EF 008: In Which a Knight challenges a Dragon and Kirby flees

BESW

May 28, 2013 01:58

Lord Northface, lost in the Forest as everyone becomes on their first (second, third, fourth) visits to it, hears a loud argument and shrill screams. On a sunny hilltop in a small glade, a bright green dragon the size of two horses is attacking a youngish man in tattered robes. Nearby, a beautiful woman in court dress cowers, screaming.

trogdor

lol

BESW

(And may I just say, I love that I didn't have to make up any of that scene for this scenario.)

This... will probably quickly become a social conflict.

Because we have so many people, do you mind if we use initiative right off the bat to at least determine turn order?

C. Ross

not at all

BESW

Okay, physical initiative (which the dragon is engaged in) is based on Quick, and mental conflict is based on Careful.

No rolls, just modifiers.

trogdor

yeah,... I made up at least half this scene myself

C. Ross

May 28, 2013 02:02

Quick: +1

BESW

@trogdor Are you acting physically or socially/mentally?

trogdor

socially

was that careful or cleve?

BESW

Careful.

trogdor

ah careful

so 3

BESW

(page 44 of the FAE book.)

The dragon and Lord Northface are tied at +1. Suggestions for how to resolve the tie? We could roll, or we could say it makes sense for one to go first.

trogdor

May 28, 2013 02:04

well

rolling sounds like a fair way

if we just say one goes first though, the dragon is closer, but he is on a horse

BESW

4d6

Dice Service

•

trogdor

2

BESW

Dragon has +2 unmodified.

C. Ross

4d6

Dice Service

May 28, 2013 02:05

•

trogdor

ooh

0

C. Ross

I believe the dragon goes first

trogdor

yes

I believe so

BESW

I believe so, but Kirby's going before him. We'll stick with these initiative scores even if individuals move between social and physical actions, for simplicity's sake.

Kirby: I believe you just dared the dragon to try eating you, and it accepted.

trogdor

lol

that was really dumb

anyway,... lets see what I can try to say to fix this

it's probably gonna take several turns of diplomacy

BESW

May 28, 2013 02:08

At this point, you're going to have to deal it enough stress for it to concede or be taken out.

trogdor

so social attacks then?

and or manuvers

BESW

That would seem reasonable. You dared a dragon to EAT YOU.

trogdor

yeah I know

stop rubbing it in

mk

I think I will try just a straight up attack

"the best you can think of doing with a princess after you asked that kid to kidnap her is eat her? what kind of dragon are you?"

4d6

Dice Service

•

trogdor

I think that's probably clever

so just 2

BESW

May 28, 2013 02:13

The dragon feels that the appropriate response to a question like that is a good strong dragony RAAWOR. Forceful defense +5.

4d6

Dice Service

•

trogdor

wow

so tie

it was a pitiful roar, at least for a dragon

BESW

Total of +2, so you deal it no stress but you get a boost.

Please narrate the exchange, including the dragon's defense and the nature of the boost you get.

trogdor

mk

Kirby insults the dragon's,... dragon code.

it roars at him in an only slightly intimidating way and he says "that was pretty weak there, are you sure your a dragon at all?"

I think the boost should be morale victory

BESW

So Kirby now has the aspect Morale Victory, with one free invoke. When the free invoke is used, the aspect will go away.

Dragon's turn.

Having failed to intimidate Kirby, the furious dragon attacks with a flurry of shining teeth and claws. "I bet rude people taste better!"

trogdor

May 28, 2013 02:19

they probably do

BESW

Flashy attack, +4 with +2 stunt bonus.

4d6

Dice Service

•

BESW

+7 physical attack.

trogdor

mk

I will try to fake doge left, and then actually dodge right

I think that's clever

4d6

Dice Service

•

trogdor

May 28, 2013 02:21

0

sheesh

guess I will use that tag

so 2

BESW

How does having a morale victory help defend against teeth and claws?

trogdor

having confidence can help with almost anything

BESW

Okay.

trogdor

it's not like I am trying to bull rush it

BESW

You're still taking 5 shifts of stress; this will take Kirby out of the fight unless he invokes more aspects or takes consequences.

trogdor

May 28, 2013 02:23

and I think I will take my time to do this right

yeah

thats what I am doing

invoking "I always take my time"

so 4

BESW

Umm.

trogdor

and a mild consequence will drop it to 1 stress

BESW

I'm having a really hard time seeing how taking your time to dodge is going to be helpful.

