Season 1 - Episode 1: Welcome to the Wheatsheaf

A forum for JoeCarr28's play-by-post game.

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JoeCarr28
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GM's Note - MapTool

Post by JoeCarr28 »

I am going to experiment with using MapTool (http://www.rptools.net/index.php?page=maptool) as an aid to the visualisation of combat. I’m not going to use its realtime play facilities (i.e. I’m not going to run a MapTool server). I’m just going to use it as a means of drawing and updating the combat situation.

For the players, like the dice rolling, this is strictly optional. I plan to provide enough description in the main forum text to ensure that the MapTool representation is not a necessity. However, for those that are interested, I will provide updated tactical maps on a round-by-round basis so that you can see exactly how the fight is panning out. It should be useful for gauging movement distances, missile ranges, line of sight, etc. There’s no need to download the MapTool software; all the updates to the maps will be done by the GM.

The exported MapTool screenshots are quite large and are not particularly well suited to posting into the forum directly. Therefore, I’ve set up an external page that can be linked-to if you so choose. The link is: https://sites.google.com/site/marketstonecampaign/.

To get us started I’ve tried to pick some representative tokens for each character. However, the people behind MapTool also provide the very easy to use TokenTool (http://www.rptools.net/index.php?page=tokentool) with which you can make your own custom tokens. By way of example, I quickly made a Nivek one using Smoot’s signature picture. Feel free to make your own if you’re unhappy with my default choice.

tokenNivek.png
tokenNivek.png (25.56 KiB) Viewed 12721 times
If you have any questions about MapTool, please post in the “Out-of-Character Chat” topic.[/i]
Iain_IF
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Re: Chapter 1 - The Farmer's Lost a Wife

Post by Iain_IF »

Those are big! exclaims Paladin. He hightails it into the stables. Once there, he will begin to clamber up into the hay loft or onto the roof, from where he hopes to plunk away at the wolves with his short bow. He carefully husbands his jug of beer as he does so.
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SmootRK
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Re: Chapter 1 - The Farmer's Lost a Wife

Post by SmootRK »

Nivek lets go of his companions and continues to move forward while readying his shield and mace. "Lets do this!" he exclaims. "But where are the riders? Can anyone see goblins about?"

[Do these seem to be typical wolves? or something more fierce?]
Is it really the end, not some crazy dream?
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swirler
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Re: Chapter 1 - The Farmer's Lost a Wife

Post by swirler »

/whisper "I'll see if I can find them." Doughbert attempts to sneak to the trees along the river and search for the goblins. He is expecting to see them behind the wolves in that set of trees but is looking carefully around.

ooc: I know this may take me awhile to do but it's what he is planning unless things change.
--James
"Cthulhu called, he wants his insanity back."

"Vulnerable and hot trumps paranoid most of the time."
Birthright
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Re: Chapter 1 - The Farmer's Lost a Wife

Post by Birthright »

Tannen readies his shield, makes sure his longsword is ready, but grabs out his hand axe to hurl at one of the wolves should it come to close. Tannen stays close to Nivek and yells to his companions:

"Anyone with missiles, lets see you use them, but stay close to Nivek and I!"
{Tannen will throw his hand axe at any wolf that comes close enough to him, although he'll wait until they are around 25 yards or so away (medium range for his hand axe)}
Iain_IF
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Re: Chapter 1 - The Farmer's Lost a Wife

Post by Iain_IF »

Maybe they are friendly wolves! hollers Paladin as he balances beer and climbing.
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SmootRK
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Re: Chapter 1 - The Farmer's Lost a Wife

Post by SmootRK »

[OoC: are we seeing any indication that these are benevolent creatures? Because I would not be inclined to believe that pack-hunting canines would be near civilization, much less running through the inhabited areas. Especially when reports of Wolf-Riders/Goblins have been the current blame (true or not); I expect there is a reason for their appearance]

