DF Soaring Phoenix, Session 81a - PbP combat interlude - Wave 1

    As I said in the previous post, we unfortunately expect to be missing two players next session (both the barbarians) for different real-world reasons. And because of where we left off last session, we would also have been going into a fight with the wizard player part-way through a minutes-long spell, which would have been a downer both for that player and the rest of us present. Therefore I decided to resolve as much of the fight as possible via PbP on Discord before next session, in order to both increase the input of the barbarian players who couldn't otherwise participate, and to avoid making it too boring for the wizard on the day.

    To manage the PbP as efficiently as possible, I didn't do every action interactively with each player; that would have taken too long. Instead, we did it in blocks of turns. I described the setup to the players and gave them a screenshot of the battlemap. Then I asked them each to let me know any changes of their positioning or loadout before the enemies arrive, their general plans of attack/defence, and any specific instructions. Armed with those responses, I then calculated as many turns of the combat as possible in sequence, and updated them only when I paused. When I paused was down to my judgement, when the battlefield conditions had changed enough that I felt I wanted to get fresh input from the players as to their plans/actions. Or alternatively, when I needed to stop arbitrarily for real-world reasons, then I would post an update to the players then, to give them time to reassess in my absence.

    I include a copy of that here, for the record. It's quite long, so you have been warned. If anyone is missing in a particular turn summary, it's because they only moved a bit, or continued aiming or waiting or whatever.

Session Date:    N/A

Party roster:

Ben, half-ogre barbarian, 233 points (PC)
- Copper, sumpter (pack horse), unknown points (Animal)
Eleanor Bayley, human adventurer (thief), 296 points (PC)
- Dagne Timar, human priestess of Metallys (cleric), 147 points (NPC Ally)
Erizax Ofaris, human wizard, 292 points (PC)
Merrill Tangled Tail, cat-folk monk (martial artist), 234 points (PC)
Violetta, human warrior (barbarian), 161 points (PC)
Randall, human veteran (knight), 173 points (NPC Ally)

Campaign Date:    5 February, Year 647 of the Vycenaean Empire.

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    Setup: With reinforcements on the way, the nearby enemies start running towards the party. They are 3 orcs warriors with swords and shields, 2 hobgoblins with swords and shields, and 2 orc archers. They seem to be running in formation, with the orc warriors together in the middle, the archers behind them, and the hobgoblins at either flank. 

    Eleanor is on the left flank of the party, with her crossbow ready and is waiting for a shot. Violetta is near the front with her morningstar and medium shield. Dagne has her wand and shield. Merrill is at the front with his spear. Randall is on the right flank with a small axe in his left hand and an even smaller hatchet in his right. Erizax is behind them with his staff, working on a long casting. Ben is behind everyone else, next to his horse, ready with his huge longbow. 

    Here is a screenshot of the party before the first wave of orcs arrived.

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Eleanor turn 1: When the enemies get within 50 yards, Eleanor looses off her first shot. The orc archers are at the back, so she had to aim at one of the orc warriors in front instead. The shot misses.

Violetta turn 1: Violetta moves alongside Merrill, tells him to get behind her.

Merrill turn 1: Refuses to budge.

Hobgoblins turn 1: The hobgoblins break into a charge.

Ben turn 1: Ben continues to aim with his longbow.

Erizax turn 1: Erizax is about 2 minutes along in casting a spell that takes 5 minutes...

Orc warriors turn 1: They run forward, but slightly to one side, revealing the archers behind them.

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Eleanor turn 2: Eleanor starts to recock her crossbow.

Violetta turn 2: Steps forward to be half a yard ahead of Merrill.

Dagne turn 2: Calls out to Violetta and Merrill.

Merrill turn 2: Waits...

Hobgoblins turn 2: They continue to charge.

Randall turn 2: Shouts "don't advance!" to the teammates in front.

Ben turn 2: Ben continues to aim with his longbow.

Orc archers turn 2: They shoot at Merrill and Violetta, but their arrows miss.

Erizax turn 2: He steps forward a yard while continuing to cast his spell.

Orc warriors turn 2: Continuing to run forward, they once again obscure the archers behind them.

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Eleanor turn 3: Eleanor finishes to cock her crossbow.

Violetta turn 3:  Violetta raises her shield, and tells Merrill to get behind her. All out Defence (Block). 

Merrill turn 3: Seeing the threat of the arrows, steps behind Violetta.

Hobgoblins turn 3: Continue the charge. They are now less than 30 yards away from Violetta and Merrill.

