I can do it. But I swear to god, there will be consequences for making me write 7 goddang leaping-cleaves in a row. I'm gonna have to get... ridiculous.
I can do it. But I swear to god, there will be consequences for making me write 7 goddang leaping-cleaves in a row. I'm gonna have to get... ridiculous.
I can do it. But I swear to god, there will be consequences for making me write 7 goddang leaping-cleaves in a row. I'm gonna have to get... ridiculous.
Fuck.
Its not a mutated experiment.
Its a meatsuit puppeted by something.
And as its head being split doesn't impair it too much....
Its some Chestbuster style thing huh? Or, as was mentioned, Deadspace's Necromorps....
Guess we can put some fire starter tricks on the list as well.
Also, it was a very, very good thing that you swapped to a higher defense plan. It had 10 basic attacks ready to go and you encountered almost all of them.
Sure, its most likely on the defense, but still.
Otherwise, i have no complaints, just would like to point out we would have an easier time if it has no arms at all.
Can i recommend a hole being made on its back around where a human's kidney is? It shouldn't have too much bone.... except if the corpse armor has hands all over its body....
Yep. It had ten basic attacks last turn, but we only actually got attacked with 7 of them, and more importantly it's explicitly making less attacks this turn than it did last turn and focusing more on defense. Given that it's therefore definitionally making less than 10 attacks, I'm feeling pretty much fine with 8d6 in defenses.
Like, if it were making 9+ attacks, that description would be different (one attack less is not a notable shift in focus, I'm pretty sure), and with eight or less attacks, anything beyond 8d6 in defenses is wasted.
Last turn we were guessing, and going with a higher number of defenses than originally proposed was thus correct, but we're operating off actual information now which says that going a bit less defensive than last turn will be sufficient.
Can i recommend a hole being made on its back around where a human's kidney is? It shouldn't have too much bone.... except if the corpse armor has hands all over its body....
It's roughly humanoid so it has only two functional 'arms'...they're just made of stitched together smaller arms. That's messed up looking, but trapping one of the 'big arms' should still make an opening just as trapping one of a person's arms would.
Which is not to say that Fire In The Hole doesn't have weaknesses (it's fancy and relies on landing a specific trick...and on that trick doing a lot more than it says on the tin due to the setup), but making an opening by freezing an arm definitely seems viable.
Based on what we've seen Plan Lots of Jumping will, assuming all attacks hit, just do a flat 28 damage to this creature or thereabouts. That's self-evidently a lot...is it enough? We don't know.
Plan Fire In The Hole, meanwhile, does more like 6-8 damage from the first several attacks...and then sets off a large-ish explosion inside the creature. How much damage does that explosion do? We don't know, but I personally doubt it's 20 points even if we do combine the charm and Firebomb-Strike as intended, so it's almost certainly less raw damage than the other plan. The hope for this plan is that we're pretty sure most of this creature's 'Endurance' is actually corpse-armor, and the damage from an internal explosion may partially or entirely ignore that, or be multiplied against it or something like that. Will that work? We don't know.
So the first plan is just raw damage. Straight combat mechanics. The second hopes to use a clever setup to get around the main defense this creature seems to have (ie: corpse-armor) and deal with it directly. Both seem like valid strategies.
To do an analogy, the first plan is firing light anti-tank weapons at a tank repeatedly. The second is using one specifically targeted anti-tank weapon to blow a hole and then running up and tossing a grenade inside to kill the crew. The first just batters down defenses, the second attempts to circumvent them.
There's a reason I specified a light anti-tank weapon (ie: one that would need a bunch of shots). We don't know that even 28 damage will be enough to bring this thing down given how unconcerned it seems about 9. It might, or might not. It's also not a perfect analogy because in Halla's actual circumstance, both are melee options so neither is actually riskier in the sense of exposing her to more attacks.
Both seem valid to me, just in different ways and depending on what kind of risks one prefers to take.
