NorseQuest (A Norse Xianxia)

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

Okay, so, I'm thinking this:

[X] Plan Whittle It Down
-[X] Tap Frami and Virthing (+39 Orthstirr)
-[X] Max out our combat dice pool (-29 Orthstirr)
-[X] Max out our Hugr and Tactics (-9 Orthstirr)
-[X] 26d6 Attack (all tricks)
-[X] 10d6 Defense
-[X] 0d6 Intercept
-[X] Spend 4 Orthstirr using Reinforce Shield on her armor (-4 Orthstirr)
-[X] Attack with a 7d6 (8d6 w/Hugareida) Kindle Spinner right in its face (-5 Orthstirr) to draw its attention, and then once it closes with us aim three 4d6 Honed Power-Chop attacks (-3 Orthstirr) at its legs to whittle away its defenses and hopefully limit its mobility (moving to attacking its arms and torso if it seems immobilized), then hit it with an 8d6 Honed Leaping-Cleave (-4 Orthstirr) right in the face again once its guard is down.
-[X] In response to any Trick Attack use Halting Vortex (-4 Orthstirr). If it bites at us with a non-Trick attack use Honed Defenses using our Defense dice (-1 Orthstirr each, 2d6 each), and if the Honed Defense fails we use Halting Vortex (-4 Orthstirr) if Reinforce Shield is down. Always respond to non-Trick, non-Bite attacks with Honed Defenses using our Defense dice (-1 Orthstirr each, 2d6 each).
-[X] Tactics – The basic idea here is to attack it at range and then lure it into following us away from the house and into areas where its size disadvantages it (having to move past fences and the like), then start really going to town on it in close combat. It's tall enough I think we need to leap to hit its face, which Leaping-Cleave seems to cover. We do all this while using Halting Vortex as necessary for cover and hopefully to avoid that bite.

I feel that Firebomb-Strike should probably not to be used this round just because it's so expensive. Not unless fire turns out to be this thing's major weakness or something, anyway. But yeah, this is the plan as I'm envisioning it.

EDIT: To clarify a little, since there seems to be some confusion, this is actually a pretty defensively focused plan, it's just mostly from Orthstirr rather than dice. It has 6 10 defenses at 2d6 each for non-Tricks, and an automatic no-sell via Halting Vortex on Tricks, plus Reinforce Shield.

And edited to be even more defensive, just in case.

 

[True-Gnome]

[X] Plan Whittle It Down

 

[TheCount]

Oh shit, im late...

What do you think about using the fences and other stuff lying around the farm to complicate its mobility? Anything we can do that can obstruct it but not us due to the size difference is important.

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Dont forget its super strong.
what counts as obstruction to us, can count as ammunition to him.

I want to chop his joints. it will limit his range and speed and joints are usually easer to cut. but... well:

It towers over you, utterly dominating the landscape. It is a twisted mass of cancerous growths and rotting flesh-swamps once called skin. Its body and limbs are made of stitched-together arms, hands-interlocked as they wrap around themselves over and over again. To call it living would be to tell a lie.

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not sure hopw effective that would be.
if we could set it to fire, that woudl take care of some of the stiches.....

Should we draw it to the battlefield in the hills? or is that too far @Imperial Fister ?

 

[Alectai]

Okay, so, I'm thinking this:

