a Wisdom save equal to a value attached to the weapon. Probably a 13 for a basic rifle, more than that for heavier weapons.) Targets can break pinning at the end of their turn, with advantage if the one who pinned them isn't maintaining suppression. Tanks don't get pinned, but they can get buttoned.

As for the Archetypes, I've gone with them having an alternative use for inspiration in Skirmish Engagement, and a listed contribution to Ranged Engagement.

Rifleman:

Inspiration Use: Immediately remove any pinned, frightened, and prone conditions you are suffering. Gain your level in temporary hitpoints. Allies within 5ft of you are no longer pinned or frightened.
In Ranged Engagement: Begin the Engagement with their level in Temporary HP. Add a D6 to the Force’s Damage.

Sniper:
Inspiration Use: Choose an enemy within your line of sight. The next time you make an attack against this enemy, a hit will cause a critical hit, and a miss will cause the target to become PINNED until the end of its next turn.
In Ranged Engagement: Add a D12 to the Force’s Damage.

Engineer:
Inspiration Use: You immediately disable any single trap, hazard, door or terrain feature within 30ft; or repair one as you prefer. Doing so has a 50% chance of Inspiring a random ally who witnesses your work.
In Ranged Engagement: Add a D6 to the Force’s Damage, and add their proficiency bonus to the Force’s attack roll.

Heavy Support:
Inspiration Use: You may immediately cause every enemy in a 100ft cone to become PINNED.
In Ranged Engagement: Add a D12 to the Force’s Damage.

Shocktrooper:
Inspiration Use: If you cause a critical hit in melee, or reduce an enemy to zero hit points in melee, you may immediately cause all enemy creatures within 30ft of you to become frightened of you. Doing so has a 50% chance of Inspiring a random ally who witnesses your work.
In Ranged Engagement: Add a D6 to the Force’s Damage. Always takes the heaviest hit. Adds Proficiency bonus to damage reduction.

Leader:
Inspiration Use: You may immediately give Inspiration to two allies. Doing so has a 50% chance of Inspiring a random ally who witnesses your work.
In Ranged Engagement: Add a D6 to the Force’s Damage. Add their proficiency to the squad’s attack roll and defensive value.

Medic:
Inspiration Use: You may immediately spend a use of a Healer’s Kit to cause an ally adjacent to you to recover hit points as if they had benefited from a short rest. Doing so has a 100% chance of Inspiring a random ally who witnesses your work.
In Ranged Engagement: Add a D6 to the Force’s Damage. Add their proficiency bonus to the squad’s defensive value.

Mortar Operator:
Inspiration Use: You may immediately spend inspiration to call in a mortar strike as long as you have access to a radio, a message spell, or a similar communication technique. This mortar strike is provided by another member of the Brotherhood of Steel Rain whose mortar is off the map, and not within minimum range, like yours is. You will, from time to time, be expected to return the favor! Select a target when you spend this Inspiration. At initiative 0 each turn, there is a chance equal to 5* your level that the strike will arrive. A mortar strike has the impact of a Flame Strike spell, except with force damage substituted for the radiant damage.
In Ranged Engagement: Add a D20 to the Force’s Damage.

Basically, I plan to use the inspiration mechanic more liberally than it gets used typically!

I decided to roll Chaplain into Leader, and to drop Grenadier and Tank-Buster entirely, leaving those ideas to be expressed in weapons and spells alone. Kept Mortar Operator though; though because Skirmish combat occurs inside of minimum mortar range, I decided that the UPA army has a warrior lodge called the Brotherhood of Steel Rain, to which all mortar operators belong. They're honor-bound to assist each other in combat by blind firing into the co-ordinates radioed to them by their comrades if they are able. Thus, a mortar man will fire directly when in Ranged Engagement, but in Skirmish Engagement (typical DnD combat) they'll actually be calling in mortar strikes from NPC's off the map, which have an unreliable drop rate to balance the fact that they're a damn flamestrike.

And here's a rough look at what Ranged Engagement will look like.



RANGED ENGAGEMENT (Beta, subject to change.):


At the onset of a ranged engagement, both force’s leaders secretly decide whether they will continue to engage at range, or whether they will close to skirmish range. If both decide to operate at range, they both attack one another using the rules below. If one decided to attack and the other to close, the attacker gets a turn of firing using the rules below before initiative is rolled and Skirmish combat begins. If both decide to close to Skirmish range, then both forces charge at one another and skirmish combat begins immediately! Naturally, an enemy force that is unaware of your approach or attack cannot react to it except to be shot at, and to bleed in protest.

During a turn of ranged engagement, both forces take a turn making a single abstract attack against an enemy force. The attack roll is 1d20, adding the Leader’s intelligence modifier and proficiency bonus (double the proficiency bonus, if they have an Engineer on staff). The target number is 10+ the enemy’s Wisdom modifier, and proficiency bonus (double the proficiency if they have a medic in the force!).


It is assumed in any turn of Ranged Engagement that there are numerous flesh wounds, near misses, and manageable exchanges of damage. If a force suffers a hit, they have taken a serious number of significant hits to be expressed in damage dice. The damage a force deals depends on the members of the force.


Riflemen, Engineers, Leaders, Shocktroopers and Medics each add a D6 damage dice to the hit.


Snipers and Heavy Support each at a D12 to the hit.


Mortar Operators add a D20 to the hit.


For example, a squad containing one of each of these archetypes is attacking an identical force. Both would, if their commanders scored hits, be dealing 5d6+2d12+1d20 damage. Damage dice are divided into a number of pools equal to half the number of the target force - in this example, 4 pools - more or less evenly. These are attributed to random members in the squad, who gods willing are not hit more than once, then the damage is rolled normally - with the only exception to this random attribution being that the hit with the highest dice pool must strike a Shocktrooper if possible. Every squad member may reduce the damage they take by their leader’s Charisma modifier, as they are bolstered and encouraged through the storm of war. While the highest rank soldier contributes their INT and WIS bonuses to attack and defence of the force, any Leader with a rank - most often a squad sergeant - can offer his or her CHA bonus as damage reduction to any soldier under his authority. Imagine the Platoon's Lt. has a Charisma Bonus of +1, and the sergeants of 1st and 2nd squad have CHA bonuses of +0 and +4 respectively. All three have taken the Leader archetype, so they are able to leverage that Archetype to contribute in Ranged Engagement. When 1st squad takes a hit, they are entitled to reduce the value of that hit by their sergeant's +4, which is much better than the +1 available from the Lt. First squad isn't so lucky - their sergeant is a leader of men in skirmish action and maybe angling for field commission to use his INT and WIS down the track... but he's not the warm and encouraging type. First squad will have to make do with the 1 point of reduction available from the Lt, as distant and busy a figure as they are!

In this example, there would be four pools of dice - (1d6+1d6), (1d6+1d12), (1d6+1d12), and (1d6+1d20). There are four of these pools because there are eight squaddies, and four is half of eight. They’re randomly assigned to squad members - let’s say the second and third pools hit individual soldiers, but in a stroke of bad luck, the first and fourth strike the same squaddie for a thumping (3d6+1d20) damage. Luckily the squad has a shocktrooper, who is best prepared to take the damage on the chin. The damage from all the hits is rolled, reduced by the charisma modifier of the squad’s leader, and inflicted on the soldiers.


Contributing to the Ranged Engagement meaningfully is an action. This means that soldiers may freely take bonus actions they deem helpful (casting spells to heal their team mates, or raging to prepare for a big hit). If a soldier uses their action to do anything other than contribute to the ranged combat, the force does not benefit from their damage die, or any other bonuses they provide - though they are still liable to be randomly struck by a damage pool from the enemy’s attack.

If that looks a little crunchy for your taste, don't worry about it - most of the math happens on my side. The idea is that Ranged Engagement will go on for one or two rounds of softening-up fire before one side decides they ought to try their luck at getting closer!


The Golden Hour is the hour after bodily trauma has been received in which it is responsive to healing magic. Each additional hour or part thereof after a specific injury is received requires a healing spell of one level higher to be effective. For example, imagine a driver stumbling out of the darkness to into the medical tent, having just had to walk for just under five hours after being in a jeep accident. He'd better hope there's a level 9 cleric in the house, because his injuries won't respond to less than a 5th level spell slot. A soldier who gets shot in the first hour of a 10 hour operation, however, is beyond even the reaches of the most powerful healing magic available. Largely, this means that most recovery from injury happens over long recovery breaks in medical tents and makeshift hospitals, under the care of trained physicians and nurses rather than chugging at the faucet of celestial pact warlock heals. For supernatural healing abilities that are not spells (lay on hands, or the Aasimar healing hands ability for example), the functional level of the heal is equal to half the healer's level or CR, rounding up. A successful Medicine check (usually at DC 10) will give an observer a good idea of how many hours old an injury is.

As PCs, the primary way you heal is by spending hit dice on a short rest and regaining all HP on a long rest. This is a game of heroism and teamwork, and it wouldn't be any good if characters were made to sit out for months at a time as the recovered. Therefore, you should treat healing from short and long rests not so much as becoming fully healed, but as your character receiving enough medical attention to muscle through the pain, hiding their injuries to not let their comrades down, or sneaking out of the medical tent to join their squad against flabbergasted doctor's orders.

There are a bunch of regional languages. Common is spoken in Albinon and Amcara. The Kreigvolk speak Kreigspiel. The Aquiteauxans speak l'aquitaire. Far on the other side of the war, the Vuskarran People's Panoply speaks Vusk, and demands all who live under its authority speak it too. The other major members of the Nexus powers include Hito-Mori, in which Mori is spoken; and Vicio Ascendio, the newly reborn nation of Vicio out of almost a thousand years of petty bickering and backstabbing amongst its member states. They speak Vicioni.

So especially relevant languages are Kreigspiel, L'Aquitaire, Vusk, Mori,and Vicioni. Along with any you care to make up. These regional languages we'll do a little different from the core languages.

You're welcome for your character to know one of these languages if you're entitled to learn one from a background or trait from somewhere. Additionally, for every point of Intelligence Bonus you have, you know one of these languages at a lesser level, but enough to navigate through any non-technical conversation. Obviously this campaign takes place in with mostly Kreigsprechers and L'Aquitiare parlants, so they're the most immediately useful. But if you pick something else, or make one up, I'll try to feature it every now and then.

Anyone who doesn't know Kreigspiel has been given a Kriegspiel primer, and you know the terms "Surrender", "Disarm", "Kneel", "Stop", and "Move". You've been trained in a little more than that, but once you go beyond those 5 terms, you're going to need to make Intelligence tests to make yourself understood. Difficulty of such a test, presuming a simple message (E.G. "Where is the hospital?") is typically going to be 30 minus the target's Intelligence score.

Of course, ask me anything about the game and I'll answer. I hope there's at least a few players who are as keen for this particular genre mashup as I am.

[stanleyindraven]

Private Bruce Gamble. A goliath of a man from the foot hills of Greater Carolean. A brutish barbarian of a man, obviously not from the most civilized regions. He is always looking at way to make money, even if they are not exactly legal. He is a big fan of stickball, and will often try to get others to play.

https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2538118

[JbeJ275]

Salamir "Sal (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2540225)" Malichinni

Salamir is a tiefling artillerist artificer, an expierienced machinist and mechanic he worked on the arcane rail engines and then the tank factories, there he could have been excempt from service as essential to the war effort but volunteered anyway with some other lads from the city, they ended up scattered across a dozen fronts but still keep in contact. Salamir's always tinkering with his kit especially when nervous about stuff like the upcoming drop.

[Heavenblade]

James O'hara jr., reporting for duty!

A tortle chaplain who grew up between military camps, raised by the soldiers around him and educated by his elderly father, a chaplain who fought in the last war.
He tends to curse out almost anything - enemies, allies, inanimate objects - but since he IS a clergy man, he doesn't use swear words - but instead makes creative use of words and expressions from the scripture to the best of his (pretty impressive) ability.

https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2538557

[Awful]

Lt Temperence Bathory. (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2542417)

The Lady isn't just for show, she's technically a Countess. Not that that matters in the army, though. Very smart - in her own fields, at least, she's inexperienced in actually commanding men in battle. She's capable of both magical support, counterspelling, and raising the dead to act as meatshields. She habitually plays with a cigerette if she can't smoke one, reads romance novels despite outwardly decrying them as a waste of time, and actually cares about her soldiers far more than she pretends.

(I'll draw something suitable at a later date)

[Cavir]

Sgt. Ladaran "Xilo" Xiloscient (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2545697) may be a wood elf from the mountains of northeast UPA, but he is noble born, tall, and among the strongest in the unit. All that on top of being the best shot in the squad. He grew up with tough training on many weapons both ancient and modern as well as the basics for his far future as a noble which included an introduction into magics and leading others. A student of war history he enjoys tactics and strategy to win battles whether on the real battlefield or a dragonchess board. He is exacting in the training of himself and others but expecting that same level of training from others is a weakness for him. He may not be the brightest or best leader in the army but he's working on it, often inspiring his troops to eek out every bit of themselves in a real fight.

[PartyOfRogues]

Pvt. K’ral Burnfaire (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2546729) reporting as ordered! Unfortunately it’s getting late so I’ll add some backstory here some time tomorrow.

[Waistcoatwill]

Pvt. Thaddeus "Doc" Helmholz (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2538279) is a halfling from the Upper Occidental Side of Neu Titansberg. He is a gifted surgeon and was a keen sportsman in his college days, including captaining the wrestling team amongst other extracurriculars. He can patch anyone up in the blink of an eye and use his knowledge of anatomy to devastating effect if completely necessary (Thief Rogue).

He isn't much keen on this whole killing people business or pesky things like rank and chain of command. He was busted down to private and his skills were put to use as a battlefield medic after insubordination to the wrong "worried well" senior officer.