Orc warriors turn 3: Continue to run forward.

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Eleanor turn 4: Fast-draws and loads the next bolt. Raises the crossbow to firing position.

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Eleanor turn 5: Aims at the nearest lead hobgoblin.

Ben turn 5: Fires his aimed shot. Hits the hobgoblin in the torso, with enough force to drop a human. A serious wound, but the hobgoblin doesn't fall.

Orc warriors turn 5: Continue to run forward.

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Eleanor turn 6: Shoots at the vitals of the injured hobgoblin who Ben just hit, to try and finish him off. Luck used. Unfortunately still a miss.

Hobgoblins turn 6: The injured hobgoblin appears to slowed from his wound. The other one continues to charge.

Ben turn 6: Fast-draws an arrow. Readies his bow.

Orc warriors turn 6: Continue to run forward, but again to one side. The archers behind them are revealed.

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Eleanor turn 7: Eleanor starts to recock her crossbow.

Dagne turn 7: Steps up behind Merrill. Casts the Shield spell on him at level 2.

Hobgoblins turn 7: Charging forward. The uninjured one is now less than 10 yards from Violetta.

Ben turn 7: Aims at the injured hobgoblin.

Orc archers turn 7: Both fire at Violetta. One shot misses. The other is on target, but Violetta protects herself and the arrow bounces harmlessly off her shield.

Orc warriors turn 7: Continuing to run forward, they once again obscure the archers behind them.

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Eleanor turn 8: Eleanor finishes to recock her crossbow.

Violetta turn 8: All out Defence (Block). 

Dagne turn 8: Steps out from behind Merrill. All out Defence (Block).

Merrill turn 8: Steps out from behind Violetta, on her right flank, and in front of Dagne. All out Defence (Dodge).

Hobgoblins turn 8: Charging forward. The uninjured one is now 3 yards from Violetta.

Randall turn 8: Shouts "hold!" He steps up, and is now a couple yards from Dagne.

Ben turn 8: Continues to aim.

Orc warriors turn 8: Continue to run forward.

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Eleanor turn 9: Fast-draws and loads the next bolt. Raises the crossbow to firing position.

Violetta turn 9:  Waits for the hobgoblin to close. All out Defence (Block).

Dagne turn 9: Steps alongside Randall. Casts Shield on him at level 2.

Merrill turn 9: Waits to strike should the hobgoblin get within range. 

Hobgoblins turn 9: Charging forward. The uninjured hobgoblin closes with Violetta, sword raised. But first he has to deal with a rapid strike from Merrill. One staff swing misses, but the other is on target and the hobgoblin fails to block in time. However it is only a glancing blow. A minor injury, but the hobgoblin nonetheless looks pissed as he completes the attack on Violetta. The swing is poor, and Violetta avoids it easily. Several yards away, the more seriously injured hobgoblin is still running up.

Randall turn 9: Steps forward, hurling the axe in his left hand at the hobgoblin in front of Violetta. The throw is good, but the hobgoblin reacts in time and ducks the attack.

Ben turn 9: Continues to aim.

Orc warriors turn 9: Continue to run forward. They are catching up with the injured hobgoblin.

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Eleanor turn 10: Aims at the injured hobgoblin. Shouts to Ben to get forward.

Violetta turn 10: Attacks the hobgoblin with her morningstar. Hobgoblin tries to dodge; his shield takes the blow. Minor damage to the shield.

Dagne turn 10: Steps up between Merrill and Randall.  All out Defence (Block).

Merrill turn 10: Rapid strike on the hobgoblin with his spear; two spear thrusts. The first lands, but didn't cleanly penetrate the hobgoblin's armour. Another minor wound. Hobgoblin dodges the follow-up strike.

Hobgoblins turn 10: Angry, the twice-hit hobgoblin steps up to Merrill and swings his big sword. The attack is on target. Merrill retreats backwards and parries the blade as he does so. The other hobgoblin is still closing.

Randall turn 10: He swaps the hatchet to his left hand, and then fast-draws a long knife with his right. 

Ben turn 10: Ben fires his carefully aimed shot at the hobgoblin whom he injured five seconds ago. This time however the enemy easily protects himself, and the arrow bounces harmlessly off the shield.

Orc warriors turn 10: Continue to run forward. They are now 4-5 yards from Violetta.

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    After ten turns I took a pause, sent the players the above turn summaries, gave them an updated screenshot, and asked for their revised instructions, if any. Below is the battlemap from the start of turn 11.

