The Praetori meeting the golems in the hallways means they either have to run away or they are dead. My plan worked only because they could have overwhelmed them on the open ground in the throne room.
And no. I don't see much chance to shine for them anymore. What against? We have only threats that we can by definition only delay, but never meaningfully beat. That's the annoying part with all those off-plane factions.
The Lannisters are the only ones we can actually win in a meaningful way against.
It would have to be in places appropriate for the Golems to begin with, of course. Large-sized Golems don't do well in most hallways or rooms sized for Humans, and doorways can be a real bitch for mindless Constructs.
I would expect Golems to be guarding major gates, walking the wall with a mage and knights, etc.
This is not an issue of there being too much going on, it's more "I am forgetting, outright, the genre for this collective game". Which has implications. Implications more about how one views their own quest, and the very different view the players have.
This can be fixed, and it doesn't require anything more special than reevaluating the quest in light of that. But because this has been an endemic issue, this isn't a matter of "I will design an arc with this information in mind and that will now make up for all the mistakes I made over the past however many months", that's more "I am going to run an entirely different kind of game from now on".
I mean, yeah, in a way a lot can stay the same since it's the same characters, but it turns a situation where "I have PCs kind of attached to the narrative, yet all the stakes are in how this military arm of their empire handles this group of enemies, not just how I can make them stage props for the main characters".
The thing is I like the Empire building, i like the social and political developments and the way that shapes a world transformed. the whole point of this quest was to see how the return of magic would impact the low fantasy world of ASWAH. It's the mismatch of systems that gets to me. I still don't have a comprehensive mass combat system and it shows. Things tend to end up 'PC problems' on that scale even when they really should not. On the other hand when I am rolling realm actions with a system in place for it it is really fun for me.
Getting rid of the golems. I have something that should have an interesting impact, a bit of a callback to way back in the thread... no further than that.
The thing is I like the Empire building, i like the social and political developments and the way that shapes a world transformed. the whole point of this quest was to see how the return of magic would impact the low fantasy world of ASWAH. It's the mismatch of systems that gets to me. I still don't have a comprehensive mass combat system and it shows. Things tend to end up 'PC problems' on that scale even when they really should not. On the other hand when I am rolling realm actions with a system in place for it it is really fun for me.
D&D SRD and ASWAH House Rules for regularly scheduled player character driven combat?
And homebrew mass combat rules for everything else?
I'd honestly have to take a look at similar D&D/D20 mass combat systems to figure out how they make the determination for armies which have far more detailed builds and gear.
I'm guessing they probably don't. Might need to reconsider rules for units in general once the number of combatants is large enough.
I'd rather look into also overhauling strategic play entirely, since that part has been massively drifting out of focus and Westeros threatens to massively bloat it.
...
Honestly, I'm thinking a small webapp. Google docs isn't really cutting it anymore.
D&D SRD and ASWAH House Rules for regularly scheduled player character driven combat?
And homebrew mass combat rules for everything else?
I'd honestly have to take a look at similar D&D/D20 mass combat systems to figure out how they make the determination for armies which have far more detailed builds and gear.
I'm guessing they probably don't. Might need to reconsider rules for units in general once the number of combatants is large enough.
I'd rather look into also overhauling strategic play entirely, since that part has been massively drifting out of focus and Westeros threatens to massively bloat it.
...
Honestly, I'm thinking a small webapp. Google docs isn't really cutting it anymore.
@Crake, maybe we both do our thing and then compare notes? I have some rough ideas, but they are more suited to strategic scale (1000+) than tactical scales (50-1000).
The simplest mass combat system is the ASOIAF RPG version which basically just took the normal system, grouped identical soliders in groups of 100 which worked like characters whose HP and damage (&similar effects) were multiplied by 100, and had everything work that way. There were some limits to how a character could interact with a unit and movement had to be handled a little differently, but otherwise you could more or less use the normal rules for mass battles.
It's not perfect, but it does have the advantage of being really easy for DP to handle.
That RPG was criticised for none really dumb mechanics though: the number of actions per round depended on your ranks in a specific skill, and without a PC leader with that skill a unit would do nothing. But if we remove that, things could work out easily enough!
The simplest mass combat system is the ASOIAF RPG version which basically just took the normal system, grouped identical soliders in groups of 100 which worked like characters whose HP and damage (&similar effects) were multiplied by 100, and had everything work that way. There were some limits to how a character could interact with a unit and movement had to be handled a little differently, but otherwise you could more or less use the normal rules for mass battles.