C. Ross

Yeah, that doesn't quite pass the smell test

trogdor

the dragon isn't attacking me quickly

you are specifically using flashy

BESW

May 28, 2013 02:26

And you're being Clever, not Careful, in your defense.

trogdor

mk

BESW

Regardless of whether it's a quick or flashy attack, it's still a dragon snapping and clawing at you.

trogdor

yeah, but how you do something should still count

anyway, I will take the mild consequence and be at 0 stress left

but not taken out

BESW

Okay, given the nature of the attack and defense, what is the nature of the mild consequence?

trogdor

I think "clawed up face" is appropriate

or cut up

something like that

BESW

May 28, 2013 02:28

The dragon is going to reduce the stress he deals by 1, to get a boost.

trogdor

mk

oh

I guess I actually only took 2, so I have track number 1 and 3 left

BESW

Right.

trogdor

still a little confused by that

honestly

I'll get the hang of it at some point

BESW

Despite Kirby's clever dodge, the dragon's claws rip across Kirby's face as it sees through feint.

C. Ross

my turn?

trogdor

May 28, 2013 02:32

yep

C. Ross

> Looking at the dragon and the man being mauled Lord Northface swallows hard, but swings his mount toward the hill and spurs it to a gallup.

(compel?)

BESW

Hmm. Dramatic or complicated.

If you self-compel to make this more dramatic or complicated, I'll happily support it with a FP.

C. Ross

@BESW riding up and distracting the dragon dramatic and complicated enough?

oh, and what if he puts himself between the dragon and the lady, not the hermit

BESW

That is a worthy compel.

trogdor

lol

yeah

it is

BESW

May 28, 2013 02:36

If you do that, at the end of this turn you get a Fate point.

trogdor

sigh

C. Ross

> He rides up the hill, and places his mount between the (swooning?) lady and the dragon and calls out "These people are under my protection dragon, move along!"

BESW

(By the way, the Princess Keredwel's stats are here.)

@C.Ross If anyone can swoon while screaming at the top of her lungs, it's the Princess Keredwel.

C. Ross

definitely swooning then

Forceful or Flashy to distract the dragon?

trogdor

"ooooh" "AHHHHHH"

BESW

May 28, 2013 02:39

What kind of aspect are you hoping to place?

(@StaceyAnne hi!)

trogdor

it sounds like flashy, but it depends

C. Ross

Distracted by the crazy man in metal

BESW

That sounds flashy.

C. Ross

k, rolling flashy at +3

4d6

Dice Service

•

trogdor

May 28, 2013 02:40

4

C. Ross

and I'm going to spend a point and tag Reluctant Knight on that?

BESW

The dragon is going to try Cleverly evaluating the true level of threat this crazy man might pose.

Don't spend points until you know the defending roll.

4d6

Dice Service

•

C. Ross

k

BESW

So... +4.

C. Ross

May 28, 2013 02:42

(@StaceyAnne welcome)

yes, going to spend that point

BESW

You succeed at placing a boost, good for one free invoke, or you can spend a point to get a more durable aspect.

trogdor

3

unless you are spending something

it has clever 3

and that's a 0 roll

C. Ross

@trogdor the sheet says 4, the forum says 3

BESW

@trogdor Check again.

trogdor

that's confusing

BESW

May 28, 2013 02:43

I reserve the right to fiddle, especially since the dragon never hit combat before now.

C. Ross

fair enough, are you good with the invoke?

BESW

I am.

trogdor

where are it's actual stats?

BESW

@trogdor Scroll down on the combat sheet.

trogdor

ooooh

ok

I saw the dragon under the princess

BESW

May 28, 2013 02:44

@C.Ross Please narrate your successful action.

