Dire Wolf Battle

The DM: The details of the room beyond seem a little less important than the enormous, 12 foot long dire wolf skeleton that bursts out of the room as Vafrandir cracks open the door. Vafrandir, you take-1 pt of incidental damage from the door hitting you. Vafrandir’s roll says you’re not surprised. I need Marcule to roll initiative; d6.

Marcule: I roll a 1.

The DM: I have a 6.

The DM: The wolf attacks Pandred first, being the victim directly in front. It attacks with a bite, a claw and incidental damage to anyone it comes within 1 hex of. Incidental damage is caused by the creature’s size, as it throws its body about in the spaces adjacent – such as getting hit by a tail, a rib, a shoulder or its head. There’s no roll to hit; it’s a 50/50 chance of taking 1 hp (given the creature’s size ... it weighs about 675 lbs).

The DM: The wolf skeleton rolls a 13, missing Pandred with its sharpened teeth; the claw rolls a 5. Pandred is hit by the creature’s body, however, and take-1 point of damage. Players can act.

Party Round 1

Vafrandir: I move to 2227 and attack: 3 raw, 4 to hit.

The DM: Do me a favour, Vafrandir; if your attack or damage is obviously not going to count, please don’t bold it. In this case, you’re going to need at least AC 7 to hit.

Vafrandir: Will do!

Lexent: From which hexes may the wolf be attacked?

The DM: It’s head is in 2126 and its body is in the next room, so only 2027 is open. 2026 has a door in it; you can go there but you’re -2 to hit.

Lexent: I move, S-1, to 2027 and attack. 16 I believe hits AC 4, cau-8.

Pandred: Dropping the handaxe, bopping with the battleaxe. 13+2 hits AC 2 for 4+3 cau-3 damage!

The DM: Pandred’s damage is halved, on account of the bladed weapon.

The DM: I'll give Marcule some time.

Marcule: Move to 2228 unable to attack I will hold my ground.

Round 2

The DM: The skeleton attacks the cleric with the bite, having been hurt most from that direction; Pandred gets the claw. Pandred take-1 point of incidental damage.

The DM: A 6 misses the cleric with the bite. I have been rolling SO BAD lately. And, having written that, I roll a natural 20 with the claw on Pandred. And another 20. Wow. And a 16. That’s triple damage. Pandred, take-9 damage. You’re stunned, thrown back into 2128.

The DM: The dire wolf moves into 2127, shouldering Marcule and causing incidental damage again: take-1. Creatures can, by the rule, roam about this way trampling and making a real mess of things.

Party Round 2

The DM: Vafrandir, Lexent and Marcule can act.

Lexent: I attack. 10 I believe hits AC 10, 5 damage. I then move S-1 to 2026.

Marcule: I swing with my scimitar And fail with a 3. can i back up 1? 2229?

Pandred: I have 3hp, I would appreciate one more body to take a hit that's not me.

The DM: When in melee (adjacent to an active combatant), only stride-1 is possible. Takes two AP to move into 2026, which you have, so no problem. Also takes Marcule 2 AP to move into 2229, but again, you have the movement, so no problem.

Vafrandir: Attack again, roll a 6 to hit. Shit. Gonna be one of those fights.

The DM: Has been for me lately. Repeatedly.

Lexent: So would attacking from 2026 still be at a -2 due to the door, or was it only because of the relative position of the door and the wolf?

The DM: has nothing to do with the creature. The door is in the way. You’re still at -2 to attack from where you are.

Round 3

The DM: the dire wolf hasn’t forgotten about Lexent; it attacks the cleric with the bite again; and uses the claw to attack Vafrandir; I roll 2 dice at the same time and get matching 6’s. Damn.

The DM: As the creature spins in a circle to attack Lexent, swiping and missing at Vafrandir, Pandred take-1 damage. No one else does. Pandred staggers back again, into 2129.

Party Round 3

Everyone except Pandred is free to act; Marcule, 2228 gives +2 to hit from the rear. Vafrandir is +1 from the flank.

Lexent: I move, S-1, to 2126 and attack. 7. 3 damage.

Vafrandir: Third time's the charm. 11 raw, 13 to hit; 6 raw, cau-4 dmg.

The DM: Yep. That hits. And what’s more, you’re sure of it now. The sword is +1 to hit and damage. That means, 7+1, or 8, halved for edged weapon against skeleton. Doesn’t stun.

Vafrandir: Woohoo!

Lexent: Interesting. +1, but not magical.

Marcule: I hit with a 19 adjusted 7 damage.

The DM: Hits; adjusted to cau-3 on account of a bladed weapon. That doesn’t stun either.

The DM: I’ll call it there for the day; there’s only 13 minutes left until 2. The skeleton wolf is going to turn around and bite Vafrandir and slash at Marcule, as they did 4 dam and 3 dam each. Lexent and Pandred are off the hook, and Pandred is free of incidental damage this next round. I’ll begin with the creature’s attack. Be well, and out.

Lexent - OOC: In.