He is a big fan of watching stickball (Golems for life!) and is never without his 'lucky' signed Babau Ruth card. He claims to be able to make a hangover cure out of anything given enough time and seems to get rather a lot of practice at it. The squad has even seen it work on a few occasions. He isn't always polite but he'll always help those he sees suffering.

@ JbeJ275 - would you rather Doc and Sal felt some kinship as they're both from the Big Bronze or should they start out a little antagonistic (supporting different teams, disagreeing on the best food joints in Neu Titansberg etc)?

Edit: I might fluff his existing shortlist and his .45 as holding/aiming his pistol with one or two hands so that he isn't laden down with lots of guns if that's okay?

[MrAbdiel]

Anyone who has posted their sheet is encouraged to join in the IC Thread here! (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?638417-The-Ballad-of-Echo-Company-Episode-1-Naphto-Beach&p=25257777#post25257777)

[JbeJ275]

@ JbeJ275 - would you rather Doc and Sal felt some kinship as they're both from the Big Bronze or should they start out a little antagonistic (supporting different teams, disagreeing on the best food joints in Neu Titansberg etc)?


I think a good natured rivalry probably fits best, endlessly ribbing each other for being wrong in their opinion about everything in the city that counts but reluctantly fond of the similarities that exist and unwilling to hear anyone else take shots at the other's neighbourhood. Salamir being quietly and fondly jealous of your lucky card (great fluff btw, if I knew another appropriate athlete from the era I'd refluff my Mind Sharpener infusion). That all work with you?

[MrAbdiel]

Edit: I might fluff his existing shortlist and his .45 as holding/aiming his pistol with one or two hands so that he isn't laden down with lots of guns if that's okay?

I agree to this only if you have your character lose his rifle in an interesting way in the jump. :)

[Waistcoatwill]

I think a good natured rivalry probably fits best, endlessly ribbing each other for being wrong in their opinion about everything in the city that counts but reluctantly fond of the similarities that exist and unwilling to hear anyone else take shots at the other's neighbourhood. Salamir being quietly and fondly jealous of your lucky card (great fluff btw, if I knew another appropriate athlete from the era I'd refluff my Mind Sharpener infusion). That all work with you?

That sounds excellent! Heaven help anyone from New Guernsey we run across who starts taking jabs at us.


@ MrAbdiel- I'll do my best!

Edit: Thanks for the AC boost, our medic is a wee bit squishy!

[JbeJ275]

So is that everyone from the original thread? Or are there more people we're still waiting on to show up? And in game are we gonna have some sort of turn times for combat stuff?

[MrAbdiel]

It’s most of the folks from the original thread. I’m going to give another day or two for people to check in IC on the plane before moving things along.

As far as combat goes, to save on migraines, I’ll take an initiative check from the senior officers in a scene and we’ll do initiative by squad. If the thread looks like it’s stalling because one or two members in a squad are delayed because life is a real thing and a constant vexation to our fantasy worlds, I’ll default those characters to the most sensible action I can consider for them (usually dodge or aid another in combat).

[MrAbdiel]

P.S., when I mark a spoiler as 'fluff' that means I explicitly don't mind players for whom it is not marked reading it. You might as well, we're here to write and read and have fun in a story. But if you're not the intended recipient, do be aware that it's player knowledge for you, and not character knowledge!


Also, pursuant to a question I did not answer earlier, some extra equipment on a per-squad basis:

1 set of binoculars
1 squad radio (a backpack unit with a mechanical radio, and a breakable compartment containing two wooden dowels, which can be broken to cast Sending.
Enough ammo shared out among the squad that it's not an issue to track unless I introduce it specifically as a plot complication
1 detailed map of the area around Naphto beach (not marked with troop movements, which are memorized).
1 signal whistle (Horn of Silent Alarm)

All these items are in the possession of a squad's corporal, unless he or the Sgt divvies them out otherwise in the field. The exception is the radio, which is always with the squad's designated radioman or radiowoman, who is the last entry on the roster in this thread for each squad. So for 2nd Squad, it's Pvt Xu Nandreth, a sharp eyed drow lad. For 3rd squad, it's Pvt Tristain Ordo, a shaved-headed human chap with a whole bunch of small talismans looped onto the chain with his dogtags.

[Continental Op]

Hey all, sorry Corporal Eugene "Wolf" Vognar (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2538651) is late to the party. I was traveling, and didn't see the third column on the squad list on my phone. I have retooled him a bit, focusing on crossbows and extra attacks. He is Heavy Support for the squad.

Wolf is from a farm outside a small town in northern Wiscanland. His time spent as the star thrower of his high school tackleball team has translated well here in the Army, even if book-learnin' and technical equipment are beyond him. A good soldier and team player, he was elevated to Corporal quickly. Wolf spends his spare time playing cards with anyone who will join him, and trying to organize tackleball games (he will play stickball if necessary, but doesn't like it as much). He goes out of his way to talk and listen to every member of his squad; team camaraderie is very important to him. He has taken to the Army very well, but does complain about the lack of cheese in army food.

[MrAbdiel]

Great! I think that’s everyone with a character sheet now, with one spot of AvatarVecna shows up soon or else for another recruit later. Get ye all to the IC thread, strapped in and ready to make history, and don’t delay - It’ll all be over by Winter Feast!

[Cavir]

Maybe we drop back down to 1 squad for now?

[MrAbdiel]

Maybe we drop back down to 1 squad for now?

Oh, I wouldn’t worry. I have plans that will level that out. Expect a post tomorrow night to move things along.

[MrAbdiel]

My apologies, gang; I thought I'd have more free time today than I did, and now it's 11:21PM and I ought to line up a good amount of sleep, what with real world job and all. I'll make good on that post tomorrow.

[MrAbdiel]

Did you guys know that, of the 439th Operations Group that carried a non-trivial chunk of the 101st Airborne into Normandy, of the 81 aircraft used in their operation, 3 were destroyed utterly in the assault and 7 more were damaged significantly?

Unrelatedly, hey @Cavir ! I'm giving you the honor of rolling me a D81, if you would be so kind. Try to roll above a 10.

[stanleyindraven]

son of a...

[Cavir]

Nope, interesting tidbit. Last night on YT saw a vid from the German perspective south of the Bulge where 1 soldier plus 2 Panthers took out 9 Shermans, captured 12 more and 60 soldiers. Ah, here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86K0ncTkAkA) it is.

Above a 10 eh? Not aiming to be #1....

[roll0] (just kidding)
[roll1]

Don't worry about the RL delay, we're all infected with it.

[Continental Op]

Woo hoo! (I hope)

[MrAbdiel]

Nope, interesting tidbit. Last night on YT saw a vid from the German perspective south of the Bulge where 1 soldier plus 2 Panthers took out 9 Shermans, captured 12 more and 60 soldiers. Ah, here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86K0ncTkAkA) it is.

Above a 10 eh? Not aiming to be #1....

[roll0] (just kidding)
[roll1]

Don't worry about the RL delay, we're all infected with it.

… that joke roll just saved you from a natural 2.

[Cavir]

… that joke roll just saved you from a natural 2.
We'd all be dead and fighting at Valhalla's version of Naphto Beach.
Then again, maybe #54 was one of the ones shot down and we are now part of the big battle in the sky...

[MrAbdiel]

I have posted, and the rolls begin now.

Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of the various D&D gods or if you prefer a setting-specific fantasy version of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

AvatarVecna hasn't produced a character at this point, so I'm going to remove them from the list for the game with no malice or grudge. The forums are full of folks putting their hand up for games they soon discover they can't contribute to for one reason or another. I've messaged Novabomb who just missed the cut off to see if they want to jump in.

[Cavir]

1) CON Save DC 10 [roll0]
2) WIS Save DC 10 [roll1]
3) DEX Save DC 10 [roll2]
4) Equipment malfunction [roll3]
5) Randomness [roll4]


Take (1d10)[8] slashing and (1d10)[10] lightning on a failure; or half on a successful save.
So much for flak jackets LOL

[PartyOfRogues]

CON Save: [roll0]
WIS Save: [roll1]
DEX Save: [roll2]
Equipment Failure: [roll3]
Randomness: [roll4]

[Continental Op]

Con save:
WIS save: [roll1]

DEX save: [roll2]
Equipment: [roll3]
Randomness: [roll4]

Edit: Damn. Re-rolling the Dex save because of disadvantage from the fear effect?

Dex save: [roll]1d20+4

[stanleyindraven]

ooo, here we go

Con: [roll0]
Wis: [roll1]

Dex: [roll2]
Malfunction: [roll3]
Randomness: [roll4]

[Continental Op]

Okay, so doing Dex save in a new post? [roll0]

[JbeJ275]

Crossing fingers that I get to do anything before being bloodied and made invalid for a while.

Con:
[roll0]
Wis:
[roll1]

Dex:
[roll2]

Chute:

[roll3]

Chance:

[roll4]

[Waistcoatwill]

Oof, we got unlucky with that dragon attack shrapnel!

1) CON Save DC 10 [roll0]
2) WIS Save DC 10 [roll1] or [roll2] thanks to halfling bravery
3) DEX Save DC 10 [roll3]
4) Equipment malfunction [roll4]
5) Randomness [roll5]

Edit: I think Thaddeus would know he has a weak stomach from previous flights.

Really thought I'd rolled a 1 on equipment malfunction there!

Looks like he'll be good and busy patching folk up when we land.

Also, I adore our friend-foe call.

[Novabomb]

Pvt Gabriel Ginger
Human Arcane Trickster. Raised by Halflings, enjoys explosions a bit more than is considered healthy.
Certainly has offered to "hold on" to your spare explosives.
Hes from the Virgin Fields, and grew up growin ginger.

(WIP)
https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2550492

[Waistcoatwill]

@ Continental Op - I think its just attacks and ability checks and not saves. Fortunately poor Wolf did well on both Dex saves anyway.

Hope you don't mind Doc jumping in and giving him sick bags. Being covered in puke as well seemed really harsh!

Also greetings Novabomb!

[MrAbdiel]

Pvt Gabriel Ginger

(WIP)
https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2550492

Howdy, Novabomb; and welcome to 2nd Squad. What archetype were you leaning toward? Rifleman's a solid default for an arcane trickster who wants to be close enough to use spells but also to attack from range. But the choice is of course yours! The Archetypes are in the Experimental rules section both in the original post of this thread, and of the recruitment thread.

[Cavir]

Welcome Novabomb. Might as well go ahead and roll the 5 checks for Pvt Ginger.

Should we roll for the NPC members of the squad so we know how things are going in terms of sickness and fear? As Sgt I'm kinda waiting on sickness/fear rolls for the rest of the squad before another IC.

Updated the chart. Feel free to add it to the OP of the threads. Let me know if changes needed/desired.



Player
Name
Squad
Race
Class
Archetype
Home State


Awful (https://forums.giantitp.com/member.php?165241-Awful)
Lt Temperance Bathory (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2542417)
All
Dhampir
Wizard
Mortarwoman/Leader
?


-----
-----
-----
-----
-----
-----
-----


Cavir (https://forums.giantitp.com/member.php?76433-Cavir)
Sgt Ladaran "Xilo" Xiloscient (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2545697)
2nd
Wood Elf
Fighter
Leader
The White Mountains


Rokku (https://forums.giantitp.com/member.php?8052-Rokku)
Cpl John Falcon (https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/60301995/jsF8lU)
2nd
Half-Elf
Warlock
Rifleman
Neu Titansberg (Bruckland)


Heavenblade (https://forums.giantitp.com/member.php?168570-Heavenblade)
Pvt James O'Hara Jr. (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2538557)
2nd
Tortle
Cleric
Heavy Support
?


stanlyindraven (https://forums.giantitp.com/member.php?60132-stanleyindraven)
Pvt Bruce Gamble (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2538118)
2nd
Goliath
Barbarian
Shocktrooper
Greater Carolean


Novabomb (https://forums.giantitp.com/member.php?117802-Novabomb)
Pvt Gabriel Ginger (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2550492)
2nd
Human
Rogue
?
?


-----
-----
-----
-----
-----
-----
-----


abwinningh42 (https://forums.giantitp.com/member.php?81598-abwinningh42)
Sgt Alston Hillfield (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2538825)
3rd
Dwarf
Ranger
Rifleman
Tennesti


Continental Op (https://forums.giantitp.com/member.php?229216-Continental-Op)
Pvt Eugene "Wolf" Vognar (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2538651)
3rd
Shifter (Longtooth)
Fighter
?
Wiscanland


Waistcoatwill (https://forums.giantitp.com/member.php?244754-Waistcoatwill)
Pvt Thaddeus 'Doc' Helmholtz (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2538279)
3rd
Halfling (Mark of Healing)
Rogue
Medic
Neu Titansburg (Upper Occidental Side)



JbeJ275 (https://forums.giantitp.com/member.php?152851-JbeJ275)
Sal (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2540225)
3rd
Tiefling
Artificer
Engineer
Neu Titansberg (Hell's Station)


Party of Rogues (https://forums.giantitp.com/member.php?214234-PartyOfRogues)
K’ral Burnfaire (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2546729)
3rd
Eladrin
Rogue
Sniper
?

[Waistcoatwill]

Doc is a fancy lad from thr Upper Occidental Side.

[MrAbdiel]

Should we roll for the NPC members of the squad so we know how things are going in terms of sickness and fear? As Sgt I'm kinda waiting on sickness/fear rolls for the rest of the squad before another IC.

I’ll do a big old roll up for the NPCs abs tardy PCs when I advance the scene a little, pending other folks making their rolls and posting their jump.