For the record, going over the fight again, it only has one die per attack or defense, I think. I was thinking it had two because it beat our two dice about half the time, but actually we just rolled really badly and it rolled really well (it rolled 6s on four of the seven attacks it made! That's just such absurdly good luck for it...or maybe it rerolls or something, but not a single roll above 6 still seems to indicate it uses only one die. Our own defensive rolls on 2d6 were also a very low 8, 4, 2, 8, 4, 5, 6).
Which makes me feel a tad more confident in our rolled defenses this turn and brings up a question:
@Imperial Fister we do get any unused orthstirr back from Reinforce Shield at the end of the turn, right? Or get to keep the protection going into the next turn anyway? Something like that seems like standard policy but I wanted to be sure, as if not we might want to reduce the amount invested in that slightly...if it survives this turn our orthstirr for turn 3 is gonna be lower than I'd like.
@Imperial Fister we do get any unused orthstirr back from Reinforce Shield at the end of the turn, right? Or get to keep the protection going into the next turn anyway?
Cool. It sticking around is more than sufficient. We may not need 15 Orthstirr in that Trick this round, but we probably do if the fight goes to round 3.
In honor of not having to write 7 leaping cleaves, I have made this;
Scheduled vote count started by Imperial Fister on Mar 18, 2023 at 10:13 PM, finished with 56 posts and 18 votes.
[X] Plan Fire In The Hole
-[X] Tap Saemd (+19 Orthstirr)
-[X] 28d6 Attack (27d6 tricks)
-[X] 8d6 Defense
-[X] 0d6 Intercept
-[X] Spend 15 Orthstirr using Reinforce Shield on her armor (-15 Orthstirr)
-[X] Attack with two 4d6 Power Chop attacks trying to bait it out (-2 Orthstirr), then trap its arm with a 6d6 (8d6 w/Hugareida) Inertia-Arresting-Throw (-6 Orthstirr) as a defense when it responds by attacking, use the opening while its arm is trapped to make an attack to make a large hole into a vulnerable area with a 8d6 Honed Leaping-Cleave (-4 Orthstirr), shove the Explosive Charm into the wound (1d6 normal attack) and follow up with an 7d6 (8d6 w/Hugareida) Honed Firebomb-Strike (-9 Orthstirr) directly into the wound made by the Leaping Cleave (hopefully blowing it up from the inside)
-[X] In response to any Trick Attack use Halting Vortex (-4 Orthstirr). If it attacks us with a non-Trick attack use Honed Defenses using our Defense dice (-1 Orthstirr each, 2d6 each) and if that doesn't work and Reinforce Shield is not available, use Halting Vortex (-4 Orthstirr).
-[X] Tactics – We attack it a couple of times in the arms, wait for it to attack, trap said arm with Standstill, then hit it really hard to open a hole, toss in an explosive charm, and hit it in the cut open hole with an explosive attack.
[X] Plan Lots of Jumping
-[X] Tap Saemd (+19 Orthstirr)
-[X] 28d6 Attack (all tricks)
-[X] 8d6 Defense
-[X] 0d6 Intercept
-[X] Spend 15 Orthstirr using Reinforce Shield on her armor (-15 Orthstirr)
-[X] Attack with seven 4d6 Leaping Cleave attacks (-21 Orthstirr) bouncing over and around it again and again attempting to disassemble it with mighty blows.
-[X] In response to any Trick Attack use Halting Vortex (-4 Orthstirr). If it attacks us with a non-Trick attack use Honed Defenses using our Defense dice (-1 Orthstirr each, 2d6 each) and if that doesn't work and Reinforce Shield is not available, use Halting Vortex (-4 Orthstirr).
-[X] Tactics – What it says on the tin. This plan is pure jumping back and forth hoping that the creature's confusion aids us, and using our most damaging attack again and again to take it apart.