[X] Plan Whittle It Down
-[X] Tap Frami, Virthing, and Saemd (+58 Orthstirr)
-[X] Max out our combat dice pool (-29 Orthstirr)
-[X] Max out our Hugr and Tactics (-9 Orthstirr)
-[X] 30d6 Attack (all tricks)
-[X] 6d6 Defense
-[X] 0d6 Intercept
-[X] Spend 2 Orthstirr using Reinforce Shield on her armor (-2 Orthstirr)
-[X] Attack with a 7d6 (8d6 w/Hugareida) Kindle Spinner right in its face (-5 Orthstirr) to draw its attention, and then once it closes with us aim four 4d6 Power-Chop attacks (-4 Orthstirr) at its legs to whittle away its defenses and hopefully limit its mobility (moving to attacking its arms and torso if it seems immobilized), then hit it with an 8d6 Honed Leaping-Cleave (-4 Orthstirr) right in the face again once its guard is down.
-[X] In response to any Trick Attack use Halting Vortex (-4 Orthstirr). If it bites at us with a non-Trick attack use Honed Defenses using our Defense dice (-1 Orthstirr each, 2d6 each) if we still have Reinforce Shield available, and Halting Vortex (-4 Orthstirr) if Reinforce Shield is down. Always respond to non-Trick, non-Bite attacks with Honed Defenses using our Defense dice (-1 Orthstirr each, 2d6 each).
-[X] Tactics – The basic idea here is to attack it at range and then lure it into following us into areas where its size disadvantages it (having to move past fences and the like), then start really going to town on it in close combat. It's tall enough I think we need to leap to hit its face, which Leaping-Cleave seems to cover. We do all this while using Halting Vortex as necessary for cover and hopefully to avoid that bite.

I feel that Firebomb-Strike should probably not to be used this round just because it's so expensive. Not unless fire turns out to be this thing's major weakness or something, anyway. But yeah, this is the plan as I'm envisioning it.

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Let's not Tap Everything right away maybe? We've got enough gas in the tank that we shouldn't have to immediately tap our other assets, and this is the Final Exam Boss of the Tutorial. Let's tap our other stuff as we need it instead of right at the start.

Like, tapping our other assets can be done any round, right?

That aside... It feels weird to me that we're responding to an enemy High Offense turn with only six defense dice? Is it really true that we can only use one defense die at a time without backing it with a Trick? That doesn't seem right to me, but I still don't fully understand how the combat system in this game works.

 

[I.F. Ister]

Should we draw it to the battlefield in the hills? or is that too far @Imperial Fister ?

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You could, you could also take it to the woods

 

[TheCount]

-[X] 6d6 Defense

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ABSULUTELY NOT
we should put in at least 10, preferably 15

Edit:

You could, you could also take it to the woods

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Yeah, no. the woods are full with things like this or draurgr.
perhaps if we talked things out with the witch..... but we didnt.
i DEFINITELY dont want to anger her by bringing even more monsters to her home than she usually gets.
... perhpas we should check on her after this?

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

Let's not Tap Everything right away maybe? We've got enough gas in the tank that we shouldn't have to immediately tap our other assets, and this is the Final Exam Boss of the Tutorial. Let's tap our other stuff as we need it instead of right at the start.

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Why? There's no advantage to waiting. Literally none.

If we don't do it and run out of orthstirr, that's bad, but there are literally no consequences to having too much orthstirr.

ABSULUTELY NOT
we should put in at least 10, preferably 15

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Read the whole plan please. That's effectively 12d6 with orthstirr due to Hone, and only used on non-Trick attacks. Trick Attacks get hit with Halting Vortex instead.

Dice allocated to defense can only be used in one die increments so each one defends against a separate attack...do you really think it's gonna attack us with non-Trick attacks 10-15 times? I'm kinda dubious.

Now, if we were fighting a huge number of weak opponents, that's the time for lots of dice in Defense to shine, but it's probably not as relevant here.

 

[Franco Asuriano]

Could we use the food stored in our fylgja to distract it?

 

[Alectai]

Why? There's no advantage to waiting. Literally none.

If we don't do it and run out of orthstirr, that's bad, but there are literally no consequences to having too much orthstirr.



Read the whole plan please. That's effectively 12d6 with orthstirr due to Hone, and only used on non-Trick attacks. Trick Attacks get hit with Halting Vortex instead.

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Okay, @Imperial Fister , I need a clarification on this.

Is there literally any reason to not tap everything in every battle? You implied it was a bad idea once in the past, but apparently there's "Literally no consequences to tapping everything all at once?" And I'm not following the logic here, but I don't know enough to refute it with facts instead of just my feelings.