[Novabomb]

Howdy, Novabomb; and welcome to 2nd Squad. What archetype were you leaning toward? Rifleman's a solid default for an arcane trickster who wants to be close enough to use spells but also to attack from range. But the choice is of course yours! The Archetypes are in the Experimental rules section both in the original post of this thread, and of the recruitment thread.

Pvt Ginger is a sapper, which means his specialty is explosives, and getting close enough to use them.
I am split between the Engineer, and Mortar Operator archtypes. He is going to have the message cantrip anyway since I figure he is likely to fill a scouting role.

[MrAbdiel]

Sounds like engineer to me, my friend!

[Novabomb]

Sry, was trying to figure out what these rolls were for (found the IC)


Con Save [roll0]
Wisdom Save [roll1]
Dex Save [roll2]
Parachute [roll3]
Randomness [roll4]


Engineer sounds like a plan.

(I will edit the comment with the sheet with background info in the near future)

[Waistcoatwill]

Just a thought, can my mark of healing lesser restoration help with folk who are pinned or who have this general combat fear? I don't necessarily expect it to but I thought it couldn't hurt to ask.

[MrAbdiel]

Alas, since Lesser Restoration doesn't have an effect on the frightened condition, I'm inclined to say no. It could relieve the ongoing poisoned condition on a natural one on the fort save; but not the fear from the wisdom save.

[Cavir]

Riflemen use for Inspiration:

Inspiration Use: Immediately remove any pinned, frightened, and prone conditions you are suffering. Gain your level in temporary hitpoints. Allies within 5ft of you are no longer pinned or frightened.
Something to keep in mind. The Leadership's use doesn't seem to help here, though that may be a good thing to adjust. Something like the Rifleman use, but only for others. This is my first 5e game so I don't know much much Inspiration is tossed around.

Leader:

Inspiration Use: You may immediately give Inspiration to two allies. Doing so has a 50% chance of Inspiring a random ally who witnesses your work.

[MrAbdiel]

Inspiration is usually doled out so sparingly most DM's forget it exists. I'm trying to be more generous in this game, by adding more uses for it and more ways for it to appear spontaneously. The leader's ability is valuable in that it doubles - maybe triples - that resource when he or she gets it, and can parse it out with precision instead of the random ways this experimental system usually dispenses it. Thus, a leader with inspiration could give an order to a couple of riflemen to get the company moving out of pinned; and those riflemen could use the inspiration they received to break pinning and fear on the soldiers near them as they burst from the trench and make their move.

That's the theory, anyway.

[Waistcoatwill]

That sounds brilliantly cinematic and tropey!

[Cavir]

Thanks. The only other system I've done with something like Inspiration was World of Darkness many many years ago. I don't remember the terminology. Doing something that embraced your character would get you credits towards the relative stat. After enough credits the stat would go up. That was instead of leveling up like in D&D. The GM was very liberal with the credits which further fed sticking to your character. At the end of each session we'd each made a list of things our char should get credits for then she'd approve or reject each item. Extraordinary actions would give credits right then.

Do we all start with Inspiration on? It will be curious to see how often it is spent and given out. The example you gave on how to use is helpful.

[MrAbdiel]

You don't start with inspiration, I'm afraid. Inspiration is traditionally given out by the DM to reward some particularly cool or interesting roleplay or move; or, more methodically, taking actions that aren't necessarilly mechnically optimal, but which line up with your character's flaw, ideal, goal, or personality. As of this moment, I haven't given anyone in the group Inspiration; not for lack of performance, but because I haven't really given any opportunities to 'earn' it yet.

If my projection for the system works right, a squad should gain inspiration slowly but reliably in combat; but more rarely outside of it, because I don't want a squad loading up on inspiration and unleashing it all at once at the beginning of a battle. It's more of a.. score a critical hit that decapitates a Vult soldier who was about to sound the alarm? Sounds cool to me, gain an inspiration. Fail to attack the Vult guard because your character has an ethical objection to drawing first blood, and as such the alarm goes off? Sounds characterful, gain an inspiration.

I'm going to advance the scene a bit tomorrow morning when I wake up. Anyone who hasn't posted about their jump before then is still welcome to stumble out of the woods and join the party afterwards; but they're still gonna have to make those 5 rolls and suffer the consequences!

[MrAbdiel]

Rolls for tardy PCs. Hope to see you folks IC soon!

Rokku - Cpl John Falcon

Con Save [roll0] - Natural 1! Throws up, and is poisoned.
Wis Save [roll1] - Fail. Is Frightened until given the opportunity to save it off.
Dex Save [roll2] - Fail. Takes the whole shebang of 17 damage, leaving him at 21/38.
Malfunction Check [roll3] - No Drama
Randomness Check [roll4] - Secret GM Business



abwinningh42 - Sgt Alston Hillfield

Con Save [roll5] - Pass!
Wis Save [roll6] - Pass!
Dex Save [roll7] - Fail. Takes the whole shebang of 17 damage, leaving him at 33/50.
Malfunction Check [roll8] - No Drama
Randomness Check [roll9] - Secret GM Business


Awful - Lt Temperance Bathory

Con Save [roll10] - Fail. Throws up... blood, I guess. Double gross!
Wis Save [roll11] - Pass!
Dex Save [roll12] - Fail. Takes the whole shebang of 17 damage, leaving her at 15/32.
Malfunction Check [roll13] - No Drama
Randomness Check [roll14] - Secret GM Business

[MrAbdiel]

I'm not going to roll all the saves for the NPCs - they're backgroundy enough that I'm going to fiat what's most interesting about how sick, frightened, and butt-kicked they are. But I will roll the malfunction roll, and the randomness roll.

Sgt. Nikolai Farley [roll0]; [roll1].
Cpl. Spade [roll2]; [roll3].
Pvt Ssassten Monroe [roll4]; [roll5].
Pvt. Jason Catchell [roll6]; [roll7].
Pvt. Deliandi Jukbar [roll8]; [roll9].
Pvt. Kruz Brassbeard [roll10]; [roll11].
Pvt. Omniel Madan [roll12]; [roll13].
Pvt. Harvey "Creed" Douglas [roll14]; [roll15].
Pvt. Marguerite Curry [roll16]; [roll17].
Pvt. Gladys Hayden [roll18]; [roll19].

Pvt. Jukebox [roll20]; [roll21].
Pvt. Kuzzank Stronghunter [roll22]; [roll23].
Pvt. Enshun Xanderthrax [roll24]; [roll25].
Pvt. Hector Longfoot [roll26]; [roll27].
Pvt. Xu Nandreth [roll28]; [roll29].

Pvt. Jenya Moore [roll30]; [roll31].
Pvt. Lynnova Xenyss [roll32]; [roll33].
Pvt. Brikenya McCleod [roll34]; [roll35].
Pvt. Tarron Chaegwyn [roll36]; [roll37].
Pvt. Tristain Ordo [roll38]; [roll39].

Spl. Vivienne Pierce [roll40]; [roll41].

[MrAbdiel]

Oh, I almost forgot:

Captain Lorana Longsummer

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Waistcoatwill]

Oh no! Sal got separated from squad 3! Still, if anyone can sneak into a bunker to take out some machine guns and save the others it's a group with three rogues and stealth specced ranger and fighter.

I've got lots of med packs for anyone that makes it off the beach alive!

[Awful]

Gaah, sorry, this entirely slipped my attention!
I'll post tomorrow.

[Cavir]

Gaah, sorry, this entirely slipped my attention!
I'll post tomorrow.

Ahuh.... LT spending too much time in the officer's club :smallbiggrin:

MrAbdiel, could you clarify the “Weasel” class bomb please? Is it a satchel charge we could set then through into a bunker?

[MrAbdiel]

Ahuh.... LT spending too much time in the officer's club :smallbiggrin:

MrAbdiel, could you clarify the “Weasel” class bomb please? Is it a satchel charge we could set then through into a bunker?

Sure can. Since WW2 paratroopers carried a Gammon Bomb (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gammon_bomb), which is the purpose made replacement for the improvised sticky-bomb. It's basically a little elastic bag you stuff with up to two pounds of C2 explosive and whip at stationary vehicles.

But honestly, now that you mention it, the satchel charge is basically a more iconic version of the same deal, so... Yeah, let's say when it's prepared it's a satchel charge. But if you feel the need to be creative, feel free to try to convince me to use the explosives in other ways.


These units found the Gammon bomb to be particularly useful due to its small size and weight when unfilled, as well as its adaptability. It was even effective against armoured vehicles, and paratroopers called it their "hand artillery". It was also popular as a small amount of the C2 fast-burning explosive could heat a mug of coffee or K-rations without giving off any smoke from the bottom of a foxhole.

[MrAbdiel]

Blah! I had hoped to have the two scenes set up by now, but I'm afraid time has crept up and I need to spend it sleeping before work. Sorry for the delay; look for new movement tomorrow!

[Waistcoatwill]

Nae bo', you set yourself no easy task and it's been delightfully/horrifyingly atmospheric so far. Poor Archer company!

[Awful]

Oh yeah. When it comes to damage, Bathory's abjuration barrier should have absorbed 15 of that damage, so she'd have only taken two points of it.

[MrAbdiel]

Oh yeah. When it comes to damage, Bathory's abjuration barrier should have absorbed 15 of that damage, so she'd have only taken two points of it.

Oh, I bet you're glad you had that! :D

Scenes are up, please proceed to your designated combat theatre and establish your presence. Everyone's objective: regroup with the platoon, and figure out what the hell is going on.

The company is scattered. Waistcoatwill, Continental Op, Novabomb, PartyOfRogues, and abwinningh42: You are blown back almost to the bunker line on the sea wall, near to the elevated machine gun emplacements and, importantly, not the Kreigshield acolytes you were hoping to smoke, but the full blown, powerful Kreigshielder Magi themselves. You'll be proceeding to The Best Laid Plans. (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?638866-The-Ballad-of-Echo-Company-Episode-1B-The-Best-Laid-Plans&p=25269413#post25269413)

Stanleyindraven, Cavir, JbeJ275, Heavenblade, Rokku, and Awful - you've been blown back OVER the bunker line, all the way down to Naphto beach itself. You're going to splash down in the shallows, crawl up onto the sands, and have little choice but to join the poor grunts trying to survive in the storm of lead and spellfire as you advance up the beach and try to regroup with the rest of the company. You'll be proceeding to Two Hundred Yards Of Nightmare. (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?638867-The-Ballad-of-Echo-Company-Episode-1A-Two-Hundred-Yards-Of-Nightmare)

[PartyOfRogues]

Landing: [roll0]
Stealth: [roll1]
Perception(Adv. from darkvision) [roll2]
[roll3]

[Novabomb]

Stealth: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

[Waistcoatwill]

Here goes nothing! Really? A nat 2 on my first halfling. Do you have your revenge yet MrAbdiel?

Landing [roll0]
Stealth [roll1]
Perception [roll2]

[Continental Op]

[roll0]

Athletics (if in a tree): [roll1]
Athletics (disadv.):[roll2]

Stealth:[roll3]
Stealth (disadv):[roll4]

Perception:[roll5]
Perception (disadv):[roll6]

[MrAbdiel]

Btw Awful, I think you’re calling private Gamble “Rumble” but honestly that’s a sick nickname

[JbeJ275]

Everyone forming up on LT on the beach gets [roll0] Temp HP.

[Cavir]

What languages do the Vults speak? Were we taught any basics to deal with prisoners?
Surrender (them, not us...)
Drop your weapons
Hands Up
Faster
Stop

...or more ideally here since they are in range of Message:
There's a huge bomb coming, get out of there!
(lot safer for us to charge it if they've abandoned it)

Xilo speaks English, Dwarven, and Elven if that helps.


Everyone forming up on LT on the beach gets (1d8+5)[11] Temp HP.
Out of curiosity since I'm new to 5e, what's that from? (and thanks!)

[JbeJ275]

What languages do the Vults speak? Were we taught any basics to deal with prisoners?
Surrender (them, not us...)
Drop your weapons
Hands Up
Faster
Stop

...or more ideally here since they are in range of Message:
There's a huge bomb coming, get out of there!
(lot safer for us to charge it if they've abandoned it)

Xilo speaks English, Dwarven, and Elven if that helps.


Out of curiosity since I'm new to 5e, what's that from? (and thanks!)

That’s from my Eldritch cannon which I have in protector mode. It’s a subclass specific thing to artillerist artificers. Basically a small machine on legs that gives people close to it a shield whenever it’s close to them.

[stanleyindraven]

alright, Bruce has a move of 40, so i can pull double move to 80 ft round 1, clear the last 20 and plant the explosive in round 2 right? that looks like a great go.

[MrAbdiel]

Yep! Since the plan implicitly contains Bruce being the one who draws the most fire, being out in front won't hinder him much.

[MrAbdiel]

What languages do the Vults speak? Were we taught any basics to deal with prisoners?
Surrender (them, not us...)
Drop your weapons
Hands Up
Faster
Stop

...or more ideally here since they are in range of Message:
There's a huge bomb coming, get out of there!
(lot safer for us to charge it if they've abandoned it)

Xilo speaks English, Dwarven, and Elven if that helps.


Out of curiosity since I'm new to 5e, what's that from? (and thanks!)

Oh, languages. I meant to think about that.

Band-aid solution:

There are a bunch of regional languages. Common is spoken in Albinon and Amcara. The Kreigvolk speak Kreigspiel. The Aquiteauxans speak l'aquitaire. Far on the other side of the war, the Vuskarran People's Panoply speaks Vusk, and demands all who live under its authority speak it too. The other major members of the Nexus powers include Hito-Mori, in which Mori is spoken; and Vicio Ascendio, the newly reborn nation of Vicio out of almost a thousand years of petty bickering and backstabbing amongst its member states. They speak Vicioni.