It's not perfect, but it does have the advantage of being really easy for DP to handle.
That RPG was criticised for none really dumb mechanics though: the number of actions per round depended on your ranks in a specific skill, and without a PC leader with that skill a unit would do nothing. But if we remove that, things could work out easily enough!
That rule made a lot of sense to me for a pre-modern army. The intent was to force you to have multiple commanders and limited what a single party could do.
Pathfinder has Troops, which might kinda work on a tactical scale.
Problem is though that upgrading regular creatures (or humanoid NPCs) to troops is very much playing it by eye, since the example troops appear to have kinda arbitrary amounts of HD and the overall power seems hard to judge from the original. And propably some more bugs, such as Richard being able to up his game from killing about 4 regular guys a round with the normal system to an entire troop of 20-30 now.
Problem is though that upgrading regular creatures (or humanoid NPCs) to troops is very much playing it by eye, since the example troops appear to have kinda arbitrary amounts of HD and the overall power seems hard to judge from the original. And propably some more bugs, such as Richard being able to up his game from killing about 4 regular guys a round with the normal system to an entire troop of 20-30 now.
No, Richard can absolutely use maneuvers to kill dozens of troops now. At least with something like Adamantine Hurricane and sufficient Reach from size modifiers.
"They are coming!" The shout sounded from up ahead, an already familiar one to even those of the Preatori who did not speak Common. The blasts of lightning and acid just as familiar. The Golden Shields had learned not so use fire on the Dragon's men at least.
The once elegant corridor adorned with tapestries from centuries past and the glassy-eyed heads of famed hunts had been turned into a shooting gallery, the buzz of crossbow bolts and the shouts of the dying mingling with the war cries of the advancing men and women in crimson and black. A poet might be tempted to speak of the inexorable tide of flesh, steel and faith, but there were no poets on the battlefield that day, only warriors.
"Ware!" the captain at the fore of the advance called as he heard through the din the telltale click of a mechanical trap going off. A wave of molten lead poured from above as he threw himself back, the heat of the metal scorching his face. Flames swift and greedy engulfed the corridor as the Red Cloaks tried to pull back
They are not planning to keep the place, Captain Zhisnos knew as sure as he knew the sun rose in the east. He recalled these kinds of tactics from when he had been Brown Maggot of the Unsullied, before the magic of the Imperator's healers had restored his manhood and the the creed of his realm had restored his soul. Dead men walking are the most dangerous sort, and not just when there is sorcery to make them so.
"Ice the flames, stuns for the bastards!" he called out to the men behind him. Launchers clicked in unison. The icy concoction hissed like some great serpent when it touched the molten lead, but it was enough to stop the flames from spreading
Further back they had loaded different munitions in the launchers. The Lannister lackeys were by now all too familiar with the flashes of eldritch blue. The mages did not often succumb, but the warriors did all too often, unable to pull back or fight, unable to do anything but die, for all their skill with blade and bow was no small thing when they had the chance to land a blow.
By now the Praetori showed no mercy, the great black blades rising and falling in precise deadly arcs. Their foes would not hear of surrender and would only takes calls for it as an opening. They did not believe that they would be shown mercy and that belief fulfilled itself in every step amid blood and broken bodies.
A gloved hand reached out from a wall alight with some deadly spell or curse meant for Zhisnos, but as ever his fellows were with him. Young Henrik slashed down, sending the limb flying and blood gushing from the wall... and gushing... and gushing, far more than any stone walking mage could hold.
The smell of rot filled the air and the sound of distant wailing rang in their ears. "Free... free... Your turn now... work and toil... toil and die... dragon man, dragon man... time to die."
The blood on the ground pooled and congealed, pulling itself together in a nauseating parody of birth until there stood before the advancing Praetori a thing vaguely humanoid and tall as any of them, but wrought of ever-flowing blood. Hateful flames danced around it, the rage of the keep's long dead builders made flesh.
More hands, these long dead and desiccated yet somehow still wet with blood emerged from the crumbling walls. In the hour of the Red Keep's destruction its long dead builders had come to claim their due of those who served the heir of King Maegor.
Corridor 10 ft wide
Enemies:
1 Advanced Energized Blood Golem
5 Blood Wights clambering through broken walls (will take them at a round to disentangle themselves enough to fight)
Imperial Forces
12 Preatori charging down the corridor
How do the praetori fight?