Nor am I really following the logic that using defense dice are limited to 1 each unless backed by a Trick. Is that really the case?

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

Okay, @Imperial Fister , I need a clarification on this.

Is there literally any reason to not tap everything in every battle? You implied it was a bad idea once in the past, but apparently there's "Literally no consequences to tapping everything all at once?" And I'm not following the logic here, but I don't know enough to refute it with facts instead of just my feelings.

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Well, it doesn't replenish until next turn (not combat round, game turn), and any over 58 (our current max) might well dissipate at the end of combat (that's speculative but would make sense)...so if we're on a raid we don't want to burn them all the first fight we get in or we'll be out of steam for the second and third fights. But for something like this? I'm pretty sure we burn it all.

Nor am I really following the logic that using defense dice are limited to 1 each unless backed by a Trick. Is that really the case?

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This is also true of non-Trick attack dice. It's using a Trick that allows more than 1d6 on any single combat action. It's in the combat rules.

 

[I.F. Ister]

Why? There's no advantage to waiting. Literally none.

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Okay, @Imperial Fister , I need a clarification on this.

Is there literally any reason to not tap everything in every battle? You implied it was a bad idea once in the past, but apparently there's "Literally no consequences to tapping everything all at once?" And I'm not following the logic here, but I don't know enough to refute it with facts instead of just my feelings.

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You can't end a round with more orthstirr than you started with. So any overflow gets discarded. Now, that hasn't mattered all that much up until now, thanks to limited amounts of orthstirr and also already using a lot of orthstirr on other stuff, which frees up space. Now, however, with effectively 116 points of orthstirr in a 58 point-sized box... There's a solid chance that you lose some to overflow this round.

Nor am I really following the logic that using defense dice are limited to 1 each unless backed by a Trick. Is that really the case?

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1 dice to attack is 1 attack made. 2 dice to attack are 2 attacks made. 1 dice to defense is 1 defend. 2 dice to defense are 2 defends.

Now, there are ways to get around this. Like with Hone and Reinforce (as well as a smattering of other things).

 

[KreenWarrior]

We have cows, right? Is it worth trying to lure it to them so it can get distracted killing and eating one? Sure, it'll hurt our family finances, but...

...actually, it might well heal/get stronger from eating, so probably not worth the risk. 🤔

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

You can't end a round with more orthstirr than you started with. So any overflow gets discarded. Now, that hasn't mattered all that much up until now, thanks to limited amounts of orthstirr and also already using a lot of orthstirr on other stuff, which frees up space.

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Ah! That happens quicker than I thought and gives a reason to only burn two rather than all three. Plan will be adjusted accordingly.

EDIT: And done. I still suspect we'll tap Saemd next round, but this avoids the risk of losing any orthstirr due to overflow.

 

[I.F. Ister]

It can also give away how much power you're packing, if you know how to read the signs. Obviously this isn't all that big of a problem at the moment, but it could very well be one in the future

 

[Alectai]

Okay, glad to see my flailing got some answers then that actually help.

 

[I.F. Ister]

Using multiple dice for basic actions without using tricks is actually something you've seen before... just not something that's been explicitly said.

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

Using multiple dice for basic actions without using tricks is actually something you've seen before... just not something that's been explicitly said.

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Interesting. We don't actually know how to do that, though, do we? Well, Hone aside.

 

[TheCount]

It can also give away how much power you're packing, if you know how to read the signs.

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the quality of the manifestations huh? Like Hallr having so good when awakening that halla couldnt recognize the material?

Using multiple dice for basic actions without using tricks is actually something you've seen before... just not something that's been explicitly said.

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Was it on the competition? or on the walk on the ice fight?

Damn, we really should have got a dodge trick sooner.

Im writting a plan, but not sure about it, i want to have more def dice than attack though, that's sure.

 

[I.F. Ister]

the quality of the manifestations huh? Like Hallr having so good when awakening that halla couldnt recognize the material?

