To keep a little separate any big discussions about rules.

I don't min OOC discussion in the main thread, I just don't want a wall of orange text.   Potentially bigger rules discussions should happen here.

Also note... this is OOC.   You can say all sorts of things here, but if you didn't actually put it in the In-Character thread, it didn't actually happen.  So, no saying "I attack him" and then not actually throwing the punch in the IC thread.

Because rpol is what it is and we simply cannot cleave to the initiative roster, it's on me to integrate your actions with the timeline.  Please DO NOT hold off to wait for someone else because they're higher up in the initiative roster.  That's a sure-fire way to kill the game.

As a practical thing, I don't reveal the bad guys intended actions.  But I do define them before each combat-round.   If your action blocks them... well, that's the nature of initiative, isn't it?   Can't hit a guy who isn't there anymore...  Same problem with you...   If you attack Dickhead-1 but he's higher-up in the initiative and he moved... well, you can't attack the guy who ain't there.  You miss.  You don't get to take a different action.  You're lower on the initiative, you don't get that choice.  You also can't see what he's going to do (and therefore react accordingly) because you're lower in the initiative...

As a side note:  this is an initial combat to illustrate how I want to approach it, and to work out any kinks in the process.... so your feedback is encouraged.

Team-1: 2 guys going for Swift, St James, Snow & Lizette
Team-2: Frog-Goggles & 4 guys - going for you guys  (well, the girls, apparently)
Team 3: 2 guys - covering the exit.


So... Please roll Initiative.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:58, Fri 10 July 2020.

@Alexey:
I need two Move Object rolls:

• First to Grab Echo. - DC16 (his pre-rolled resistance)
  If that succeeds, then
  
  • Throw Echo at Foxtrot
  • Echo rolled Defense(17) to resist
  • Foxtrot rolled Defense(06) to resist - I'm pretty sure you're going to hurt him

Remember, you've got a -4 on attack checks due to 2 ranks of Inaccurate.  So, 1d20 + + Power-Rank(9) - Inaccurate(4)...  or just (1d20 + 5).

@Matt
Give me the Affliction roll...
Alpha rolled to resist with a Defense(+10), so you're pretty likely to make him drop his weapon and kick it over to you...

18:48, Today: Alexey rolled 23 using 1d20+5.  MO check 1.
18:48, Today: Alexey rolled 6 using 1d20+5.  MO check 2.

Alexey has a threat range of 16-20, so that first one is a critical.  Given that the natural one is probably a failure, if I have a Hero Point I'd like to reroll that.

Maria should be able to toss the catering table with her strength right?

@Alexey

Good call.

Everyone tarts out with one hero-point in each story, so. go ahead and re-roll.

I don't expect to be stingy with hero-points, but I will always appreciate reminders about earning situations...

@Maria
With a Strength(5), she can carry 1600 lbs.  I think a table should pose no problem for her.

Just a straight throw roll then as the table can't resist but I'll have to get it over other folk's heads..... hmmm.

Any specific target?

True, the table can't resist, but if you're targeting folks, they should get a chance to dodge...

19:20, Today: Alexey rolled 9 using 1d20+5.  MO check 2 reroll.

Goggles and if it gets a goon or two next to him it is a bonus.

It should be a straight roll for strength damage and if I hit correct. No modifiers?

@Maria
If you wanted to add in your skill in Ranged Combat:Throw(+5), I wouldn't complain.

Ah, saw you added that.  Awesome!


@Matt
Because of your position in the initiative list, I've got to wait a little bit longer before resolving it, in case Poppy wants to do something...  I won't wait long through...

Okay, resolution for combat round #1 is up...

@Maria, I need you to make 3 defense rolls vs the cold gun.

1. Goggles' shot - Ranged Damage - DC13 to dodge, DC22 to resist with Toughness
   
2. Alpha's shot - Ranged Damage - DC24 to dodge, DC22 to resist with Toughness
   
3. Bravo's shot - Ranged Damage - DC13 to dodge, DC22 to resist with Toughness

I'm only really worried about Alpha's shot...
This message was last updated by the GM at 08:34, Mon 13 July 2020.

Dodges:
Today: Maria rolled 21 using 1d20+10.

Today: Maria rolled 12 using 1d20+10.

Today: Maria rolled 22 using 1d20+10.  Dodge roll.

Today: Maria rolled 13 using 1d20+8.  Tough Resist.

Maria rolled 25 using 1d20+8.  Tough test 2 (optional).

Want to make the fails the DC24? Or if not I beat a second hit's DC. Up to you Control =D

Thanks for being so damned quick on that!

Second toughness check...  Are you spending a hero-point for that?


I have no opinion either way.  Don't want it to happen but can run with it if it does.  Although the rolls were secret, this is how they rolled...