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Eleanor turn 11: Finishes shouting to Ben. Fires crossbow at the advancing hobgoblin, but he blocks the shot.

Violetta turn 11: Calls for Ben. Whacks the hobgoblin in front of her with her morningstar. A solid hit, which knocks him on his back, stunned.

Merrill turn 11: Steps forward to rapid strike the hobgoblin, but both thrusts miss their mark.

Hobgoblins turn 11: The fallen one immediately shakes off the stun. The charging one continues moving forward.

Randall turn 11: Throws hatchet at the supine hobgoblin. The throw is on target and the hob fails to defend. Luck used on damage roll. Serious wound. Hobgoblin passes both knockdown and unconsciousness checks.

Ben turn 11: Drops his longbow. Steps forward. Pulls out battleaxe.

Orc archers turn 11: Aim.

Orc warriors turn 11: Two orcs charge at Violetta and attack. Violetta blocks the first swing with her shield. The second attack misses. One orc goes the other way, toward Randall and Dagne.

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Eleanor turn 12: Eleanor starts to recock her crossbow.

Violetta turn 12: Swings at the leftmost orc in front of her. Critical hit. Serious wound. Orc remains standing.

Dagne turn 12: Steps forward. All out Defence (Block).

Merrill turn 12: Rapid strike. Two spear thrusts past Violetta at the wounded orc. One on target. Orc fails to block. Serious wound. Orc collapses.

Hobgoblins turn 12: The fallen hobgoblin starts to get up. The other one continues its slow but determined charge, past violetta, now clearly aimed straight at Ben.

Randall turn 12: Steps forward. Draws his battleaxe.

Ben turn 12: Charges to meet the hobgoblin, swings his axe. The attack is poor and the hobgoblin easily deflects it.

Orc archers turn 12: One shoots at Randall. On target, but Randall dodges. The other archer shoots at Eleanor. Also on target, but Eleanor also dodges.

Orc warriors turn 12: Orc slashes at Violetta. She just barely blocks in time. The other warrior steps up, slashes at Dagne. Randall intercepts the sword with his knife.

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Battlemap from start of turn 13.

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Eleanor turn 13: Finishes to recock her crossbow.

Violetta turn 13: Swings at the orc before her, but he blocks it with his shield.

Dagne turn 13: All out Defence (Block).

Merrill turn 13: Rapid strike. Two spear thrusts at the orc in front of Dagne. Both miss.

Hobgoblins turn 13: Ben's opponent slashes at him with a large sword, which Ben is able to dodge. The other hobgoblin picks up his sword.

Randall turn 13: Hits the orc with his battleaxe. Orc fails to block. Serious wound. Orc falls down, stunned.

Ben turn 13: Swings at the hobgoblin with his axe, but the hobgoblin blocks the attack.

Orc archers turn 13: Reloading.

Orc warriors turn 13: Orc slashes at Violetta, but she blocks. The fallen orc shakes off his stun.

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Eleanor turn 14: Fast-draws and loads the next bolt. Raises the crossbow to firing position.

Violetta turn 14: Swings her morningstar at the orc before her. The orc fails to block. Serious wound. Orc falls down, stunned.

Dagne turn 14: All out Defence (Block).

Merrill turn 14: Rapid strike. Two staff swings at the hobgoblin. One hits. Minor wound.

Hobgoblins turn 14: One hacks at Ben, which he easily avoids. The other hobgoblin stands up.

Randall turn 14: Steps in front of Dagne, attacks the hobgoblin with his axe. Hobgoblin successfully blocks.

Ben turn 14: Swings at the hobgoblin, but the hobgoblin easily blocks.

Orc archers turn 14: Reloading.

Orc warriors turn 14: One starts to get up. The other snaps out of being stunned.

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Eleanor turn 15: Aims at the nearest orc archer.

Violetta turn 15: Steps forward. Swings at the hobgoblin, who is too slow to dodge. Glancing blow. 

Dagne turn 15: Steps in front of Merrill. All out Defence (Block).

Merrill turn 15: Rapid strike. Two staff swings at the hobgoblin. Both hits land. Hobgoblin falls over.

Hobgoblins turn 15: Hobgoblin slashes at Ben, who fails to dodge. Cut penetrates the mail, but Ben's thick skin stops most of the impact. Minor scratch.

Randall turn 15: Swings at the kneeling orc in front of him. Orc blocks, but the shield takes the brunt of the blade, and there is now a large split across it.