[X] Plan Fire In The Hole
-[X] Tap Saemd (+19 Orthstirr)
-[X] 28d6 Attack (27d6 tricks)
-[X] 8d6 Defense
-[X] 0d6 Intercept
-[X] Spend 15 Orthstirr using Reinforce Shield on her armor (-15 Orthstirr)
-[X] Attack with two 4d6 Power Chop attacks trying to bait it out (-2 Orthstirr), then trap its arm with a 6d6 (8d6 w/Hugareida) Inertia-Arresting-Throw (-6 Orthstirr) as a defense when it responds by attacking, use the opening while its arm is trapped to make an attack to make a large hole into a vulnerable area with a 8d6 Honed Leaping-Cleave (-4 Orthstirr), shove the Explosive Charm into the wound (1d6 normal attack) and follow up with an 7d6 (8d6 w/Hugareida) Honed Firebomb-Strike (-9 Orthstirr) directly into the wound made by the Leaping Cleave (hopefully blowing it up from the inside)
-[X] In response to any Trick Attack use Halting Vortex (-4 Orthstirr). If it attacks us with a non-Trick attack use Honed Defenses using our Defense dice (-1 Orthstirr each, 2d6 each) and if that doesn't work and Reinforce Shield is not available, use Halting Vortex (-4 Orthstirr).
-[X] Tactics – We attack it a couple of times in the arms, wait for it to attack, trap said arm with Standstill, then hit it really hard to open a hole, toss in an explosive charm, and hit it in the cut open hole with an explosive attack.
0~0~0
You wipe a bit of blood and corpse juice from your face and sigh as it sticks to your hand.
Whatever. Once this is all over, you'll draw up a nice, hot bath. Won't that be relaxing? If you close your eyes, it's almost like you're already there.
But that is for Future-Halla to enjoy. Right now, you need to focus on Present-Halla's plight.
Letting loose a steady breath, your eyes open with renewed vigor. Settling into a ready crouch, Sagaseeker's purrs rumble louder than ever before. If the atgeir's spirit had a physical form, it would without a doubt be a cat.
An image of your atgeir with cat ears springs to mind. Hah, wouldn't that be a sight?
The monster groans, drawing you back into the present moment, as it lurches to its feet.
The moment it does, you throw yourself into the attack. (Trick Attack: 18 vs Defense: 4, Attacker Wins! 2-2(Monstrous Vigor)=0 Damage Dealt!)
Sagaseeker glides through flesh and rends bone, but doesn't seem to be doing much in the way of actual, proper damage.
You scowl as the monster roars and its fingerless hand swings up and around. The wall-like mass bears down like the hammer of the Gods. (Attack: 1 vs Honed Defense: 6, Defender Wins!)
Leaping into the air, you land on the club-like hand — rotting flesh squishing and squelching beneath your feet — and bring Sagaseeker down with fiery, crimson fury. (Trick Attack: 12 vs Defense: 2, Attacker Wins! 2-2(Monstrous Vigor)=0 Damage Dealt!)
Just like before, while you tear a jagged gash into the arm-made-of-arms, it is ultimately ineffective.
Your scowl deepens. At this rate, all that this will achieve is tiring yourself out while causing you to wrinkle! A change needs to happen, for your skin if nothing else.
As its other hand rises, fingers-made-of-hands unclasping and reaching out, you know you've found your opening. (Trick Grapple Attack: 26 vs Defense: 2, Attacker Wins!)
Winds howl as it races towards you, but you're ready for it.
With a flick of the wrist and one smooth motion, you gather up and throw out Standstill. It unfurls as it spins through the air like a glorious, eagle-feather cloak. The monster has no idea what's coming its way.
Invisible cloth collides with malformed, rotten flesh and holds it down.
The monster tugs at its arm, but finds it to be truly stuck in the air. Maybe if Standstill hadn't deepened, its raw strength would've been enough to free it.
But now, with Standstill developed?
Not a chance.
You spring into the air with reckless abandon, landing on its wrist and sprinting up the length of the arm. Your hair whips out and trails behind you like a crimson banner as you laugh, the joy of battle getting to you.