So especially relevant languages are Kreigspiel, L'Aquitaire, Vusk, Mori,and Vicioni. Along with any you care to make up. These regional languages we'll do a little different from the core languages.

You're welcome for your character to know one of these languages if you're entitled to learn one from a background or trait from somewhere. Additionally, for every point of Intelligence Bonus you have, you know one of these languages at a lesser level, but enough to navigate through any non-technical conversation. Obviously this campaign takes place in with mostly Kreigsprechers and L'Aquitiare parlants, so they're the most immediately useful. But if you pick something else, or make one up, I'll try to feature it every now and then.

Anyone who doesn't know Kreigspiel has been given a Kriegspiel primer, and you know the terms "Surrender", "Disarm", "Kneel", "Stop", and "Move". You've been trained in a little more than that, but once you go beyond those 5 terms, you're going to need to make Intelligence tests to make yourself understood. Difficulty of such a test, presuming a simple message (E.G. "Where is the hospital?") is typically going to be 30 minus the target's Intelligence score.

[Cavir]

alright, Bruce has a move of 40, so i can pull double move to 80 ft round 1, clear the last 20 and plant the explosive in round 2 right? that looks like a great go.

Need to get clear of the blast too.

How thick is the top of the bunker? If it's only 2 feet high and they need to see out the slot then the roof is probably not as thick as the sides. The anti-tank mine going off on top of it could collapse the roof on them. Our engineer should have an idea if it'd work or not.

[JbeJ275]

One alternative we could use, depending on how generous the GM is feeling could rely on my size tiny mobile cannon. It can move at 30ft but being size tiny might be able to slip through the slit with a satchel charge and drop it into their laps if we can keep throwing suppressing fire their way/use fog cloud to keep anything approaching them heavily obscured which makes ranged attacks a really difficult proposition.


Oh, languages. I meant to think about that.

Band-aid solution:

There are a bunch of regional languages. Common is spoken in Albinon and Amcara. The Kreigvolk speak Kreigspiel. The Aquiteauxans speak l'aquitaire. Far on the other side of the war, the Vuskarran People's Panoply speaks Vusk, and demands all who live under its authority speak it too. The other major members of the Nexus powers include Hito-Mori, in which Mori is spoken; and Vicio Ascendio, the newly reborn nation of Vicio out of almost a thousand years of petty bickering and backstabbing amongst its member states. They speak Vicioni.

So especially relevant languages are Kreigspiel, L'Aquitaire, Vusk, Mori,and Vicioni. Along with any you care to make up. These regional languages we'll do a little different from the core languages.

You're welcome for your character to know one of these languages if you're entitled to learn one from a background or trait from somewhere. Additionally, for every point of Intelligence Bonus you have, you know one of these languages at a lesser level, but enough to navigate through any non-technical conversation. Obviously this campaign takes place in with mostly Kreigsprechers and L'Aquitiare parlants, so they're the most immediately useful. But if you pick something else, or make one up, I'll try to feature it every now and then.

Anyone who doesn't know Kreigspiel has been given a Kriegspiel primer, and you know the terms "Surrender", "Disarm", "Kneel", "Stop", and "Move". You've been trained in a little more than that, but once you go beyond those 5 terms, you're going to need to make Intelligence tests to make yourself understood. Difficulty of such a test, presuming a simple message (E.G. "Where is the hospital?") is typically going to be 30 minus the target's Intelligence score.

So would racial languages or planar languages still exist but as an equivalent to Yiddish or Latin respectively, being the languages of academia or if dispersed communities? Or do racial languages not really exist in setting?

[MrAbdiel]

Need to get clear of the blast too.

How thick is the top of the bunker? If it's only 2 feet high and they need to see out the slot then the roof is probably not as thick as the sides. The anti-tank mine going off on top of it could collapse the roof on them. Our engineer should have an idea if it'd work or not.

You don't know how thick the bunker is; but you can always try. Sal would know that setting the small amounts of explosives you have off merely exposed to the concrete is unlikely to breach it, if it's standard Vult construction as he's been taught about. Ideally you want the explosive packed into a corner or between two surfaces (like inside the overhanging concrete lip of the pillbox's top, under which the guns traverse) for a magnified effect. To create a penetrative blast from a stationary device against a single plane open to the air, you'd need something like the TNT bundles that were in your munition drop that came out with you, and is probably being snaffled up by those druids by now.

[MrAbdiel]

I might not be explaining the slit well; but imagine a cross section of the pillbox. Flat top, goes down about two feet of flat concrete; then tilts inward for a > shaped wedge just above ground height. At the nadir of this hollow wedge is a slit, maybe an inch and a half high; just enough so that the gun barrels can track smoothly left and right, as if rail mounted for that purpose. It would be very hard to get something in through that slot that was thicker than a human hand. But getting a Weasel bomb into that > wedge will generate enough opposing concussion to rip the top off for sure.

[JbeJ275]

Ah OK.


Also just to keep our knot cutting options open. Would a shatter spell be able to do the same job as a satchel charge in this case?

And how many people can ast fog cloud or an equivilent spell? Because that's really our best shot at negating the guns.

[Cavir]

I can only do fogcloud 1/day so was hoping to save it but can use it if needed. Even with the cloud it doesn't stop them from shooting since they are just mowing back and forth.


Would a shatter spell be able to do the same job as a satchel charge in this case?
Command should have issued some scrolls of it! Will have to put that in the suggestion box if we survive.


I might not be explaining the slit well; but imagine a cross section of the pillbox. Flat top, goes down about two feet of flat concrete; then tilts inward for a > shaped wedge just above ground height. At the nadir of this hollow wedge is a slit, maybe an inch and a half high; just enough so that the gun barrels can track smoothly left and right, as if rail mounted for that purpose. It would be very hard to get something in through that slot that was thicker than a human hand. But getting a Weasel bomb into that > wedge will generate enough opposing concussion to rip the top off for sure.
Figured the gunners would need to be able to see too. Guess they are looking beside the gun.

[MrAbdiel]

Shatter is definately a useful spell for damaging enemy materiel when you can get up to it; but a fortified hardpoint just has too many HP to be vulnerable to anything but an extraordinarily high level spell. A long enough series of Shatters could crack a bunker, presumably; but not few enough that it's militarilly expedient to plan for it.

One of the concessions we're making in this setting is that magic can assist many tasks in this war, but rarely if ever solves enduring problems. Sending spells are useful, but enemy forces can scry them, so you need to study war cryptography anyway. Healing spells are great, but it's just the kind of thing that a military machine would factor into its metrics; so instead of sending a soldier into combat expecting him to get shot and die for his country, they expect him to get shot three times, using one of his spell slots to heal each time, and then to die for his country. Not to mention (and this is another thing I'm establishing now, just as I think of it) I'm going with a kind of golden hour hangup for healing magic.

Similarly, a shatter spell has to have all kinds of excellent uses - spiking enemy artillery without needing to get all the way up to it, cracking open an existing weakpoint on an enemy tank, or bursting open the a fuel barrel on a passing Vult supply truck, leaving a flammable trail. But if a second (or even a sixth) level spell is able to burst a concrete pillbox or bunker, there would either have to be a bunch of counterspell runes loaded into every defensible structure (lame) or else it just wouldn't be effective to build them at all.

So don't hear me saying "shatter is useless", but I am saying you'll have to use it as a force multiplier when you use it, rather than a problem solver in a lot of cases.



Also big lols for Bruce just getting bored on Omaha beach and going looking for bullets. I'm sure he'll get disciplinary beatings with the sock full of the medals he wins, if he survives. Late night for me, posts tomorrow for both threads!

P.S. I am having a lot of fun with this game and all your characters. I'm fighting an urge to put you in more peaceful situations and to say "now just interact for me", but I know that's not what we're here for! ;)

The Golden Hour is the hour after bodily trauma has been received in which it is responsive to healing magic. Each additional hour or part thereof after a specific injury is received requires a healing spell of one level higher to be effective. For example, imagine a driver stumbling out of the darkness to into the medical tent, having just had to walk for just under five hours after being in a jeep accident. He'd better hope there's a level 9 cleric in the house, because his injuries won't respond to less than a 5th level spell slot. A soldier who gets shot in the first hour of a 10 hour operation, however, is beyond even the reaches of the most powerful healing magic available. Largely, this means that most recovery from injury happens over long recovery breaks in medical tents and makeshift hospitals, under the care of trained physicians and nurses rather than chugging at the faucet of celestial pact warlock heals. For supernatural healing abilities that are not spells (lay on hands, or the Aasimar healing hands ability for example), the functional level of the heal is equal to half the healer's level or CR, rounding up. A successful Medicine check (usually at DC 10) will give an observer a good idea of how many hours old an injury is.

As PCs, the primary way you heal is by spending hit dice on a short rest and regaining all HP on a long rest. This is a game of heroism and teamwork, and it wouldn't be any good if characters were made to sit out for months at a time as the recovered. Therefore, you should treat healing from short and long rests not so much as becoming fully healed, but as your character receiving enough medical attention to muscle through the pain, hiding their injuries to not let their comrades down, or sneaking out of the medical tent to join their squad against flabbergasted doctor's orders.

[stanleyindraven]

i like the golden hour rule. i do wonder though, at what point is it considered more than a flesh wound? damage reduction and a high hp makes it to where someone can soak a bit of damage, like grazing hits.

I wonder, did any solders have shields?

[MrAbdiel]

Bullet proof shields were too heavy to be usable until we had advanced plastics in like the 80s or so, I think; but it’s a solid fantasy trope so a bunch will have shields in this game!

As for what counts as a wound and a flesh wound and what not, that’s the age old question of when to treat HP loss like a slow erosion of tactical advantage before a killing blow, and when to treat it like you’re shaving big ham slices off your enemy until you hit bone and put them finally down.

Answer: whatever feels most dramatically appropriate. Additionally, dramatic wounds (like bullets that cause no damage to Bruce because they “miss” his barbarian Con AC can be “dressed” or “healed” without costing actions or resources, since it’s purely fluff.

[stanleyindraven]

do bullets have to hit an AC? if so, at least a shield could be useful there, or to add obscurement. that would be better than what i do, running headlong into a deathtrap.

[Waistcoatwill]

Love golden hour healing, it makes Doc's existence make sense!

Edit: on peaceful interludes, the odd campfire scene, supply negotiation at base, and tense interaction with resistance fighters or prisoners who don't trust us sounds fun.

[MrAbdiel]

Posted! But I forgot to roll saves for Ordo, Jukebox and Spade!


Looking for 12, rolling at advantage.

Ordo
[roll0]
[roll1]

Jukebox
[roll2]
[roll3]

Spade

[roll4]
[roll5]

They do good!

[stanleyindraven]

well, this ought to be fun, though two of those guys nat 1, that sucks for them. So the 21 hit, what is half of 11? 5 or 6?

Athletics [roll0]
Wisdom if athletics fails [roll1]
20ft sections [roll2] [roll3] [roll4] [roll5] [roll6]
Dex save with Advantage [roll7] [roll8]

re: sorry to edit a post with rolls, but omg, that is the makings for an epic charge.

[MrAbdiel]

Halves round down, so 5.

You get shot at by 6 fantaNazis and a machine gun turret while charging across a barbed wire strewn minefield.

Take 5 damage.

[JbeJ275]

Is there a roll one could make to open up a gap in the barbed wire?

Also

Dex:
[roll0] or
[roll1]


Arcana: [roll2]

[MrAbdiel]

Sure! The idea to grenade it open was floated; spend a grenade and your action, and it’ll blow open a section on either the left side with the big group, or right side with the small group.

If you don’t want to waste a grenade for the sure thing, a dc15 thieves tools check (or similar) will also clear a patch.

[JbeJ275]

I mean I’ll use a grenade if I can but I was dubious of that suggestion. Historically for example in the First World War even directly targeting them with artillery shells which went bigger than any grenade only made them harder to get through, and in the modern era there have been a lot of examples of using grenades to further booby trap patches of barbed wire with them leaving the barbed wire behind when going off.

Again, I’m happy to do so but just wanted confirmation that was something I IC would know as likely to be successful rather than a waste of grenades.

[Waistcoatwill]

Definite CA: The First Avenger vibes going on with a gigantic muscle bound chap with a shield leading the charge against pseudo-nazis!

Doc would probably try to disarm the knife-wielding Krieger if that's possible? If not he'll grapple and try to drag the guy off Granger.

[Cavir]

Figured throwing a grenade at the wire while running towards the wire especially when others are in front of you isn't the best of ideas. Thus my thought of throwing before running- lets us check the results too.

Dex DC 12 with advantage
[roll0]
[roll1]

Could you put the added rules like Golden Hour in the OOC OP? Much easier than having to go through many pages later on especially if they are spoilered.

[stanleyindraven]

o good lord, i forgot i had a shield. lol. i was like wth, howd i get ac 20, then i looked at my equipment and was like oh, duh.

[Waistcoatwill]

Barbarian method acting there!

[Continental Op]

You get shot at by 6 fantaNazis and a machine gun turret while charging across a barbed wire strewn minefield.

Take 5 damage.

That is hilarious, especially deadpan like that. Kudos.

[Cavir]

Lots of rolls with any one of them able to foul up my plan so I'll roll here then do the IC.
Base 35' movement from wood elf.

