World of Warcraft - Interbellum (OOC Thread)

[BananaPhone]

Sorry for short post, posting is still choppy.

[MrAbdiel]

Sorry for short post, posting is still choppy.

Hey BananaPhone! Glad to have you back. And post length isn't an issue for me; there's only so much to react to in PbP and as the GM I have the privilege of being able to define as much scenery and NPC conversation as I like to bulk things out.

I do think the scene might have gotten a little criss-crossed, however! Here's how it stands:

Jakk'ari and Zachery are trudging off the beaten path, talking to Swamp-Eye Jarl and worrying about the horde scout.

Mor'Lag, Isaera and Marion are back with the camp which, at this point, is just waking up, packing up, and starting to move. They don't know about Jak'N'Zak's discoveries yet, so Marion doesn't need to worry about the horde busting in just yet.

There's also the dreams, which chronologically happened overnight and reference your character's pasts, which you might feel free to respond to or not however you wish. But it seemed like it might be more fun to have something to bounce off while the party is split.

I've been updating a little slow for the last week and the scene has become slightly disjointed, but bear with me, I'll bring it back together shortly!

[hand ax ranger]

So i am still alive, and i will post again soon, but I'll probably be a bit. Creative well is dry currently.

[Plaids]

I would like to reunite the party soon if possible. I like how everyone gets a chunk of story but it feels like the stakes are more heavily weighted on Jakk'n Zach.

I don't know how feedback is done on play by post games since I'm accustomed to not breaking the directors pace and waiting till after they are done with an episode/session.

[MrAbdiel]

No worries mate; like I said, the group will be back together shortly. And I’m glad the two wilderness-ish characters got a little flex. Stakes will level out over time.

As for feedback, feel free to message me; but there will be breaks between “episodes”. You’re about halfway through one now.

[MrAbdiel]

There we go. Party reunited, and just in time for our first combat scene. I also threw in a little narrative spackle to help with the earlier confusion about who was where. This is the first M&M combat I will have run, so bear with me guys and roll some initiative. :)

[Feathersnow]

(1d20+1)[3] here's my initiative

[WindStruck]

Initiative: (1d20-2)[8]

Wasn't sure what to do, but considering that it takes a full round for Isaera to cast most spells, I figure I can begin casting some arcane missiles and hold that power before releasing it on the first thing I see?

[Plaids]

(1d20+1)[16]

Jakk'ari will prepare an the use of his powers hindering movement in a 200 foot radius excluding the caravan in the center of it by summoning strong winds to whip through the forest.

[BananaPhone]

Initiative: (1d20)[20]

Action: Casting Death and Decay, 30 foot cylindrical radius, on an area that'll catch the most raptors.

It's also Contagious so they can spread it to nearby Raptors. All infected have to take DC 18 Toughness check.

*Think* I'm not sure how you're treating surrounding flora, whether they're 'objects' or living things that also need to take Toughness checks lest they rot away too. (And then spread it to surrounding flora via Contagious)

[hand ax ranger]

(1d20+2)[8]

Behold my Initiative! Oh and Hi I'm back lol.

[MrAbdiel]

Welcome back, ax ranger! Spells and actions cast and prepared to launch are fine and dandy. BananaPhone, Marion can’t see the raptors yet - she just knows danger is coming from somewhere soon. Did you want to cast and hold that Death and Decay, launched at the first multiple of enemies you see?

[BananaPhone]

Sure. Aimed to catch as many as possible in the aoe.

[MrAbdiel]

Great! Forgive my slowness tonight, time got away from me and I don't want to set this combat scene up while I'm falling asleep. I'll resolve people's prep actions and the first raptor movements tomorrow, hopefully in the morning before work.

Spoiler: A friendly face

Show

[hand ax ranger]

Well Zachary is going to run for a position of cover/concealment and use an aim action. once his next turn comes up he'll fire on of on theses assailants.

[Feathersnow]

Mor'Lag will draw their fire and be obvious

[MrAbdiel]

Awesome. Preparing a visual aid and resolving actions presently. It took a little extra time because I futz around with tokens and things.