Reaching the shoulder, you bounce up off the disgusting, squishy mass of film-covered flesh and find yourself in the air behind it, where the injury you left earlier is more than visible.
Stoking your orthstirr as you raise Sagaseeker up high, a crown of fiery crimson spikes sprouts up around your head in a halo of joyfully violent flames. (Honed Trick Attack: 26 vs Defense: 3, Attacker Wins! 6-2(Monstrous Vigor)=4 Damage Dealt!)
Shooting down on a jet of fire, you turn an already large wound into a massive crevice of rotting blood. Snow stains red as blood sprays from the wound. Thick rivulets of red, glue-like ichor trickles down its body.
The moment you touch down, you've already launched your next attack. ('Thrown' Attack: 4 vs Defense: 2, Attacker Wins!)
With explosive tag in hand, you jam the fired clay tablet deep into its body. Its inside squish and squirm as you force it deeper and deeper, the myriad liquids smearing your arm with thick layers of gunk.
Wrenching your arm free, you take Sagaseeker in both hands and let your orthstirr surge. The atgeir's cutting edge glows with crimson power, flickers of flame darting from its length. (Trick Attack: 26 vs Defense: 2, Attacker Wins! 5-2(Monstrous Vigor)=3 Damage Dealt! Tag Detonates Deep Inside, Bypassing Monstrous Vigor, 3 Damage Dealt!)
Firebomb-Strike craters against the monster's back and burns a large hole in its skin. But the real effect here comes from the tag you jammed deep inside.
The monster swells up as licks of fire burst from its seams. It explodes, raining chunks of meat, bone, and utterly disgusting corpse liquids down on you, drenching you to the bone. You flick your hands, clearing away some of the slurry of liquids, but not nearly enough to get you clean.
The body twitches and you release a heavy groan. The battle isn't over yet, not quite.
Rising from the smoking pile of meat is a small, humanoid creature. It looks almost like an elderly man, if said elderly man was also two-feet tall.
It twitches violently, thick globs of purple poison leak from a tube growing from its mouth. Every muscle in its body shivers and shakes as it convulses over and over again. Those seizures don't seem to be hampering its ability to move much, as it meets your eyes with a maddened gaze that's long since taken leave of its senses.
You're still on the hill, well-inside the perimeter of the fence. A good amount of the snow has melted or been covered with corpse-juice.
The nisse controlling the monster has been pulled from its meat-puppet. From the looks of things, it's quite a bit damaged, well over half way to death. Fortunately, it has lost its monstrous armor, leaving it vulnerable to your attacks. Unfortunately, it doesn't look to be any weaker and it looks to be far faster, too — which means that it's going to be both harder to hit and dodge, while still hitting like a horse's kick. And the poison is still there, too, so that's very nice.
It is going to be fighting you with an aggressive but balanced approach — its offense and defense will be roughly balanced.
You have 5/5 Endurance | 3/8 Armor | N/A Shield | 15/15 Temporary Health
You have 16/58 orthstirr in reserve and your Frami (20), Virthing (19), and Saemd (19) are tapped.
Sagaseeker has 8 orthstirr in its reservoir
You can put 0 more points of orthstirr into your Combat Pool.
You have 36d6 in your Combat Pool
What do you do?
[ ] (Plan Name)
-[ ] (Dice) Attack
-[ ] (Dice) Defense
-[ ] (Dice) Intercept
-[ ] (Dice) (Trick) (Orthstirr)
-[ ] Tactics Write in
0~0~0
AN: Good plan, even if it didn't kill it. You're in the final stretch now! Just a little more and you've got it!
Firebomb Strike can't use Hone, as the way it delivers damage doesn't involve the sharpness of the weapon. The orthstirr spent on that has been refunded. Other than that I believe the math is right, but feel free to double-check.
25-minute moratorium. I'd like to finish this battle today, if that's okay with everyone.