C. Ross

> The knight summons all his courage and manages to attract the dragon's attention, who looks over his shoulder and furrows his scaly brow.

trogdor

it's funny

you call it a he

Brian calls it a she

C. Ross

don't tell the dragon, but this is my first

trogdor

I don't attribute a specific gender to it

BESW

Give yourself a FP for that compel, and I suggest you consider using it to compel the dragon to attack you on its next turn; don't have to decide until it's turn, of course.

trogdor

May 28, 2013 02:48

keep in mind

BESW

@C.Ross It's too young to have chosen a gender yet, and you're its first knight. But it's not letting on either.

trogdor

if you compel it, you lose the FP AND it gets it, but only after it acts on the compel

C. Ross

noted

BESW

The Princess is going to place the Earsplitting Screams aspect on the scene.

trogdor

lol

C. Ross

May 28, 2013 02:50

automatic success?

trogdor

I think so

BESW

She's fair at histrionics, so that's a +2. If anyone can justify attempting to stop her from doing this, roll defense. Otherwise, it's an automatic success and her roll is just for determining the difficulty of removing it from the scene later.

trogdor

she is a little too good at this stuff

BESW

4d6

Dice Service

•

trogdor

May 28, 2013 02:50

yeah

looks like success to me

BESW

And she's got two free invokes on it.

trogdor

could she have actually failed that?

BESW

...yes. the target is 0.

trogdor

ah

BESW

A -2 or -3 roll would've been a failure.

trogdor

May 28, 2013 02:52

so like

ah

BESW

The Princess looks up from her swooning, gulps in a breath, and begins wailing about the sure doom her unlikely hero is about to meet.

trogdor

cause she only has +2 on stuff

BESW

Top of the round, Kirby.

trogdor

hmm

BESW

Kirby, I'll give you a FP if you have Uncontrollable Visions of Northface's mother instead of contributing to combat.

trogdor

May 28, 2013 02:54

ok

deal

sounds like a winning strategy

C. Ross

(I can't hang around too much longer, time zones and all)

trogdor

he he he he

BESW

Dragon's turn.

C. Ross

> Hey dragon, I'm still talking to you.

BESW

(Kirby, we'll talk about your visions later. For now, you roll around on the ground or something.)

C. Ross

May 28, 2013 02:55

Compel offered

BESW

Compel accepted!

trogdor

lol

"rolls around on the ground making your mother jokes?"

BESW

The dragon squints at the sunlight shining off the metal-clad man, and almost visibly shrugs.

"You're not very polite either!"

trogdor

yes he is, I think you just don't know what the word means

BESW

The dragon lunges at Lord Northface, and at the last second spins around, trying to knock him over with its tail instead of using its teeth on that armor.

trogdor

May 28, 2013 02:57

you have a 1:1 score so far

BESW

Flashy attack (spinning) at +6 with stunt.

4d6

Dice Service

•

BESW

+6 attack.

trogdor

lol

rolling out those 0's

C. Ross

Lord Northface wheels his horse to catch the blow on his shield, his emblem shining in the sun before the tail crashes into him.

Flashy enough?

BESW

May 28, 2013 03:00

Only if you shout something too. [grin]

C. Ross

> Not today dragon!

BESW

Yes. Roll.

C. Ross

4d6

Dice Service

•

C. Ross

oi

+6 vs +1

BESW

May 28, 2013 03:01

Spend, spend, spend some Fate points?

trogdor

lol

hurt hirt hurt goes the knight?

C. Ross

Can I spend a point to invoke Rocks? The dragon gets caught up in the rocks on the hill?

BESW

(Although if you have to go, you could let yourself get taken out.)

@C.Ross yeah, it stumbles on a rock or something.

C. Ross

and trying to see if I could invoke the screams for free

BESW

The Princess will happily pass you a tag.

C. Ross

May 28, 2013 03:04

The screams give me a sense of purpose (Can’t ignore the needy) and I put all of that into absorbing the blow?

