Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Enrolling In The School Of Hard Knocks...

Some GMs have a house rule of shooting ranged weapons into an existing melee battle, where there is a chance the weapon might strike a friend instead of a foe (if the To Hit roll is an odd number, for example). In those cases, it is often best to NOT range into melee. Sometimes lessons need to be learned the hard way...

DM: Ok, everyone state their actions for this round in order of initiative...

Angora: I stand my ground against the ogre, swiping at his head with my 2H sword. [rolls] Ah, dang. A 7. That's definitely going to miss.

Groin: I'm right there with Angora, swinging my battle axe at the ogre, as well. [rolls] Woot! A 19 will definitely hit!

Bore'me: And I'm with the two fighters, smashing into him with my mace. [rolls] I rolled an 11.

Raisin: I'll remain about 15' behind the fighters and the cleric, readying magic missile.

Eggoless: I pull out my bow and launch an arrow into the ogre's eye! [rolls] Hey, a 17! That should do it!

DM: And since he rolled so poorly, the ogre will go last in this round. Thrown off balance by the ogre's last sweeping attack, Angora is unable to regain his footing in time to take a proper swing. Groin's axe bites into the thigh of the ogre, [rolls] but it only appears to have grazed him. Bore'me lands a blow, but the ogre's armour absorbs the shock. Raisin, your magic missile unerringly finds its mark and hits the ogre [rolls] solidly in the chest. And Eggoless' arrow finds a mark, as well! [rolls] Unfortunately, it is in the shoulder of Groin! It hits for [rolls] 3 points of damage. Groin, please mark your character sheet accordingly.

Groin: Ah, dang it! *grumble*

Eggoless: Oops! Sorry!

DM: Finally, the ogre gets his attack. Fortunately for Angora, it is wild and completely misses its mark! That takes us to round three - everyone roll initiative again, please! [rolls]

[All Players roll one d6.]

DM: Ok, it looks like Bore'me goes first, Angora second, followed by Eggoless, Raisin, ogre, and finally Groin. Let's have the first four go in order and then I'll see what the ogre does before the dwarf gets his attack.

Bore'me: I swing my mace again. [rolls] Hey, a 14! Does that hit?

Angora: Swinging... [rolls] 16 this time!

Eggoless: Again with the bow...

Groin: Seriously?

Eggoless: [rolls] Oh, a 13. That might not do it.

Raisin: I'll fire off my second magic missile spell at him.

DM: Bore'me's mace strikes the ogre's arm and this time [rolls] you hear a crunch and it sounds like you might have broken something. Before he can recover from the blow by the cleric, Angora's 2H sword bites into his shoulder, [rolls] cutting deeply into his flesh! He doesn't look like he has much fight left in him!

Raisin: Awesome! My spell should take him right out!

DM: [rolls] Eggoless, your arrow does indeed connect once again! Unfortunately, a 13 hits Raisin's AC of 8 with no problem. Your arrow pierces [rolls]... oh. It drives through Raisin's back and the tip of the arrow punches out the front of his robes, dealing 6 points of damage. Raisin was down to 4 hit points, so he collapses to the ground, blood soaking the front of his robes, before he can get his spell off.

Eggoless: Oops.

Groin: ...

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