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Quality, designs, how it manifests, the forms they take, the size, color. All of this and more.

Was it on the competition? or on the walk on the ice fight?

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You have fought against it before. And that's all I'll reveal

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

Im writting a plan, but not sure about it, i want to have more def dice than attack though, that's sure.

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Do you really think it's gonna make something like 18 basic attacks against us?

Because that's the situation where that many defense dice are useful. And that situation absolutely exists (when outnumbered by weaker foes, for example), but this is very much not it.

 

[Alectai]

I mean, ,given that we nearly got wrecked by the Draugr overrunning our Defense Dice, that's actually a fairly viable approach?

Since, you know, once the other side doesn't have any defense dice left, anything after that point is an auto-hit. Just generating something stupid like 10 2 die attacks is going to still create anywhere from four to five auto-hits.

And damage has little to do with the difference in successes and a lot to do with how, exactly, you're attacking, so...

EDIT: The counterplay to this is having counter-attack based defenses. Like Hefty-Halter Chop. Which turns your attempt to spam into a "Stop hitting yourself!" fest.

 

[TheCount]

Do you really think it's gonna make something like 18 basic attacks against us?

Because that's the situation where that many defense dice are useful. And that situation absolutely exists (when outnumbered by weaker foes, for example), but this is very much not it.

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Honestly? no.
But its stiched together from multiple bodies. we do NOT know what its capable of.
We know its strong, but its akward in its body as well.
Also, i DID made the mistake of thinking HHC uses defensive dice, but defense dice under 10 is still a no go for me.
We also dont want to keep it around the buildings, in case it decides to break them open for snack or ammunition though.

Not to mention the possibility of Drifa somehow coming to halp us. we need to move.

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

I mean, ,given that we nearly got wrecked by the Draugr overrunning our Defense Dice, that's actually a fairly viable approach?

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It totally is! I have deep and abiding doubts that this specific foe is gonna do it though. That's a 'savvy duelist' approach, not a 'huge hulking monster' approach. And we can't defend against every possible approach, it's impossible. If we're to win, we have to figure out our foe's likely approach and mostly counter that, with a bit of insurance for other possibilities.

Since, you know, once the other side doesn't have any defense dice left, anything after that point is an auto-hit. Just generating something stupid like 10 2 die attacks is going to still create anywhere from four to five auto-hits.

And damage has little to do with the difference in successes and a lot to do with how, exactly, you're attacking, so...

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Damage is based on the Trick you use for the most part, unless you roll the max on the die (which adds 1). Basic attacks are 1 damage, Power-Chops are 2, and so on...I believe Leaping-Cleave is 4-5.

EDIT: The counterplay to this is having counter-attack based defenses. Like Hefty-Halter Chop. Which turns your attempt to spam into a "Stop hitting yourself!" fest.

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Not really, Hefy Halter chop is too expensive to be spammed out like that.

Honestly? no.
But its stiched together from multiple bodies. we do NOT know what its capable of.
We know its strong, but its akward in its body as well.

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'Strong but awkward' seems like a tailor made description for a low number of high dice attacks. Which is why I'm doubtful there'll be too many basic ones.

Also, i DID made the mistake of thinking HHC uses defensive dice, but defense dice under 10 is still a no go for me.

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I could be convinced to go drop one Power Chop and go up to 10 defensive dice if people in general are really concerned.

We also dont want to keep it around the buildings, in case it decides to break them open for snack or ammunition though.

Not to mention the possibility of Drifa somehow coming to halp us. we need to move.

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We are explicitly drawing it away...I can make it a little clearer that that's explicitly away from the buildings, though. (EDIT: And clarified)

 

[ThatGazzer]

It was small, once, and it still technically is — for a given definition.

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"Smaller Than a Giant isn't a useful unit of measurement!" - Blackhand, cursing the Norns

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

Okay, y'know what, I've been talked into 10 defensive dice. Plan edited and updated. I suspect we won't need them all, but it's probably still best to hedge our bets.