BESW

I like it.

So now you're at +5/+6.

C. Ross

yeah, and I'll take the one stress

BESW

Much more acceptable.

trogdor

why does the dragon increase the NPC pool by 4? it's already spent a lot on awesome stuff

BESW

And down one FP, right?

C. Ross

May 28, 2013 03:05

yes

BESW

@trogdor We can talk about that later.

trogdor

mk'

BESW

Motivated by the lady behind him, Lord Northface takes the blow on his shield, sending vibrations up his arm. It'd hurt a lot worse if the dragon hadn't stumbled on a rock while executing the spin.

C. Ross

> Lord Northface raises his shield, bolstered by the knowledge there is a needy princess behind him, and wheels his horse to take the blow on his shield, as the dragon slides in his spin.

yep

ok guys, got to bail, sorry

@BESW do what you need to to play

BESW

No problem. We'll figure something out.

Take care!

@trogdor It is very unlikely that you can succeed against the dragon alone.

trogdor

May 28, 2013 03:10

yeah

BESW

You have a clawed-up face and some stress. You might do well to concede.

It'd give you two FP.

You'd have to grant a major concession though; what might that be?

Alternately, if you want to move to a different character... om nom nom.

trogdor

running away and leaving the princess to it would be a worthy concession I think

hmm

BESW

We could just keep playing it out and see what happens.

trogdor

my other character idea is a wolf hunting something in the forest, my idea was it would be a "white stag"

I am having trouble deciding, to be perfectly honest.

BESW

Then let's keep playing the scene.

trogdor

May 28, 2013 03:15

mk

BESW

Either you'll decide, or the scene will decide. You can concede any time when the dragon isn't rolling and resolving an attack.

trogdor

mk

and in FAE there are only the minor consequences?

and generally you only have one?

BESW

No, you still have mild (2), moderate (4), and severe (6).

trogdor

oh

why would I get 2 FP for conceding now?

BESW

Because you get 1 for conceding and 1 for each consequence you took in the conflict.

trogdor

May 28, 2013 03:18

ah

ok

BESW

Princess's turn, I think.

She'll place an aspect on herself: "Unthreatening." This isn't histrionic, so she's got no mod.

4d6

Dice Service

•

BESW

The Princess swoons strategically behind a rock.

Kirby, you're up.

trogdor

hmm

I think conceding at this point is entirely reasonable

BESW

Conceding at any point in a fight with a dragon is reasonable.

But is it what you want to do with the character?

trogdor

May 28, 2013 03:23

yeah

I has a plan

BESW

Okay, so Kirby's going to run off and leave the princess and the knight to deal with the dragon he ticked off.

trogdor

yep

and it will chew on his conscience

BESW

Okay then. Kirby gets to start his next session with 5 FP and an unshakable aura of jerkface.

trogdor

yep

BESW

Please narrate his ignoble retreat.

trogdor

May 28, 2013 03:25

mk

Kirby stands up after his little mauling by a dragon.

he looks around and see's it has started to lay into a knight that just showed up out of nowhere.

and the princess is characteristically cowering and yelling her head off

it is the perfect time to run, so he does just that

BESW

....I thought he was blind.

trogdor

he tries not to make any noise while everyone is distracted, and once out of ear-shot, he books it

hears then

yeah it would be hard to see it

lol

in any case

I think he likely will still be able to tell someone on a horse just galloped in

the princess is still SCREAMING her head off

BESW

Heheh.

trogdor

of course no surprise there

and the dragon is obviously leaving him alone

so, slightly different means

but I think he still gets the important point

so, sneak off a small distance, then run for it

probably hitting several humiliatingly placed trees on his way out

BESW

Sounds good to me.

The dragon will no doubt keep Kirby on its "To Eat" list.

trogdor

May 28, 2013 03:32

lol

if it finds him again I totally expect that

but for now

it has someone else to deal with

BESW

And maybe Kirby will be a little more careful about taunting dragons in the future.

trogdor

yes

and, he now has something specific to eat at his conscience.

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