WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

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WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by Dog Pants »

All of you grew up listening to stories of the Great War Against Chaos. The tale of Magnus the Pious and his victory over the armies of Chaos is well known. While there have been wars and threats in the 200 years since, there has been nothing on that scale. Until now. This year the Chaos Lord Archaon invaded the Empire with five mighty armies. They swept down from the Chaos Wastes, ranks filled with mutant warriors, nightmarish monsters, and power-mad sorcerers. Flagellants and other prophets of doom declared these the End Times. And as the armies pillaged and burned their way through the northern provinces of the Empire, it was easy to believe.

You've heard endless stories over the past few months. They say that Sigmar once again walked the earth. They say an army of wolves attacked the Kislevian city of Erengrad. They say the dead rose from their graves to defend the Empire. They say a mighty victory was won at Middenheim. They say a plague has choked the streets of Talabheim with bloated corpses.

You can only believe what is in front of your eyes. You are in the town of Untergard in the Drakwald forest. A nine-day battle took place here, as Beastmen tried to horse their way across the town's great bridge. They were rebuffed but the price was high. The town is in ruins and its remaining citizens struggle to survive. The Imperial army has long since moved on from Untergard, leaving behind only its dead. You've heard tell of more battles up north, but the war here seems over. Or so you hope.

You have been in Untergard for several days, as rainstorms of utmost savagery lashed the Drakwald. You find two things when you awaken: the rainstorm has broken and there is a commotion in the nearby Ackerplatz.
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by buzzmong »

After lifting his head off a suprisingly intact desk in a ruined office, Larandar blinks as he sees that the papers he'd been working on, containing a list of the dead and missing from the recent fighting, have been ruined by another part of the roof falling in during the rainstorm of the previous night.

Sighing, and hearing the commotion outside, he gathers his belongings, shoulders his backpack and steps outside to make his way to the 'platz.


(Ps, Doggers, will be uploading another version of the char sheet to dropbox shortly, no stat changes (apart from what we discussed previous), but more fluff).
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by Dog Pants »

I'll assume the rest of you make your way out too. You're late to the party, and end up milling around the back of the crowd near the bridge, along with a motley assortment of mercenaries, rogues, and hangers-on. Most of the 75 survivors of Untergard have already gathered in the decrepit town square and are muttering restlessly to one another. Many still nurse battle wounds, whilst others are too young or too old to have taken part in the fighting. All are ragged and pale, and some are clearly pinched by hunger.
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by Dog Pants »

The townsfolk appear to be waiting for something or someone, but for now they're talking amongst themselves. If anyone fancies listening in they can make a Gossip test.
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by FatherJack »

Alice wrote:'Scoosie-mwah
Making no attempt to actually be excused Alice wriggles her way through the crowd towards the townsfolk. Wiping a bit of soot onto her (already rather grimy) face for added effect, she dons her best wide-eyed little-girl-lost expression and stands amongst them, ears pricked.

vs 41 Fel (pg. 88, Skill Tests)
Roll(1d100)+0:
36,+0
Total:36
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by Joose »

Ooh, ooh, I can do that! I can do that! /runs around shouting in a Russian accent.

OK, for me that's a Fel + 10, putting me on a target of 38 before modifiers:

Roll(1d100)+0:
30,+0
Total:30

Pleasedonthavenegativemodifierspleasedonthavenegativemodifiers...
Ulrich, to nearest likely looking fella wrote:Ere, mate, whats going on?
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by Dog Pants »

To explain skill tests, by the way. Roll a D100, with the basic target being the stat which the skill is tied to, or under. If you don't have the skill the base stat is halved, if you have extra ticks in it the +10% (etc) is added to your target. The game uses degrees of success or failure, so 10 over the stat is a degree of success, and vice-versa. There are also difficulties which add or subtract.

In this case the gossip is very easy (since everyone is already gossiping), so a +30 to the target. This gives FJ's roll above a target of 71 and with his roll of 36 he has 3 degrees of success, if relevant. Joose's target is 68, also giving him three degrees of success. I'll let you know the results once Buzz has had chance to roll (assuming he wants to).
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by FatherJack »

Dog Pants wrote:To explain skill tests, by the way. Roll a D100, with the basic target being the stat which the skill is tied to, or under. If you don't have the skill the base stat is halved, if you have extra ticks in it the +10% (etc) is added to your target. The game uses degrees of success or failure, so 10 over the stat is a degree of success, and vice-versa. There are also difficulties which add or subtract.