Ben turn 15: Ben hits back, and the hobgoblin fails to block. Very serious wound, which would kill many an opponent outright. Hobgoblin is barely alive, but is still standing.

Orc archers turn 15: Aiming.

Orc warriors turn 15: Orc in front of Randall grabs his sword. Orc in front of Violetta starts to get up.

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Eleanor turn 16: Shoots at orc archer. Vitals hit. Luck used. Orc fails to dodge. Maximum damage roll. Orc in very bad shape, but somehow still standing.

Violetta turn 16: Swings at the kneeling orc in front of her. Orc blocks, but the shield takes the hit, and starts to crack.

Dagne turn 16: Steps forward. All out Defence (Block).

Merrill turn 16: Steps up behind Dagne. Rapid strike. First a spear thrust then a staff swing at the orc in front of Randall. The thrust is off target, but the swing lands with a thud. The kneeling orc collapses.

Hobgoblins turn 16: The angry hobgoblin hacks back at Ben through sheer determination. Ben parries.

Randall turn 16: Steps forward. All out Defence (Dodge).

Ben turn 16: Hits the hobgoblin again. Another serious wound. Hobgoblin must be standing on hate alone.

Orc archers turn 16: Wounded archer collapses. Other archer shoots Randall. Critical hit. Luck used. Arrow misses instead.

Orc warriors turn 16: The orc in front of Violetta picks up his sword.

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Battlemap from start of turn 17.

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Eleanor turn 17: Starts to reload.

Violetta turn 17: Hits the orc kneeling in front of her. Orc fails to block. Serious hit. Orc falls over.

Dagne turn 17: All out Defence (Block).

Merrill turn 17: Moves around Randall. All out Defence (Dodge).

Hobgoblins turn 17: The severely wounded hobgoblin slashes. Ben tries to parry, but instead hacks at his own leg (half damage). Minor torso wound from the big sword. Minor leg wound from the battleaxe.

Randall turn 17: Shouts "fall back!" as he steps backwards. All out Defence (Dodge).

Ben turn 17: Strikes back at the hobgoblin, who's shield takes the blow. Serious damage to the shield.

Orc archers turn 17: Archer starts to reload.

Orc warriors turn 17: Orc in front of Violetta recovers from stun.

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Eleanor turn 18: Recocks her crossbow.

Violetta turn 18: Hits the orc on the ground in front of her. Another solid wound.

Dagne turn 18: Steps back. All out Defence (Block).

Merrill turn 18: Steps back. All out Defence (Dodge).

Hobgoblins turn 18: Ben's opponent finally collapses.

Randall turn 18: Shouts "fall back!" as he steps backwards. All out Defence (Dodge).

Ben turn 18: Moves up alongside Violetta.

Orc archers turn 18: Archer reloads.

Orc warriors turn 18: Warrior rises up to his knees.

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Eleanor turn 19: Fast-draws and loads the next bolt. Raises the crossbow to firing position.

Violetta turn 19: Steps forward and swings at the kneeling orc, who blocks. Shield takes the hit, and is badly damaged.

Dagne turn 19: Steps next to Ben. Casts the Minor Healing spell and restores Ben to full health.

Merrill turn 19: Move and attack. Lunges with spear at the orc in front of Violetta, but misses.

Randall turn 19: Moves alongside Merrill. All out Defence (Dodge).

Ben turn 19: Moves alongside Violetta. All out Defence (Dodge).

Orc archers turn 19: Aims.

Orc warriors turn 19: Warrior grabs his sword.

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Eleanor turn 20: Aims at the archer.

Violetta turn 20: Whacks the orc again. Solid hit. Orc collapses.

Merrill turn 20: Steps forward. All out Defence (Dodge).

Randall turn 20: All out Defence (Dodge).

Orc archers turn 20: Continues to aim.

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Battlemap at start of turn 21.

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There is a group of goblinoids approaching. They are a couple hundred yards away.

There is another group of goblinoids with large animals. They are also a couple hundred yards away, but they are walking diagonally, as if away, past the group.

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Eleanor turn 21: Shoots the orc archer in the vitals. He falls over.

Violetta turn 21: Hits the fallen orc in front of her again, to make sure.

Merrill turn 21: Looks around to assess the situation.

Randall turn 21: Shouts "regroup!"

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At that point the first wave was defeated, and combat time was over. The party had a minute or two to catch their breath and prepare, before the next wave of goblin-kin arrived....