Raptor Group 1 Initiative: (1d20+6)[22]
Raptor Group 2 Initiative: (1d20+6)[20]
Raptor Group 3 Initiative: (1d20+6)[21]
Raptor Group 4 Initiative: (1d20+6)[13]

[MrAbdiel]

Preparation Turn Sequence:

20 - Marion conjures her Death and Decay, and holds it ready for the first targets to emerge.
16 - Jakk'ari arrives at the wagons, and compels the spirits of air to hinder the movement of attackers incoming.
8 - Zachary arrives at the wagons, hurls himself into cover in the northmost one, and begins scanning around where he saw glimpses of red scale on his way in with an Aim action.
8 - Isaera offers an unprompted and hilarious accusation to the GM's delight, and casts arcane missiles. Strictly speaking she isn't holding her action, since her magic requires a turn to cast and then 'goes off' at the beginning of her next turn. Functionally, she casts the spell and prepares to fling it at an emerging target on her turn.
3 - Mor'Lag charges out into the open space between the treeline and the wagons, making herself an obvious target for the raptors.
1 - The medics try to calm the horses, which are skittish at the group's tension. The drivers take up spears and step into the spaces between the wagons encouraging Isaera and Marion to keep behind them for protection - not a particularly progressive offer, but one they seem intent to follow through on.

Turn 1:

The raptors become visible as their stalking effect is broken by the pack leader's command to attack. All four groups become visable.

Trigger: Marion's prepared action goes off. She launches her Death and Decay at Raptor group 3, which emerges into her view. (Rolls here.) One is immediately killed, the other two survive.

22 - Raptor group 1 moves forward; but because of Jakk'ari's buffeting winds, they cross only half the distance to the wagons.
21 - Raptor group 3 moves forward, with the two surviving raptors struggling out of the radius of the death and decay - but in doing so, they pass their decaying comrade, triggering another roll from the contagion. One more keels over, the last survivor pushes halfway to the wagons through the winds.
20 - Marion's turn again!

BananaPhone, it's your action. I'll render these results dynamically in the IC thread presently.

But while I'm showing my greenness with the system, since your Death and Decay is an area damage 3 effect, let me see if I understand how it works.

Because it's area, there's no attack roll; just a dodge roll to experience it at half ranks.

After that, everyone makes a damage resistance check - a toughness check - at either the full ranks of the power, or half the ranks if they passed the dodge. Your power lists a DC of 18 - shouldn't it be 13? Is there an extra 5 from somewhere I don't understand?

Doesn't change the rolls as they lay, but I am here to learn! :)

Spoiler: Map at the beginning of Turn 1

Show

[BananaPhone]

That's the general jist. Damage effects are DC 15 + Rank.

[MrAbdiel]

Ahah! I see it now. Thanks!

[WindStruck]

When the raptors get their dodge save at first, I thought it would halve the effect, no?

So let's say death and decay dealt 3 damage and the full effect required a DC 18 toughness save. Successfully dodging should make that damage 1, and need a DC 16 toughness save, right? Not sure where the 14s are coming from...

[BananaPhone]

I believe those were from a prior interpretation of a saved reflex roll meant "halved" damage, so 18 goes to 14.

[MrAbdiel]

I think I halved the DC modifier before adding the ten as it seemed intuitive to me for some reason. Interpreting the SRD to my best capacity, and happy to learn how it works from people who have played!

[BananaPhone]

It's all good, you're doing better than 90% of GM's out there .

[Plaids]

Overall combat is looking pretty good. I think Mutants and Masterminds is one of the more complex systems especially once the enemies get powers too.

[Feathersnow]

Mor'lag is going to grab one and attempt to throttle it.

(1d20+15)[16] fighting roll to hit
(1d20+15)[23] fighting roll to grab

[MrAbdiel]

Two minions and a pack leader near you, Mor’Lag - any preference as to target?

[Feathersnow]

Two minions and a pack leader near you, Mor’Lag - any preference as to target?

Definitely the leader. Try to Intimidate them, or at least disrupt their command structure.

[MrAbdiel]

Ah! A hit, but it rolled an 18+6 so squeaks over the margin to not be grabbed by one!

Zach can take his shot, and Isaera can release her arcane missiles and then charge her next spell!

[MrAbdiel]

Another raptor down! After Zach takes his aimed shot, I'll update the map!