Nivek calls out to any townsfolk which might be vicinity, "Keep indoors!"
Is it really the end, not some crazy dream?
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JoeCarr28
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Skirmish at the Wheatsheaf - Round 1

Post by JoeCarr28 »

Initiative
Scathias: 6 + 1 (dexterity) = 7.
Doughbert: 4 + 1 (dexterity) + 1 (halfling) = 6.
Paladin: 2 + 2 (dexterity) + 1 (halfling) = 5.
Wolf 3: 5.
Nivek: 4.
Kemble: 2 + 1 (dexterity) = 3.
Tannen: 3.
Wolf 2: 3.
Wolf 1: 1.

Scathias is the first to react. He readies his bow, waiting for the first wolf to come into medium range (<100’ for a shortbow).

Doughbert sneaks south-west along the bank of the River Mark towards the nearest copse of trees, he scans for goblins. [Rolls]. There are none to be seen. [Leather armour + heavily loaded gives a movement rate of 20’].

Paladin surveys the stable, beer in hand. It is a single-storey wooden construction with a pitched roof. It looks like a fairly straightforward climb and it would provide a good vantage point over the paddock. He commences the ascent. [Climb walls = 80%, 50% penalty for attempting to climb with a jug beer in his hand. Roll = 18]. Impressively, Paladin makes the climb without spilling a drop. However, if he’s going to fire his shortbow next round, he’s going to have to put his beer down; unfortunately the pitched roof of the stable doesn’t offer a suitably flat surface. He’s going to have to make a choice - beer or bow!

Wolf 3 advances directly towards the party. It covers approximately half the distance to the party without even breaking into a run. It is now only about 20 yards away. Snarling to reveal its frighteningly sharp teeth, it’s clear that it’s going to attack.

Wolf 3 is now withing medium range of Scathias’ shortbow. He lets the arrow fly. [To hit = 15 + 2 = 17. Hit! Damage = 3]. The arrow finds it’s mark, embedding itself into the flank of the approaching wolf. It barely seems to notice, and keeps advancing.

Shield and mace in hand, Nivek moves forward towards the wolves. [Leather armour + lightly loaded gives a movement rate of 30’].

Kemble waits for more of the wolves to come into the range of his sleep spell.

Tannen advances with Nivek, although his bulky chain mail armour and heavier load make it difficult for him to keep pace with the dwarf. [Metal armour + heavily loaded gives a movement rate of 10’].

Wolves 2 and 1 follow on the heels of their comrade, closing for the attack.

With all three wolves now in the range of Kemble’s Sleep spell, he casts. He targets a point just beyond Wolf 3 to ensure that the spell doesn’t catch Nivek. [Save vs Spells for each wolf: Wolf 1 = 11 (fail); Wolf 2 = 17 (succeeds); Wolf 3 = 10 (fail)]. So Wolves 1 and 3 slump to the ground in a magical slumber, leaving Wolf 2 to face the party alone.

[Updated tactical map at https://sites.google.com/site/marketstonecampaign/].

[Actions for next round please ...].


8 pm, 24th day of Harvestide
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JoeCarr28
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Re: Chapter 1 - The Farmer's Lost a Wife

Post by JoeCarr28 »

SmootRK wrote:[Do these seem to be typical wolves? or something more fierce?]
From what you can see they seem like normal wolves. In the heat of the battle, you can see nothing unusual about them.
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JoeCarr28
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Re: Chapter 1 - The Farmer's Lost a Wife

Post by JoeCarr28 »

SmootRK wrote:[OoC: are we seeing any indication that these are benevolent creatures? Because I would not be inclined to believe that pack-hunting canines would be near civilization, much less running through the inhabited areas. Especially when reports of Wolf-Riders/Goblins have been the current blame (true or not); I expect there is a reason for their appearance]
Even though The Wheatsheaf backs on to open countryside, an attack such as this by ordinary indigenous wolves (if that's what they are) would be considered highly unusual. Not totally unheard of. But very, very unusual.
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