Plan:
Dash Move (70'), made up of:
A) Standing long jump to bypass some of the shingles/difficult terrain. STR 16 = 8ft jump. DC 10 DEX (Acrobatics) to land in difficult terrain else prone. (this saves 8ft of difficult terrain for a total of 12'). 12'moved. 90' from bunker.
B) Jump wire. Athletics DC14. If fail take 3 damage then DC 10 Wisdom else Restrained.
C) 20' move, roll d100 for mine. 32' moved, 70' from bunker
D) Jump 16' (saves on mine check). 48' moved, 54' from bunker
E) 22' move while pulling out grenade, roll d100 for mine. 70' moved, 32' from bunker

Action Surge (1 per short or long rest)
Throw grenade at trench in the middle of the 4. Max range 45'. Even if I don't make it into the trench they are exposed waist up. Hopefully they are limited in their movement from the trench. If they jump out of the trench to save themselves that makes them easier targets

Rolls: (correct me if I'm wrong please)
1) Standing long jump DC 10 DEX (Acrobatics) [roll0] (Dex +5)
2) Jump Wire Athletics DC14 [roll1] (Str +3, Proficiency +3)
DC 10 WIS [roll2]
3) Mine check [roll3]
4) Mine check [roll4]
5) Grenade
Attack: [roll5] (Dex +5, Proficiency +3)
Damage: [roll6] piercing, [roll7] fire

If I fail something that keeps me from getting into grenade range I'll keep moving as much as I can as above and skip the Surge.

[MrAbdiel]

I mean I’ll use a grenade if I can but I was dubious of that suggestion. Historically for example in the First World War even directly targeting them with artillery shells which went bigger than any grenade only made them harder to get through, and in the modern era there have been a lot of examples of using grenades to further booby trap patches of barbed wire with them leaving the barbed wire behind when going off.

Again, I’m happy to do so but just wanted confirmation that was something I IC would know as likely to be successful rather than a waste of grenades.

Interesting. I think I used to know this, but forgot. Alright, I'm going to do a little retconning that won't harm anything.

Standard skyknife equipment now includes one stick of silver putty. Silver is a compound made from blood donated by silver dragons and manipulated by clever chemists to make a cryotechnical solution to many obstacles. The putty can be scrunched into a ball in the hands then thrown, in which case it acts like a first level Ice Knife spell when it hits the targets, shattering and cutting piercing them with fragments, then detonating in a small frosty burst. But it's primary purpose in a Skyknife's pack is as a solution to concertina wire. When the putty is activated with kneading action and wrapped around a frag grenade, it becomes what the troops have come to call a frag on the rocks. When a frag on the rocks goes off in a cluster of wire or similar thin inanimate barrier, it first releases its frosty charge and then the frag blast, freezing then shattering all such obstacles with 5ft of the detonation.

So Sal had his Frag On The Rocks prepared for this, and has burst a gap in the wire everyone can use.

[MrAbdiel]

Lots of rolls with any one of them able to foul up my plan so I'll roll here then do the IC.
Base 35' movement from wood elf.

Plan:
Dash Move (70'), made up of:
A) Standing long jump to bypass some of the shingles/difficult terrain. STR 16 = 8ft jump. DC 10 DEX (Acrobatics) to land in difficult terrain else prone. (this saves 8ft of difficult terrain for a total of 12'). 12'moved. 90' from bunker.
B) Jump wire. Athletics DC14. If fail take 3 damage then DC 10 Wisdom else Restrained.
C) 20' move, roll d100 for mine. 32' moved, 70' from bunker
D) Jump 16' (saves on mine check). 48' moved, 54' from bunker
E) 22' move while pulling out grenade, roll d100 for mine. 70' moved, 32' from bunker

Action Surge (1 per short or long rest)
Throw grenade at trench in the middle of the 4. Max range 45'. Even if I don't make it into the trench they are exposed waist up. Hopefully they are limited in their movement from the trench. If they jump out of the trench to save themselves that makes them easier targets

Rolls: (correct me if I'm wrong please)
1) Standing long jump DC 10 DEX (Acrobatics) [roll0] (Dex +5)
2) Jump Wire Athletics DC14 [roll1] (Str +3, Proficiency +3)
DC 10 WIS [roll2]
3) Mine check [roll3]
4) Mine check [roll4]
5) Grenade
Attack: [roll5] (Dex +5, Proficiency +3)
Damage: [roll6] piercing, [roll7] fire

If I fail something that keeps me from getting into grenade range I'll keep moving as much as I can as above and skip the Surge.

No mines for you, and you passed all your rolls! The Kreigers don't get out of the trench, but they resist more of the damage than you'd expect; to be explained in my summary post after everyone's done their turns. Feel free to render this burst of athleticism and warrior elan IC!

Edit: Added Golden Hour and Extra Languages to the experimental rules section of the original post; and added the Silver Putty to the gear list.

[MrAbdiel]

Lt Bathory and Pvt OHara still to decide on actions in 200 Yards of Nightmare, and Gabriel to resolve a bonus attack granted to him by Wolf in Best Laid Plans! I'll make judicious assumptions and resolve enemy action tomorrow night.

[JbeJ275]

What’s happening on the beach has reminded me of the old joke quote.

“ "The reason that the American army does so well in wartime, is that war is chaos and the American army practices chaos on a daily basis."

Like a private decoded to charge and everyone else is like… whelp time to make this work.

[Awful]

The barbed wire was being cleared, so I'll go through if it is and won't if its not. Either way I'll then take cover.
[roll0] or [roll1] to avoid machine-gun fire

I'll shoot a fireball at one of the not!German soldiers.
[roll2] to hit, [roll3] fire damage on hit.

[Cavir]

Does the trench seem to be one large one extending in front of and between bunkers or more like foxholes on either side of each bunker? Are they set just ahead and to the sides or are they even with the front of the bunker? The layout will affect out actions next round.

[MrAbdiel]

More like foxholes, but a bit more regular; dug into the sand and reinforced with sand bags, with a 30ft section of trench on either side of each pillbox.

[MrAbdiel]

Okay, time for me to resolve some actions. First:

[roll0] Dexterity save vs DC 15 against sacred flame.

The four soldiers in the trench receiving Xilo's grenade automatically fail because they are deigning not to leave the trench; but because they are Grabenkämpfer they take half damage from area effects like grenades, artillery and fireballs while they're in a trench.

[Cavir]

DC 12 Dex save, or take 15 Piercing Damage; save for none
[roll0]


One shot at Sgt Xilo: (1d20+5)[23] 9 damage on a hit
That's a hit. Do I still have the temp hp from when we linked up with the LT at the seawall? Or was the temp hp from being within range of the construct?

Just clarifying...
Bruce's group and construct went left.
Xilo and others went right.
Grenade went into right trench on the left side (towards the bunker) where the elven enemy leader is

[Waistcoatwill]

Would Doc be able to tell that Wolf is essentially poisoned with a medicine check? Would that take an action? If it wouldn't take an action to figure out, he'll lesser restoration Wolf and Med kit Gabriel as a bonus action.

[JbeJ275]

[roll0]


That's a hit. Do I still have the temp hp from when we linked up with the LT at the seawall? Or was the temp hp from being within range of the construct?

Just clarifying...
Bruce's group and construct went left.
Xilo and others went right.
Grenade went into right trench on the left side (towards the bunker) where the elven enemy leader is

You still have the temp HP, being in range of the junior engineer allows it to refresh your Temp HP but it will still stay on there until it's blasted off.

Speaking of which does my protector construct also have to make the save or does being tiny give it some advantage against the bullets which are generally put at people heights?

[MrAbdiel]

[roll0]
That's a hit. Do I still have the temp hp from when we linked up with the LT at the seawall? Or was the temp hp from being within range of the construct?

Just clarifying...
Bruce's group and construct went left.
Xilo and others went right.
Grenade went into right trench on the left side (towards the bunker) where the elven enemy leader is

I’m not as familiar with artificers as I’d like, but JBE has answered that one anyway! :)

I assumed you were throwing your grenade at the trench on your side, so that’s the side with the badElf.


Would Doc be able to tell that Wolf is essentially poisoned with a medicine check? Would that take an action? If it wouldn't take an action to figure out, he'll lesser restoration Wolf and Med kit Gabriel as a bonus action.

Doc can tell Wolf is still skysick. And now you happen to be out of combat, so you’re good to do those actions.


You still have the temp HP, being in range of the junior engineer allows it to refresh your Temp HP but it will still stay on there until it's blasted off.

Speaking of which does my protector construct also have to make the save or does being tiny give it some advantage against the bullets which are generally put at people heights?

Construct is bitty enough I’ll only make it suffer from targeted attacks or particularly intense aoe.

[stanleyindraven]

Ok Brucey, let's make some saves

[roll0] wis

[roll1] dex

How much room do I have to close to reach the pill box now?

[roll2]
[roll3]

And can I plant the charge this round?

[MrAbdiel]

Ok Brucey, let's make some saves

[roll0] wis

[roll1] dex

How much room do I have to close to reach the pill box now?

[roll2]
[roll3]

And can I plant the charge this round?

Looks like you didn’t get to move at all - that’s a Nat 1 on the will save! You dash almost the entire length of the stretch, but now you grind to a halt as your muscles lock up, thankfully with your shield forward… unfortunately, with a bomb under your arm as bullets batter on your shield and graze your skin!

[MrAbdiel]

Also, anyone in Best Laid Plans who is afraid from the harrowing jump can now make a dc 10 wisdom save to recover!

[Waistcoatwill]

Just for clarity, Doc isn't a total pacifist, he'll fight anyone threatening a bloodied ally, or anyone who triggees him by slaughtering people (be it a machine gun post, tank, skull-faced pseudo-ss). I'm still tempted by grappler should we survive and get to level 8 though!

[MrAbdiel]

I'm still tempted by grappler should we survive and get to level 8 though!

Y-yeah. >_>

<_<

[Waistcoatwill]

Haha, I thought that would be almost terminally optimistic, let alone getting any use out of the feat!

[JbeJ275]

Lets do these rolls.

Dex Save:
[roll0]
Luck Cheks x3:
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
Shield Pulse:
[roll4]

[Awful]

Am I able to retroactively counterspell the Hold Person? Obviously, as a reaction, it's impossible for me to say right at the moment that I'm choosing top do it, and it's likely I'm not going to be able to post before others for the purposes of saves, and there's a lot of situations I'd otherwise have to prepare an action for if you need me to say specifics.

[MrAbdiel]

Am I able to retroactively counterspell the Hold Person? Obviously, as a reaction, it's impossible for me to say right at the moment that I'm choosing top do it, and it's likely I'm not going to be able to post before others for the purposes of saves, and there's a lot of situations I'd otherwise have to prepare an action for if you need me to say specifics.

Happy to do reaction retconning in PbP so typically yeah! But in this case, I think because the LT took cover, she’s outside of the critical 60ft to counter!

[MrAbdiel]

Oh, and since I thought of it… because we’re doing group initiative and it might be tempting to wait until everyone else has gone before having a turn in which you have a save to roll (thus minimising the chance you’ll miss your turn if someone could otherwise have cured/assisted you), I’ll implement the following:

You can feel free to, in Bruce’s case for example, have their turn paralysed and roll the end of turn save. Whether or not they succeed for fail, subsequent players in the turn are still free to act to dispel that effect. Normally. If, for example, someone acts and casts Dispel Magic on Bruce, nixing the Hold spell, he’s free to retcon his turn and take his full action.

This is because the biggest enemy of PbP games is people waiting for a chance to post or not being sure when they are supposed to post; and I am willing to trust your sensible efforts not to wildly exploit this grace to wage war on failed game threads!

[Waistcoatwill]

Managed to forget K'ral in my heal fest, sorry!

[roll0]

[MrAbdiel]

Updates coming to threads tomorrow!

[Awful]

[roll0] dex
In case being prone gives advantage: [roll1] dex

As a reaction Temperance will cast shield so the enemy rifleman misses.

Her return fire [roll2] to hit [roll3] dam

[MrAbdiel]

[roll0] dex
In case being prone gives advantage: [roll1] dex

As a reaction Temperance will cast shield so the enemy rifleman misses.

Her return fire [roll2] to hit [roll3] dam

I suppose being prone would give advantage!

[MrAbdiel]

Posted. Grenades have been thrown, sacred have been flamed, leaving two badly injured Kreigers in the trench nearest to Sal's pincer (and one sergeant locked in elf on elf combat with Xilo); and four damaged but not crumpled Kreigers in the trench 20 feet away from Pvt. Gamble, blazing away at him.

Up behind the wall, the other fireteam encounters the enemy installation, along with a grim discovery.

Also, a plane explodes on the Lieutenant.

[Cavir]

Her return fire (1d20+8)[9] to hit (2d10)[2] dam
three for three ones in a single line

You drew the short straw, LT. Part of a wrecking plane explodes near you
Bad on top of bad :smalleek:

Since Xilo is on the far side of the trench he's safe from the bunker right? In case not: Dex DC 12: [roll0]

Both kicks are misses.
Gust of wind DC 14 Str: gust of wind of Xilo - that's a DC 14 Str [roll1]
If that fails, 2 mine checks
[roll2]
[roll3]

[MrAbdiel]

You pass the strength check for the gust, but the shoves are opposed checks, so you still need to make acro or athletics checks to beat them; though it doesn’t seem like a big feat to do so!

[MrAbdiel]

And yes, being past the trench means the pillbox can’t hurt you!

[Cavir]

Sorry. That's some fancy kicking!
Shove One, Athletics DC 15: [roll0]
Shove Two, Athletics DC 11: [roll1]


though it doesn’t seem like a big feat to do so!
There's the curse!

[Waistcoatwill]

Does the door on the big bunker look at all amenable to thieves' tools? Sneaking in quietly would be dead handy.

Also, is there enough noise that our squad could snipe at the AA team without obviously attracting a tonne of other troops down on us?