[] Write in
OOC: You guys will recall you fought a standard blood golem when you took the Flesh Forge in Lys. It seemed fitting to have the Preatori which were made with those secrets face a similar foe. The wights are here to balance out the encounter with no cheat hax Lannister weapons. Maegor's fuckups were foreshadowed a long time ago.
"They are coming!" The shout sounded from up ahead, already familiar to even those of the praetori who did not speak Common. The blasts of lightning and acid just as familiar. The Golden Shields had at least learned not so use fire on dragon men.
The once elegant corridor, adorned with tapestries from centuries past and the glassy-eyed heads of famed hunts, had been turned into a shooting gallery, the buzz of crossbow bolts and the shouts of the dying mingling with the war cries of the advancing men and women in crimson and black. A poet might be tempted to speak of the inexorable tide of flesh, steel, and faith, but there were no poets on the battlefield that day, only warriors.
"Ware!" the captain at the fore of the advance called as he heard through the din the telltale click of a mechanical trap going off. A wave of molten lead poured from above as she threw himself back, the heat of the metal scorching his face. Flames swift and greedy engulfed the corridor as the Red Cloaks tried to pull back
They are not planning to keep the place, Captain Zhisnos knew as sure as he knew the sun rose in the east. He recalled these kinds of tactics from when he had been Brown Maggot of the Unsullied, before the magic of the Imperator's healers had restored his manhood and the the creed of his realm had restored his soul. Dead men walking are the most dangerous sort, and not just when there is sorcery to make them so.
"Ice the flames, stun vials for the bastards!" he called out to the men behind him. Launchers clicked in unison. The icy concoction hissed like some great serpent when it touched the molten lead, but it was enough to stop the flames from spreading
Farther back they had loaded different munitions in the launchers. The Lannister lackeys were by now all too familiar with the flashes of eldritch blue. The mages did not often succumb, but the warriors all too did all, unable to pull back or fight, unable to do anything but die, for all their skill with blade and bow was no small thing when they had the chance to land a blow.
By now the praetori showed no mercy, the great black blades rising and falling in precise deadly arcs. Their foes would not hear of surrender and would only takes calls for it as an opening. They did not believe that they would be shown mercy, and that belief fulfilled itself in every step amid blood and broken bodies.
A gloved hand reached out from a wall alight with some deadly spell or curse meant for Zhisnos, but as ever his fellows were with him. Young Henrik slashed down, sending the limb flying and blood gushing from the wall... and gushing... and gushing, far more than any stone walking mage could hold.
The smell of rot filled the air and the sound of distant wailing rang in their ears. "Free... free... Your turn now... work and toil... toil and die... dragon man, dragon man... time to die."
The blood on the ground pooled and congealed pulling itself together in a nauseating parody of birth, until finally there stood before the advancing praetori a thing vaguely humanoid and tall as any of them, but wrought of ever-flowing blood. Hateful flames danced around it, the rage of the keep's long dead builders made manifest.
More hands, these long dead and desiccated yet somehow still wet with blood, emerged from the crumbling walls. In the hour of the Red Keep's destruction, its long dead builders had come to claim their due of those who served the heir of King Maegor.
Corridor 10 ft wide
Enemies:
1 Advanced Energized Blood Golem
5 Blood Wights clambering through broken walls (will take them at least a round to disentangle themselves enough to fight)
Imperial Forces
12 Praetori charging down the corridor
How do the praetori fight?
[] Write in
OOC: You guys will recall you fought a standard blood golem when you took the flesh forge in Lys. It seemed fitting to have the praetori, which were made with those secrets, face a similar foe. The wights are here to balance out the encounter with no cheat hax Lannister weapons. Maegor's fuck ups were foreshadowed a long time ago. Not yet edited.
Here's an edited version of the chapter, @DragonParadox.
Maegor walled up the builders of the Red Keep after they made his secret passages. that way they could not reveal them and he got free blood magic sacrifices.
Maegor walled up the builders of the Red Keep after they made his secret passages. that way they could not reveal them and he got free blood magic sacrifices.
Viserys: If this is the part where you say "We're not so different", I don't want to hear it.
Maegor: You summoned an army of devils with factory-like efficiency over the course of a month in order to fuel a ritual to nuke the Court of Stars to avoid a drawn out war. I think you're in your own category at this point.