There's more than enough guys in there, that chances are pretty good that someone will take some conditions in this combat.

While I had certainly expected there to be three other PCs in this combat, these guys are still pretty much pushovers. Echo Gamma and Harriet are minions.  Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta are built on under 90pp.  They are trained soldiers, but they're not super-powered.  Goggles... well, yeah. he's a threat.

The second check was if you wanted 2 blasts to hit since I didn't break down the Dodge rolls per hit.  Which was my bad. XD

If only one is getting me then I'll suck it up and save my point.

@Maria, I need you to make 3 defense rolls vs the cold gun.

Goggles Shoot(13) vs Maria Dodge(21) - DODGED
Alpha Shoot(24) vs Maria Dodge(12) - HIT - Resist(13) vs DC22 = 9 = 2 degrees
Bravo Shoot(13) vs Maria Dodge(22) - DODGED

Alpha's shot was lucky.

if you want to spend the hero-point to apply the Resist(25), you are welcome to do so.  Otherwise, you get the conditions:

• Bruised (-1 toughness for future combat-rounds)
• Dazed (May only take free actions and a standard action next round).

However, it's one round... and rpol dice suck.

Wait I need 3 more rolls?

No, that was integrating their attacks and your dodge/resist rolls.

I'm simply saying that if you choose not to go with the second toughness roll (for a hero-point), then you'll take on those conditions.  because Alpha's shot did two degrees of damage, which gives you Bruised & Dazed as conditions.

Okay. I'll use the hero point.

Then you  may've gotten hit, but you didn't actually take any damage...  it was a glancing blow or you managed to roll with the shot at the last minute...

Wow.  The first six seconds of combat and both you and Alexey spent your starting hero-point...

I've gotta look over the earning potential to start generating some for you...

Did Goggle's roll to dodge move him closer to Maria?

Would she be in range for a slam (leaping claw) attack?

I think each hex is about 2-feet.   Maria can leap 30 feet.  So, he's in range.

@Matt

I don't think the mimic skill requires any kind of resistance...  (though I might conjure something weird for that down the road... unexpected resi9stance?  what the hell?), so the best skill he's going to get is Goggles' Ranged Combat 8

Goggles has Assault Rifle skill of 12, but you're not copying his base Dexterity Ability.  Add that Ranged Combat (Assault Rifle) +8 skill to your own Dex for whatever the result might be (errr... whoops.  still a +8.  But that's better than nothing!)

Plus, you get the insight into what this weapon does:

Whoops.

I just realized I screwed up the soldier's attacks in the previous rounds... I applied a -2 circumstance for being hit by the table... but that Alpha through Delta still shoulda got given a DC15 to hit instead of a DC13.  ...  I went with their shoot skill instead of the power of the ice-gun... I suppose that's the trade-off for building the guns as powers instead of equipment.

Gonna stick with it for now.  Goggles, Alpha through Delta and Echo through Harriet all had different levels of Ranged(Assault Rifle) skills based on their level of expertise and "time in"...    I'll keep that consistent through this combat.

Have we reached round 2?

Yes!

I've just updated the NPC pre-defined actions to the OOC TRACKING thread.

Haven't added in Matt's actions yet... working on that now...
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:05, Tue 14 July 2020.

Okay, I'm compiling the scene now.  MY apologies for the delay.  I got distracted with a shiny new video-game... an some real actual work editing a photo-set.  Haven't done that for a couple of months...

I've got four more shoots lined up this week, so I'll be busy working on photos again, but will set reminders to  keep me going here, too.


@ALEXEY

• As Multi-Attack isn't part of the power-build, grabbing Echo and striking Alpha and Charlie with Echo would require another hero-point to add in "Multi-Attack to the power for this round.
• You started out with one hero-point, but you spent that for a re-roll on the move-object action the previous round.
• I'm willing give you the hero-point for the Complication "Motivation: work Ethic" by the narrative about his believing Marion etc. expecting more of him...  (nicely done, by the way!  That's precisely how to use it to generate hero-points!)
• I'm not allowing a second attack during Alexey's Move segment of his action.   Accidents and side-effects notwithstanding, it's a hard rule that everyone gets only one attack per round.  I'm not gonna budge on that one.   You can fly at Gamma, and perhaps even move him with knockback, but you're not going to do any damage to him.
• And a reminder, you get a move action before and after the standard action (attack), if you want it.
• I'm not sure what I need to roll, but I would like to roll everything at once.
  Okay...
  