[Awful]

three for three ones in a single line

Bad on top of bad :smalleek:



0.0005% chance of those three 1s in a row. It's a real oof




Also, a plane explodes on the Lieutenant.
;_;

[roll0] or [roll1] dex vs machine gun
[roll2] to not get exploded by a plane

[Continental Op]

Wolf rolling Perception to see anything else between us and the bunker: [roll0]

Do the binocs still give advantage at night? I guess Wolf has darkvision...do binoculars increase the range of darkvision? Interesting thought. Rolling just in case they do: [roll1]

And to add to Waistcoatwill's questions, can the soldiers around the anti-air gun see the bunker door? They could probably hear it being blown open...unless we time it right. Right?

[MrAbdiel]

Does the door on the big bunker look at all amenable to thieves' tools? Sneaking in quietly would be dead handy.

Also, is there enough noise that our squad could snipe at the AA team without obviously attracting a tonne of other troops down on us?

There's enough noise that if you took out the AA team quickly enough, there would be a long enough pause before that was discovered that you wouldn't be drowned in enemy action right away. If they survive long enough to signal help, they'll get help! It's a risk!

As for the bunker door, it can be blown open quickly and loudly. But it seems like exactly the kind of thing thieves tools would be for. I'm going to say it's a DC 20 roll to unlock with such tools, which can be repeated if failed, obviously costing more and more time each time it's failed. No assists here: only one set of picks can be applied at once!


Wolf rolling Perception to see anything else between us and the bunker: [roll0]

Do the binocs still give advantage at night? I guess Wolf has darkvision...do binoculars increase the range of darkvision? Interesting thought. Rolling just in case they do: [roll1]

And to add to Waistcoatwill's questions, can the soldiers around the anti-air gun see the bunker door? They could probably hear it being blown open...unless we time it right. Right?

They do still give advantage at night! Though they do not increase the range of darkvision, it's reasonable to say that darkvision applies to distant targets - an enemy you're seeing 200ft away with a lantern creates bright light within 30ft and dim light within 30ft, which you would perceive as 60ft of bright light and 30ft of dim light outside of that.

As for the AA gun's sight on the bunker door, there's enough space for maybe one person to flatten inside the doorway out of sight of the AA gun. Past that, you'd have to crouch way down in the trench to be out of their line of sight - though that only takes someone to step back and look down the length of the trench to spot you. But the gunners are pretty focused on the air, so they're only paying secondary attention to their immediate surroundings. If a bomb goes off nearby, they'll make a perception test to see if they realize what's happening. If the door is picked quickly, they won't get the chance. If the door takes a little time to pick, they'll get a chance to perceive.

[Waistcoatwill]

Ugh, roll success, spoiler tag fail!

Edit: Heavenblade, I think your post was in the original thread rather than the beach assault one.

Corrected my stealth roll to 13.

[MrAbdiel]

Judicious assumptions, enemy actions, and updates to the threads tomorrow!

[stanleyindraven]

sorry i have been gone, so here is my next wis check. its time right??


[roll0]

[MrAbdiel]

sorry i have been gone, so here is my next wis check. its time right??


[roll0]

Oof. Well, you'll be gratified to know that Jukebox gave you advantage, so roll again and see if you do better! Poor Bruce, frozen in a hail of bullets!

[MrAbdiel]

Achtung! Posts are up.

[stanleyindraven]

oo, advantage,

[roll0]

[MrAbdiel]

oo, advantage,

[roll0]

Heyyy! You did it! I guess those shots at you didn’t have advantage then.

[stanleyindraven]

ok, so held round i took 5 and this round i take 7.

and someone else blew the pillbox right?

[MrAbdiel]

Yep. 5, which would have come off temporary hp from the shield construct. Then in the following turn, it refreshed the shield. Back to 11. So you take… 7 off that.

Am I being too soft? :(

No. No, it’s early days. I will cause suffering yet.

[stanleyindraven]

well, to be fair, this is also the wheelhouse of bruce, some later things may not be easy for him.

[Cavir]

WIS DC 10 or be deaf for one min, with advantage
[roll0]
[roll1]

Really enjoying your work MrAbdiel!

[Continental Op]

Ugh, I guess I forgot to actually include the roll functions in my IC post. Here it goes again.

Edit: still didn't get the rolling function right? Sigh, third time's the charm:
Attack 1: 1d20+9
Attack 1(if adv):1d20+9 and damage: 1d10+4

Attack 2: 1d20+9
Attack 2(if adv):1d20+9 and damage: 1d10+4

Attack 3: 1d20+9
Attack 3(if adv):1d20+9 and damage: 1d10+4

Attack 4: 1d20+9
Attack 4(if adv):1d20+9 and damage: 1d10+4

[MrAbdiel]

Ugh, I guess I forgot to actually include the roll functions in my IC post. Here it goes again.

Edit: still didn't get the rolling function right? Sigh, third time's the charm:
Attack 1: [roll0]
Attack 1(if adv):[roll1] and damage: [roll2]

Attack 2: [roll3]
Attack 2(if adv):[roll4] and damage: [roll5]

Attack 3: [roll6]
Attack 3(if adv):[roll7] and damage: [roll8]

Attack 4: [roll9]
Attack 4(if adv):[roll10] and damage: [roll11]

Oof. Try copy pasting it to a new post without previewing it?

As you can see, it rolled when I C+P’d; but that doesn’t count. It was just a demo!

[MrAbdiel]

Hop into the trench for 3/4 cover then dipping out of sight to quickly search the dead. Working teleporters and grenades (not limited to 2) were priority but if something else seems useful too it'd be welcome.

You find two patches, with the other two used to teleport in. Each has a 75% chance of being in working order after all the grenades going off in the trench - high is good for you, low is bad. 1d100, 1d100. They have rifles that are not remarkably different to your own, but standard procedure is not to take up the weapons of the enemy because hearing the sound of Kreig rifles popping to your immediate left is how friendly fire happens. Interestingly, the trench warriors carry no grenades - you can only speculate as to why.

The Kreig 'stick grenades' have been in use in one form or another for almost fifteen years in smaller conflicts, and extensively during the conquest of neighbouring countries like Aquiteaux. You remember a technical breifing about enemy weapons and a warning about the stielhandgranate as a salvaged weapon. Unlike the good old Amcaran fraggers, the stick bombs are a thin metal casing over a heavy concussion charge. Their design is to stun and debilitate enemies to prepare for an assault, but pertinently the thinner casing means they are prone to sympathetic detonation when caught in a blast. Since the trench warriors seem to be trained and geared to expect explosive opposition, it makes sense they do not carry such liabilities. Their combat roll seems to be principally defensive, anyway.

There are also enemy bayonets, ceramic masks, and side arms. The sergeant had a small copper sphere the size of a knucklebone that serves no obvious purpose. A small depression on one portion of its surface may be a pressable 'button'; but you've no idea what it does. Let me know if you press it.


Would we be able to use the shoulder patch scrolls?

Anyone who can speak Kriegspiel and who has Dimension Door on their spell list can use the scroll; a wizard could copy it into their spellbook when capable, also.


Are the machine gun nests bunker style or more like an enhanced fox hole? Are they level with each other or is one higher up and can look down at the other?

They are low concrete walls raised a little higher with sandbags. They can target each other, down the ramp, and also down at the beach. The ramp is approximately a 20 degree slope. From ground level, it hugs the cliff up for about 250 yards to the first nest at a small plateau, then another 250 yards to the second next at the top of the cliff.

I misled you a little in the post about how much ground there was to cover. I mix up my feet and yards sometimes. Here's a clarifier:

From the seawall, there is200yd (600ft) of sand, chaos, and man's unbelievable cruelty to his fellow man. Your heroic efforts have so far put you across about 100 ft and change - we'll call it 35 yards, to include the pillbox zone.

So between you and the base of that cliff path, there remains 165 Yards (495ft) of mine riddled ground and killing field to cross. Presently, your little salient is one of a few equalled as having established the most progress, up and down the beach; other pushes are reaching and blowing their own pillboxes as well.

[MrAbdiel]

That's what I get for using mathematical operators in my tags. [roll0], [roll1].

One patch-scroll shredded by grenades, one operable.

[Waistcoatwill]

I think you've pumped a very fair amount of hurt into the beach team. They just have some great abilities that make them very resilient! Sanctuary on a raging barbarian with regenerating THP is amazing. Plus the machine guns have been slightly unlucky.

Not sure the clifftop crew would be in half as good shape!

Also, lest Doc's views offend, I imagine dogs are more scary for a race that is snack-sized their entire lives.

[MrAbdiel]

I think you've pumped a very fair amount of hurt into the beach team. They just have some great abilities that make them very resilient! Sanctuary on a raging barbarian with regenerating THP is amazing. Plus the machine guns have been slightly unlucky.

Not sure the clifftop crew would be in half as good shape!

Also, lest Doc's views offend, I imagine dogs are more scary for a race that is snack-sized their entire lives.

Interestingly, in DnD lore, Blink Dogs are traditionally a halfling's best friend indeed - their medium-sized mount for cavalry, and stalwart companion of their people. But I'm inclined to say that's a now archaic and only sporadically supported tradition; and probably not in big cities. Like horses with humans.

[JbeJ275]

I was gonna make a joke about glue factories but blink dogs would probably be the worst thing to make glue out of, what with everything you stuck together falling apart when it phases out and leaving both sides smeared with glue when it phases back in.

Also just to be clear is there anyone left in the machine gun nest I just bombed or did they all go up in the explosion or teleport out?

And does anyone have any good ideas for crossing the remaining minefield? I can maybe disable one with inspiration but that’s a limited resource and I’d rather not run the odds of crossing that much ground like this.

[MrAbdiel]

I was gonna make a joke about glue factories but blink dogs would probably be the worst thing to make glue out of, what with everything you stuck together falling apart when it phases out and leaving both sides smeared with glue when it phases back in.

Also just to be clear is there anyone left in the machine gun nest I just bombed or did they all go up in the explosion or teleport out?

And does anyone have any good ideas for crossing the remaining minefield? I can maybe disable one with inspiration but that’s a limited resource and I’d rather not run the odds of crossing that much ground like this.

Blink Glue! It's... Straight Up Useless!

The pillbox you bombed seems inactive. The gun is wrecked, and the concrete roof has caved in. You hear nothing from within it. You could devote some effort to sifting through the rubble if you wanted to know more; but otherwise you can move on with confidence that it's no longer a threat to your allies.

As for ideas for crossing the minefield, feel free to spend a turn using Perception to scan the surrounds for resources, or to see how the grunts are managing it (or failing to!)

[Continental Op]

After three failed attempts trying to roll dice, I just went to bed. It makes sense why they disable rolling when you edit a post, but if there were no successful rolls in the original post...Anyway, here we go again.

Attack 1: [roll0]
Attack 1(if adv):[roll1] and damage: [roll2]

Attack 2: [roll3]
Attack 2(if adv):[roll4] and damage: [roll5]

Attack 3: [roll6]
Attack 3(if adv):[roll7] and damage: [roll8]

Attack 4: [roll9]
Attack 4(if adv):[roll10] and damage: [roll11]

Temp HP: [roll12]

[Continental Op]

Those are some low damage rolls. If the dwarf is still standing and the last attack hits, Wolf will spend a superiority die to make a Menacing Attack to try to frighten him (IC he shouts over the bullets, "This is the beginning of the end, Kriegers!" but it is in Amcaran, so who knows if it means anything to them). It adds [roll0] damage and he has to make a WIS save or is frightened.

[Cavir]

After three failed attempts trying to roll dice, I just went to bed.
What I end up doing is writing the whole post leaving rolls as: roll]1d20+2[/roll] leaving out the initial bracket so that I can preview all I want. Just before hitting Submit I fill in all the missing brackets.


And does anyone have any good ideas for crossing the remaining minefield?
My crazy idea is/was to use the patch to teleport to one of the machine gun nests, take it out, use the machine gun to take out the other nest, then use the machine guns to (mostly?) clear a path through the minefield. Let's call that Plan A.


Anyone who can speak Kriegspiel and who has Dimension Door on their spell list can use the scroll
I'm guessing having the Magic Initiate feat won't cut it for that. So much for that plan unless someone else can fill both requirements. The trench warriors had that ability, impressive.

Running to the nests will take at least 7 rounds through the minefield plus two nests firing- that's plan Z.

Try out a squad ranged engagement at one of the nests using the custom rules for this game? We'll have the construct to provide some shielding. Between the LT and Sal we'll have a good chance to hit and O'Hara gives a nice damage boost. Doesn't help with the mines but at least we're not getting mowed down along the way.

I could think of a few ways the LT's spells could help.


As for ideas for crossing the minefield, feel free to spend a turn using Perception to scan the surrounds for resources, or to see how the grunts are managing it (or failing to!)
A good idea. Xilo would be doing that next round while waiting for the rest of the squad to keep up. Already acted this round.

[Waistcoatwill]

Interestingly, in DnD lore, Blink Dogs are traditionally a halfling's best friend indeed - their medium-sized mount for cavalry, and stalwart companion of their people. But I'm inclined to say that's a now archaic and only sporadically supported tradition; and probably not in big cities. Like horses with humans.

Ah, at the back of my mind I thought there might be something like that but couldn't quite remember it. Let's put it down to childhood trauma then, chased by rabid stray dogs (probably from Bell's Station).

Fingers crossed the clifftop team can add something extra to help beach crew before too long.

[Awful]

So, so I have a couple of plans we can try, though neither are particularly strong.

If we advance, Mold Earth can stir up the ground so to dig little trenches or foxholes to give us cover and the movement should hopefully set off any landmines there as well. This would be slow, however, giving plenty of time for them to interfere.

As an unrelated plan.

My familiar can be given a bomb and try dropping it on one of the machine-gun nests. That said if they do shoot at it while it tries that, well...

Goodnight Mr Crow. I haven't tried it yet because I figured they'd just shoot him down.

[MrAbdiel]

Turn resolutions and additional calamities tomorrow :)

[MrAbdiel]

Later than I meant it, but I've posted!

Anyone with a passive perception of 16, or those who can make that roll, may see the additional info in the spoiler box. Everyone else has an out-of-combat turn to catch their breath and consider their options, as no additional calamities befall you this round.

[JbeJ275]

Okay, is it worth me spending my inspiration on opening up the hatch so we can drop into the tunnels and try and find a path forward through there? Or are we gonna try running the mines?

Also PER: [roll0]

OK. This might be stupid. But powerful build has got to be worth something and I don't have a better idea for going overland. Could brue and our other strong ones push the tank through the minefield?

[Waistcoatwill]

Or could Sal get the engine going? Joy ride time!

@MrAbdiel - Apart from the ammo guy, is anyone in the clifftop bunker reaching for a gun?

[roll0] Insight or perception in case that helps.

[MrAbdiel]

Or could Sal get the engine going? Joy ride time!

@MrAbdiel - Apart from the ammo guy, is anyone in the clifftop bunker reaching for a gun?

[roll0] Insight or perception in case that helps.

Yes, I wasn't as clear as I intended to be there; they're all fumbling for their weapons!

[Waistcoatwill]

Other advantage attack roll, hopefully with better copy pasting this time.

[roll0]

Edit: Thanks for thr speedy reply! I assumed they would be, might have risked a held action if they weren't though.

[Cavir]

Perception DC16 [roll0]

Dragging a tank through a sandy minefield??

Underground or overground... LT's call but we can make recommendations.
We do have explosives to open the hatch but unless done carefully my collapse the tunnel.

[JbeJ275]

Perception DC16 [roll0]

Dragging a tank through a sandy minefield??

Underground or overground... LT's call but we can make recommendations.
We do have explosives to open the hatch but unless done carefully my collapse the tunnel.

I was going to spend my inspiration on it which reads:

You immediately disable any single trap, hazard, door or terrain feature within 30ft; or repair one as you prefer. Doing so has a 50% chance of Inspiring a random ally who witnesses your work.

I figure that would get us through without rolling.

[MrAbdiel]

I was going to spend my inspiration on it which reads:

You immediately disable any single trap, hazard, door or terrain feature within 30ft; or repair one as you prefer. Doing so has a 50% chance of Inspiring a random ally who witnesses your work.

I figure that would get us through without rolling.

Indeed it would, if you choose to go that way.

[JbeJ275]

Well, I'l let the LT of the Sarge make that call. Fine with trying either path though.

[Continental Op]

You took down the dwarf and had a final round to spend on his buddy. My reading of your post about using Menacing Attack suggests you'd hold on to the Superiority Dice at this point, but let me know if you want to spend it at all.

Yeah, Wolf would have spent a superiority die on the last attack, guessing the human would not be going down from one attack. So an extra 2 damage, and Wis save (DC 15) or frightened. Thanks.

Edit: Two questions. First, is the NPC lizardman Ssassten still with us? And second, how large is the front opening in the bunker; would it be hard to push someone out?

[MrAbdiel]

Yeah, Wolf would have spent a superiority die on the last attack, guessing the human would not be going down from one attack. So an extra 2 damage, and Wis save (DC 15) or frightened. Thanks.

Edit: Two questions. First, is the NPC lizardman Ssassten still with us? And second, how large is the front opening in the bunker; would it be hard to push someone out?

The first question is easily answered: Yes, Pvt Ssassten (and Pvt Catchell!) are both with you, following Cpl "Wolf" Vognar's directives. Why didn't they participate in the ambush, you ask? Because I am a dumb dumb, whose head is full of tumbleweeds and whistling air.

I'm going to retroactively say that Ssassten ssnuck over to the bunker with you guys, and Catchell is remaining in the treeline to provide a second vector of ambush on the AA gun if things start sliding sideways, and K'ral pulls the ripcord. Retcons: Ssassten shoots uninjured human, putting 8 points of hurt on him with a bullet in the guts. Catchell readies an action to fire at one of the AA gunners when he hears K'ral open up. Wolf's transformation and fearsome precision leave the human ammo loader slightly more injured, and mortally afraid of him!

Second question, the opening in the front of the bunker? Pshh. Don't you know? Doesn't everyone know the dimensions of a german ww2 bunker? It's obviously (*Sounds of googling*) ...harder to find out than you'd think. I'm going the loophole, as I have always known it was called, is about a foot from top to bottom. You could shove someone out it if they weren't particularly husky and you put your back into it. If you wanted to do it as part of a grapple, I'd give them advantage, and you disadvantage, in such a shove, as long as they were reasonably able to defend themself. But it could be done!

[stanleyindraven]

before I post, can we clear the rubble enough to get into the hatch at the bottom of the pillbox?

[MrAbdiel]

You can clear it enough to get access to the hatch, but the Weasel's not designed to break through that much steel. It'd require a more technical solution to breach.

[Awful]

I'll post tomorrow.

Since I never actually slotted in my bonus language from my background (woops) I figure Kreigspeak would be fitting and convenient.

Which HMG nest stopped, incidentally?

I like the idea of teleporting up. I'm not a fan of the tunnels because one good booby trap and everyone down there is prematurely inhumed.

[MrAbdiel]

I'll post tomorrow.

Since I never actually slotted in my bonus language from my background (woops) I figure Kreigspeak would be fitting and convenient.

Which HMG nest stopped, incidentally?

I like the idea of teleporting up. I'm not a fan of the tunnels because one good booby trap and everyone down there is prematurely inhumed.

Kreigspiel it is!

The HMG that stopped firing on you was the one streaming down from a bunker at the top of the wall - which, the LT does not know, has just been bushwacked by part of your Platoon!

The Dimension Door scrolls are a go-er if you wanted to port up to the enemy position and engage quickly - but remember, that spell's great limitation is that you can take yourself and one additional person.

[Continental Op]

Second question, the opening in the front of the bunker? Pshh. Don't you know? Doesn't everyone know the dimensions of a german ww2 bunker? It's obviously (*Sounds of googling*) ...harder to find out than you'd think. I'm going the loophole, as I have always known it was called, is about a foot from top to bottom. You could shove someone out it if they weren't particularly husky and you put your back into it. If you wanted to do it as part of a grapple, I'd give them advantage, and you disadvantage, in such a shove, as long as they were reasonably able to defend themself. But it could be done!

Nice. And that makes sense, thanks. Rather than try to be the action hero and stuff someone through the one foot opening, Wolf will be expedient and just shoot them.

Edit: Wolf is not using his bonus action right now, and has the Crossbow Expert feat. But to get the bonus attack, I think he would have to draw his handgun and use that separately from the M1? So he fires the M1, then use his free interact to draw the handgun and fire it with his bonus action, in round one. Not sure where that leaves him in round two, though, since he needs both hands to use the M1. He could put the pistol back, I guess, and forgo the bonus action attack in the second round. Does this make sense, MrAbdiel?

[JbeJ275]

OK. Superior officers have had their opportunity. I’m just gonna start playing tunnel rats. The initiative of impulsive privates (and we’re not even bards) has gotten us this far.

[MrAbdiel]

Okay! So it looks like the plan for beach-team is for Lt Bathory and Pvt Gamble are dimension dooring up to the ramp to engage with the lower (leftmost) gun nest, hopefully taking it and engaging the upper (rightmost) nest. In the meantime, the rest of the team is going to try their luck with the tunnels, hoping to discover atleast connections to the other pillboxes and take the pressure off other elements of the assault until the LT/Gamble special can machinegun a path through the mines for them. Correct me if I'm wrong! I'll resolve the plan and call for rolls tomorrow.

The scene up top is a bit more straight forward, and I'll progress that too! :)

[Cavir]

Looks like things depend on what Sal does- if he goes into the tunnel or comes back up.

[JbeJ275]

I mean I’m trying to figure out how Sal reacts when he’s frightened but not of a specific Cthulhu g so much as of sheer amount of death surrounding him. I think he’s the type to do anything more active than plink at far off targets under those circumstances and so is at least gonna post grenades into the neighbouring bunkers.

[PartyOfRogues]

Is the perception check only for the people in the bunker, otherwise [roll0]

[MrAbdiel]

Edit: Wolf is not using his bonus action right now, and has the Crossbow Expert feat. But to get the bonus attack, I think he would have to draw his handgun and use that separately from the M1? So he fires the M1, then use his free interact to draw the handgun and fire it with his bonus action, in round one. Not sure where that leaves him in round two, though, since he needs both hands to use the M1. He could put the pistol back, I guess, and forgo the bonus action attack in the second round. Does this make sense, MrAbdiel?

Well, you could always doubletap with the handgun, then use the handgun again with your bonus action; just keeping the rifle in the other hand. Then use interaction to put the pistol away at the end of the round. Then NEXT round you could doubletap with rifle and draw and shoot pistol again!

But as it stands, it looks like that might not be neccesary!

I have posted updates, soldiers! God have mercy on your souls!


Also, I got an ad for a Pathfinder setting called "Savage Company" which I think is basically... this game? Does anyone have experience with it? I'm interested!

Edit: Yeah, that Perception check concerns #JustBunkerThings. But with that great roll, I'll say K'ral can hear... the sounds of a jeep coming, from up north along the cliff, perhaps twenty seconds out before it rounds the curve you're using to keep your position hidden from as much of the emplaced positions as possible.

[JbeJ275]

I’m already headed down the hatch. Do I need to make the reflex save?

[MrAbdiel]

I got the impression that Sal had just popped the hatch and called to the others, not that he’s actually descended. If you were saying he popped the hatch then went down into the dark solo, then you don’t need to make the save. If he’s just in the concrete depression of the now cleared pillbox, since there’s still hell flying, you can have advantage.

[JbeJ275]

Ah. That’s fair. I was intending it to be heading down but the person I was talking to was called away then I didn’t have a great idea how to continue the IC from there. Let’s say I’m crouching by the open hatch but haven’t yet headed down.

[roll0]
[roll1]

Also assuming I survive, investigation to follow the trail of gnomish blood and see if it’s pooled anywhere to indicate stopping to arm or bypass a trap.

[roll2]

[Waistcoatwill]

Let's see how Doc does with this kettle of fish.

Perception [roll0]

He's going to make like the Little Barlgura and try to catch this thing.

Dex save [roll1]

Dex check should he be successful [roll2]

[MrAbdiel]

Let's see how Doc does with this kettle of fish.

Perception [roll0]

He's going to make like the Little Barlgura and try to catch this thing.

Dex save [roll1]

Dex check should he be successful [roll2]

The FIRST person to roll nails it?

*sigh*

Take your -damn- Inspiration.

[Waistcoatwill]

Sorry, wasn't expecting it to work! Luck of the halflings/his lucky card must be to blame.

[Novabomb]

Gabriel has Magehand Legerdemain, and expertise in slight of hand, and was previously targetting this individual, does he need the dex save to yeet that grenade through the window?

If so Dex Save: [roll0]
If a slight of hand is needed [roll1]

I am not clear where the windows are, if there is one in the direction of the AA crew, thats where it goes

[Cavir]

Incoming DC15 Reflex or 30 damage. [roll0].
Looks like I have 8 temp hp from the last time JbeJ rolled it.

[MrAbdiel]

Gabriel has Magehand Legerdemain, and expertise in slight of hand, and was previously targetting this individual, does he need the dex save to yeet that grenade through the window?

If so Dex Save: [roll0]
If a slight of hand is needed [roll1]

I am not clear where the windows are, if there is one in the direction of the AA crew, thats where it goes

That would be a cool option I would allow (the yeeting, not the throwing at the AA gun; only window is the one to the beach); but it looks like Doc already passed the checks. Still, I think the most amusing outcome for it to be an ongoing dispute about whether Doc caught it and flung it perfectly mid tumble, or if it was going to clip the wall and Gabe redirected it. The tale may grow more obviously biased as it is told from each side, perhaps.

[Continental Op]

Wolf Perception check: [roll0]

I will forgo the other checks, as they look moot. No one will ever know whether Wolf would have dived towards the grenade or out of the bunker...

[JbeJ275]

Incoming DC15 Reflex or 30 damage. [roll0].
Looks like I have 8 temp hp from the last time JbeJ rolled it.

Thanks for reminding me. Everyone getting to the hatch will get [roll0] Temp HP for this round.

[Waistcoatwill]

OOC I love that Doc whiffed it and Gabriel averted disaster. IC Doc will be totally convinced he saved the day.

[Awful]

I feel like I'm missing something obvious, but when it says using the sandbags etc cover wouldn't protect us against explosives, you mean going forward up to the rim of the machine-gun nest? I must admit I had the image of it being a concrete bunker.

Also, to see if I exploded like our poor tin-can buddy:
[roll0] or[roll1]
E: o o f

[MrAbdiel]

I feel like I'm missing something obvious, but when it says using the sandbags etc cover wouldn't protect us against explosives, you mean going forward up to the rim of the machine-gun nest? I must admit I had the image of it being a concrete bunker.

Also, to see if I exploded like our poor tin-can buddy:
[roll0] or[roll1]
E: o o f

The bunkers along the top of the cliff wall are full concrete installations. The two on the ramp - the one you ported to halfway up and the one at the top of the ramp - are more modular. They have concrete footers and low walls in a C shape facing the beach, but they're designed to be used as low cover by vehicles as necessary as well as infantry. Because these are presently populated by infantry who can easilly peek around the wall and over it to establish line of sight, the concrete emplacement has been augmented with sandbags to provide higher cover for the machine gun team. But it's open to the back facing the cliff wall, and I made the assumption you wanted to teleport behind them for maximum ambush. But since those walls, bag and concrete alike, are facing the beach, they offer you (and the enemy) no protection against explosions from behind that wall!