  • Echo Dodged with Dodge(10), so, it should be easy to grab him...
  • Roll Move-Object to Grab Echo (1d20 + Move Object(+9) - Inaccurate(4) ) vs DC10
  • You could opt to "Take 10" on this if you wanted to.  It's well within the range of success.
  • If you successfully grab Echo
    
    • Roll 3 attacks with Move-Object with Multi-Attack (1d20 + Move Object(+9) - Inaccurate(4) - Multi-Targets(3)
      
      • DC22 Alpha
      • DC18 Charlie
      • DC16 Echo
  • If you DO NOT successfully grab Echo, you will need to
    Roll to dodge Echo's shot at you DC21 (failure means a toughness roll vs DC22)
• Roll to Dodge Gamma' Shot at you, DC10, If failed Roll Toughness to resist DC22

@MARIA

• Slam Attack Goggles - Attack(14) / Damage(29)
• Goggles rolled to Dodge(18) - Dodged, no damage taken
• Please roll to dodge Alpha's shot - DC12 - Failure will take damage (not affliction).

@MATT

• Grab Gun, Grab Cold-Rifle Skill from Best in Area
  Done.  Matt has acquired:
  
  • Ranged Combat: Assault Rifle +8
  • Tech +4 (Hypo-Rifle)
• Command Delta: Get a weapon, take cover, Get Matt out safely
• Side note:  Not an impact here, but I've a few more things I ant to discuss about this that may require some tweaking... mostly about Will resists for "sensitive" knowledge... ie, statecraft, super-secret technical expertise, etc., the secret of whodunnit that the whole adventure hinges upon...)

This message was last edited by the GM at 10:54, Fri 24 July 2020.

Well. That was anticlimactic;
11:21, Today: Alexey rolled 9 using 1d20+5.  Move Object: grab.

11:23, Today: Alexey rolled 21 using 1d20+7.  Dodge Gamma.

11:23, Today: Alexey rolled 8 using 1d20+7.  Dodge Echo.

11:22, Today: Alexey rolled 18 using 1d20+11.  Toughness.

Today: Maria rolled 15 using 1d20+10.  Dodge.


So round 3?
This message was last edited by the player at 08:45, Sat 25 July 2020.

Yup.  Round three.

I haven't put in the NPC actions yet, but I'll write em up before I look at your actions...

Oh whoops.  Give me a couple of hours to write-up the in-character sequence of events.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:05, Sun 26 July 2020.

Well. That was anticlimactic;

Man, you shoulda taken 10...

I had a run of natural 20s for a bunch of NPCs and all I can think of was... "Man what a waste..."

In-character scene updated.  Map updated.

Good to go for combat-round #3

I have time today... Compiling the scene for Round 3.

Will post need for rolls shortly.

REDACTED
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:42, Mon 03 Aug 2020.

The affliction. Sorry for not making that clear!

It's all good...  And the target is...?

Given that the smoke grenade had been tossed in the area, probably the closest target to Maria that he could see (and reasonably hit).

The smoke grenade has not yet gone off.  That happens after Matt's initiative ranking, and might be in play at the beginning of next round.... but might not, since Poppy threw it out the way the assault team came in.  I guess it just depends on which way and how strong the wind is...

Alexey:

• Moving Dr. Snow into the hallway - more correctly, Alexey is going to mover her ice-shell outside, and try to crack it open from the inside while moving her.
  Is Alexey trying to move Doctor Snow to the hallway (west side, where St James, Swift and Lizette went), or outside (east side, past Gamma, to where the assault team entered)?
  Roll to Resist(Toughness) vs DC22 from Minion Gamma's awesome natural 20
  
  • If failed, it's an affliction roll so (Hindered and Vulnerable / Defenseless and Immobilized ) There is no third-degree.

Maria:

• Please Roll to Resist Alpha's Rifle-butt to the face - DC17
• And roll to Resist(Toughness) vs DC22 from Minion Echoo's shot
  
  • If failed, it's an affliction roll so (Hindered and Vulnerable / Defenseless and Immobilized ) There is no third-degree.

After St James et al to the west.


12:12, Today: Alexey rolled 30 using 1d20+11.  Toughness.

Maria rolled 26 using 1d20+10.  Dodge roll vs rifle butt strike.

Maria rolled 16 using 1d20+8.  Toughness test.

So Hindered and Vulnerable?

Nice roll Alexey!

Maria...
Yup Hindered and Vulnerable.
Descriptors here are: Cold, Lethargy.

You can make another Toughness roll in the next round (can do it now if you want, I'll just apply it at your turn) to overcome this first stage of the Affliction (both conditions)

Narrative posted,
Map updated,
Conditions updated.

Good to go for round 4.

Today: Maria rolled 14 using 1d20+8.  Toughness test.

I am thinking of grabbing Alpha and using him as a human shield against Goggles shots. How do you feel about that, Boss?

In reply to Maria (msg # 46):

My vote is go for it!