I'll try to update posts tomorrow, if everyone looks ready!

[stanleyindraven]

reflex save for the artillary

[roll0]
[roll1]

and i suggest a bomb here like we did the pillbox. just obliterate the team here.

EDIT: what do you say awful?

[Waistcoatwill]

Sounds like you'd both just have to tank the explosion yourselves though since there's no cover between you and the Krieger's.

[stanleyindraven]

toss it in and jump to the side. it can be achieved.

[MrAbdiel]

Apologies folks, at this rate I think I'll have to push that "tonight" post pair till "tomorrow". Check back in!

[Awful]

reflex save for the artillary

[roll0]
[roll1]

and i suggest a bomb here like we did the pillbox. just obliterate the team here.

EDIT: what do you say awful?

I say I have Mold Earth: cover is mine for the making, if the ground is soft enough, so a bomb (or grenade or two) ain't a bad idea

[PartyOfRogues]

Stealth: [roll0]

Edit: What’s the general layout for the area that K’rap and Catchell are in, anywhere we can get good cover overlooking the road?

[MrAbdiel]

You're in the lightly wooded area about fifteen feet back from the road that runs the length of the Defiant wall. The area up here is mostly flat, with some little hillocks, like the one that is obscuring your vision to the oncoming enemy vehicle; but there's no commanding perch from which to look down, exactly. About fifteen feet on the other side of that road (which we'll say is about 20 ft wide), is the trench that feeds into the bunker your allies are in right now.

[JbeJ275]

So was their any sign of blood or similar from the bleeding enemies who just retreated through here? Or is that all entirely absent?

And if we make this save but we’re previously frightened what happens?

[MrAbdiel]

Oh, gosh! Sorry, I forgot to respond to that blood analysis. The trail leads about halfway down the initial corridor, then fades off into dribs and smears. By the end of the corridor, there's no sign of detectable passage at all. Not visually, anyway!

And if you pass this save, you're not frightened - even if that recovers you from a previous condition!

[Novabomb]

Do the bunkers have an exit onto the beach?

[stanleyindraven]

well here goes nothing.

Dex with advantage against DC17

[roll0]
[roll1]

Initiative

[roll2]


I am assuming my rage ended already from the first time right?

EDIT: OMFG this is awesome, some seriously epic moments happening and now that green SOB is gonna get his but handed to him. Screw his greasy butt.

[Cavir]

DC 10 Wisdom save [roll0]
DC 17 Perception check [roll1]
squad initiative check [roll2]

This is all Sal's fault! :smallbiggrin:

EDIT: I was quite expecting to fail the first two rolls.

[Waistcoatwill]

Do the bunkers have an exit onto the beach?


There's some kind of hatch on the floor I think.

[MrAbdiel]

Do the bunkers have an exit onto the beach?

The bunkers at the top of the Defiant Wall? They don't, no. Access to the beach, as far as you can tell, involves going down the machine-gun protected ramps against the cliff face.


I am assuming my rage ended already from the first time right?

Indeed so. Though I'm happy to accept that you re-raged as you tossed the Weasel.

[stanleyindraven]

I would like to do that with the rage. it would be very nice.

[JbeJ275]

Wis Save: [roll0]

Arcana: [roll1]

Perception: [roll2]

[Waistcoatwill]

Does anyone want to ransack the munitions crates?

[Awful]

If I fail this save, I'm downed...

[roll0] or [roll1]

Just made it, sweet jesus. Dangerous territory.

[Waistcoatwill]

Love Wolf's plan.

[Awful]

Woops, didn't roll iniative to see if I beat them.
[roll0]

I've matched them. My iniatitve modifier is +3: who's going first, me or them?

[MrAbdiel]

Woops, didn't roll iniative to see if I beat them.
[roll0]

I've matched them. My iniatitve modifier is +3: who's going first, me or them?

In my games, players always beat non players in ties. You’re up!

[Continental Op]

Love Wolf's plan.

Thanks. I thought Doc would appreciate not shooting anyone for a bit. :smallwink:

[MrAbdiel]

Updates tomorrow! Unposted actions will as always be puppeted by me, with maximum affection for the characters and moderate preservation instincts.

[Cavir]

For those of us in the tunnel, feel free to speak up with alternate ideas. Let's say there's precedent (pre-game) for Xilo taking ideas but he's quick to choose a plan until he hears a better idea. Better than being frozen with indecisiveness.

[Awful]

Gonna use my familiar to get the help action and fire a firebolt towards Mr Troll.

[roll0] or [roll1]
On hit: [roll2]
extra [roll3] on crit

[MrAbdiel]

Has anyone else noticed that at this time of year, you can say “post tomorrow” and then screw up your time management anyway?

Apologies. Post tomorrow, tomorrow.

[Waistcoatwill]

Oh yes, there will be issues if I don't finally actually get several things sent off in the post tomorrow!

[JbeJ275]

Let's get this started: [roll0]

[Cavir]

Let's get this started: (1d20+2)[4]

Decided to be a spectator eh? :smallbiggrin:

Init: [roll0]

[JbeJ275]

Decided to be a spectator eh? :smallbiggrin:

Init: [roll0]

I decided to let other people get this started while I hold up a shield generator.

[MrAbdiel]

I posted, g-

Oh, I see you already noticed. Well. Have at you.

[MrAbdiel]

Initiative for O'Hara: [roll0]

Jukebox [roll1]

Ordo [roll2]

[PartyOfRogues]

Where are the fuel tanks for the flammenwerfer on the truck, or are they out of view

[MrAbdiel]

There's a thick hose that runs to the domed rear of the vehicle; the tanks are probably stored in the 'trunk'.

[PartyOfRogues]

Alright, how far away would the truck be when it got around the corner

[MrAbdiel]

Alright, how far away would the truck be when it got around the corner

Fifty feet away when it becomes visable. You can let it come as close as forty feet; after that, it'll be pulling up alongside the bunker and probably causing hot havoc for your friends.


The maneuvers (PHB p 74) talk about using superiority dice with weapon attacks. Does that include ranged weapons? I have Commander's Strike, Precision Attack, and Rally.

Commanders strike: Yes. You just forgo one of your attacks, and spend it ordering someone else to take an attack, ranged or melee as you prefer.

Precision Attack: Yes. Before or after you attack, you can throw in your superiority dice to add some precision. Ranged or Melee.

Rally: Requires no attack at all. Costs bonus action, and the die is rolled and added with your Cha Mod as temp HP to a target of your choice.

So you're set to be pretty versatile. There are some manoeuvres that are melee exclusive - Riposte, Sweeping Attack, I think - but not many. :)

[Continental Op]

Hopefully both of Wolf's attacks hit the gunner. If not, he would spend a superiority die on Precision Attack to hit.

Assuming both attacks hit, if the gunner is still alive, Wolf would use Distracting Attack to cause [roll0] extra damage and give advantage to the next attack on the gunner.

Novabomb, I think Gabe can move and attack this round, if the AA gun is only 50' from the bunker. Hopefully with advantage if the gunner is still alive. :)

[MrAbdiel]

I have posted for everyone but the Ramp scene with Bathory and Gamble!

Just wanted to give the LT a chance to articulate a particular action of she wanted; I'll post for there tomorrow, too. I know it's a little complex right now - we've functionally got four scenes over two threads, with three different initiative trackers between them. But it's all player's turns except Gamble's right now. When the LT acts, the goons on the Ramp will attack again, and it'll be Team Ramp's right to strike again.

Edit: I took Gabriel's action to be a turn trying to hide - but a Natural 1'll do that to you!

[Continental Op]

Rolling for the grenade
Wolf's Dex save: [roll0]
and damage in case the save fails: [roll1] fire and [roll2] thunder

[JbeJ275]

Forgot to roll for shielding in the IC [roll0]

[Awful]

perception: [roll0]

[roll1] HP from the ring's stored Healing Word as a BA

Tossing a grenade angled to where the goliath woman is for [roll2] pierce and [roll3] fire. A little overkill, maybe, but this fight is pretty knifeedge.

[Waistcoatwill]

Don't threaten Doc's squad with ludicrous weapons!

Crits for normal damage [roll0] and the sneak attack if the stealth roll worked [roll1].

[JbeJ275]

Much as I’d love to keep firing. What I call my “Hellfire Rifle” is technically me casting fire bolt through an arcane firearm spell focus (an artificer class feature).

Does Commander’s strike allow me to cast a cantrip if that cantrip takes the form of a weapon attack?

EDIT: You know what I'll roll now and the Gm can choose whether or not to declare it invalid based on their reading of the rules when the time comes for the next post.

[MrAbdiel]

Technically, no; Commander's strike is trigged by the Attack Action, and permits a Weapon Attack. Since Firebolt is technically a spell attack, it doesn't qualify. It breaks down because a Cantrip is designed to pack comparable damage to another classes' whole attack action. Thus, a fighter at level 5 with, say, a halberd makes two attacks each dealing 1d10+str damage; and a caster flinging a cantrip makes one attack that deals 2d10 damage. But commander's strike permits a single attack, not the attack action; so the same fighter would make a single 1d10+str strike while a caster could spit out a 2d10 attack. It's pretty even at that point (though I think the design is meant to favor the commander selecting martial types); but once you get to level 11, the fighter is still making a 1d10+str strike, while the caster is throwing a 3d10 firebolt.

So the answer is technically no. But under the unique circumstances of this game, I'm inclined to say yes, with the asterisk that a cantrip 'reskinned' as a weapon is valid for effects that are asking for weapon attacks, but they when cast in this way they never treat the caster level as higher than 5.

Sound good?

[JbeJ275]

Technically, no; Commander's strike is trigged by the Attack Action, and permits a Weapon Attack. Since Firebolt is technically a spell attack, it doesn't qualify. It breaks down because a Cantrip is designed to pack comparable damage to another classes' whole attack action. Thus, a fighter at level 5 with, say, a halberd makes two attacks each dealing 1d10+str damage; and a caster flinging a cantrip makes one attack that deals 2d10 damage. But commander's strike permits a single attack, not the attack action; so the same fighter would make a single 1d10+str strike while a caster could spit out a 2d10 attack. It's pretty even at that point (though I think the design is meant to favor the commander selecting martial types); but once you get to level 11, the fighter is still making a 1d10+str strike, while the caster is throwing a 3d10 firebolt.

So the answer is technically no. But under the unique circumstances of this game, I'm inclined to say yes, with the asterisk that a cantrip 'reskinned' as a weapon is valid for effects that are asking for weapon attacks, but they when cast in this way they never treat the caster level as higher than 5.

Sound good?

That's more than fair, I've went forward with that in the IC and produced a nat 20 so total damage is going to be 21+[roll0]+[roll1]=32

[Cavir]

Sir Yes Sir!!! Barks back Sal as his fingers dance over the hellfire rifle, attempting to empower and discharge it beyond it's usual rate of fire, spitting further flames at the enemies surrounding them.
Just Sgt :smalltongue:

Nice shot!

[MrAbdiel]

Without too much joy to deflate a crit... Was Sal shooting at the invisible assailant attacking the commander, or at the faerie fired goon behind? Because the former you're attacking with Disadvantage; the latter with Advantage!

[JbeJ275]

I was trying to hit the faire fired goon.

[MrAbdiel]

Oh.

Oh, well.

Then he's boned.

[MrAbdiel]

Posted! The scene on top of the cliff has gotten a LOT more complicated! The scene in the tunnels less so! The scene on the ramp remains as is, since they're on their own initiative tracker, I can wait for Gamble and Bathory to take actions.

So it's EVERYONE's turn once again!

Gamble and Bathory, you probably witness the dragon fly overhead and perch on a bunker above you, on the cliff wall, thankfully, it's focus is inland, not down towards you!

[Cavir]

Did Xilo stab the Stalker?


Knowledge: Arcana DC 13, free to roll.
Need to be trained for it?

[JbeJ275]

Construct is down to 15 HP. Did I hit the invisible enemy with the attack on my turn?

[MrAbdiel]

Oh! I had assumed both shots were against the faerie fired target. You did hit it! I'll amend the post to reflect it.

Also, I am grieved by my honesty, the Construct benefits from its own bloody shield, so it's probably unharmed.

And alas, yes; training required, for the Arcana!

[Continental Op]

Rolling for the dragon's fear effect: [roll0]

And a question: would Wolf have any idea how to aim and fire the AA gun? I am pretty sure that is not covered in basic, but I have no idea how easy or complicated it is...

[PartyOfRogues]

Fear Save: [roll0]

[MrAbdiel]

He wouldn't know how to load it, how to repair it, or much of its technical specification. But aiming it and depressing the 'triggers', the activation panels on the sides of the traversal grip, is intuitive enough. There's a crank on one side to alter the tilt up and down, and a larger crank to rotate the entire emplacement. Both these cranks are usually manned by a second member of the firing team. But the gun itself as a certain amount of manual side to side and up-down traverse. And since it was aiming at a ground target anyway, presumably loaded, I'll say go for it. Consider yourself proficient and, because it's four barrels firing at once to maximize the likelihood of contact, have advantage.

[Waistcoatwill]

Scaring this thing off with the AA gun is probably the best chance we've got, good luck Wolf! Hopping into that flamethrower turret might also help. Is that possible with tbr truck moving?

Fear save with advantage [roll0] or [roll1]

Edit: well I am one scared little halfling. I assume I'm able to see it whilst standing in the doorway? Can I run over to patch up Wolf with my inspiration without getting closer to it?

[MrAbdiel]

You can see it looming above you. Running over to Wolf is getting further away from it, so that's fine!

[JbeJ275]

Knowledge Arcana or the thing in the tunnels:

[roll0]