In this case the gossip is very easy (since everyone is already gossiping), so a +30 to the target. This gives FJ's roll above a target of 71 and with his roll of 36 he has 3 degrees of success, if relevant. Joose's target is 68, also giving him three degrees of success. I'll let you know the results once Buzz has had chance to roll (assuming he wants to).
Given we might not generally know the target, is it helpful (to you) for us to show our base target worked out from our character sheet as we did?

I would have probably done a -10 on the roll if I'd had a bonus to it, rather than add it on to the target like Joose did, either way would work I guess but it's probably less confusing if we stick to a system.
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by Dog Pants »

It's handy to see what your skill is and the target number so that I can add/subtract the difficulty and work out the degrees of success or failure. I think modifying the roll rather than the target is more logical too, but the book modifies the target so it's probably less likely to lead to confusion if we stick to that.
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by buzzmong »

Larandar isn't one for idle gossip, preferring to observe, but he'll have a listen anyway:

Right, I don't have Gossip, so it's a Fellowship of 34 divided by 2:

Target = 17 +30 = 47 (Fel/2 + 30 for being v.Easy)
Roll(1d100)+0:
34,+0
Total:34

Coo, would have failed that one without the mod.
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by Dog Pants »

Nice work gents. Buzz, you hear a couple of nearby men, possibly walking wounded from the battle but it's hard to tell with the ragged clothes, talking about Watch Captain Schiller. They're talking about how a messenger arrived not long ago with a message from Count Boris Todbringer of Middenheim, and everyone's waiting for him to read it out.

Joose:
Townsman wrote:Well, one of the guards told me a courier came about an hour ago with a reward from Count Todbringer. Said it was for us people of Untergard on account of how we stopped the tide of Chaos.
FJ, you earwig in on a couple of conspirational looking women.
Womenfolk wrote:..know how she did it, but I saw Granny Moescher this morning. Survived the whole battle outside the walls. Thank Sigmar, think of all those poor orphans if the beasts got her. But she says she's still not moving in, even though there's beasts still roaming the woods!
As you're listening in a ripple runs through the crowd as a grizzled looking man in the uniform of an officer of the Imperial Watch emerges from a mostly intact building. He's certainly a veteran by the looks of him, tough looking and with blonde hair and beard which is now mostly faded to white. A watchman drags a crate forward from against the building and he nimbly springs onto it. Despite his torn uniform and dented armour, he easily commands the respect of the crowd and silences them with a raised arm.
Cpt Schiller wrote:People of Untergard, this a glorious day. I have received a letter from Count Todbringer of Middenheim. The old wolf still lives and the city of Middenheim stands strong!
The crowd cheers, and once again Schiller motions for silence.
Cpt Schiller wrote:Count Todbringer sends his thanks to all of Untergard for the part we played in hampering the invaders. He said, and I quote, 'the battle for Untergard Bridge will go down as one of the most glorious battles in Middenland's history.' Be proud, people of Untergard, for our sacrifices have not been in vain!
More cheering. When they die down the Captain continues.
Cpt Schiller wrote:To show his gratitude for our valour, the Count has sent us a token of his appreciation.
The Captain reaches into a bag and pulls out a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine.
Cpt Schiller wrote:We were honoured to receive thirty loaves of bread and a dozen bottles of wine, straight from Middenheim!
The crowd goes wild at the sight of the Count's largesse, hungry eyes fixed on the fresh bread in the Captain's hand. They begin to chant "Long live the Count! Long live the Count!" Schiller holds the bread and wine high in the air as the hardened survivors of Untergard shout themselves hoarse.

Suddenly there is a loud crack and the bottle shatters, showering Schiller and the bread with glass and wine. Pandemonium erupts as the crowd scatters in panic, dashing from the open Ackerplatz desperately looking for cover.

Would anyone like to make a Perception test?
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by FatherJack »

Alice was joining in enthusiastically
Alice wrote:Hooray for Todgewanger!
but as the bottle shatters she ducks low and looks around with narrowed eyes.

Int 29*
Roll(1d100)+0:
4,+0
Total:4
Esme's tits, what was that?
*Edit: no +10 that's for trapfinding only
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by Dog Pants »

Well spotted. Anyone else who makes the roll will come to the same conclusion, anyone who doesn't will soon turn to see what those nearby (i.e. the other characters and a few stragglers) are turning to look at.

From the sound of it and the lay of the land, you reckon the shot probably came from the ruined coaching station on the other side on the other side of the bridge. Considerations of snipers are secondary in your mind, however, as your attention is distracted by the malformed humanoids running across the bridge wielding weapons. Four hideous mutants; one has tentacles instead of arms, the second has horns and thick fur, the third has a pig-like snout, and the fourth has a third eye in the middle of his forehead. They are dressed in filthy rags and armed with clubs. As they get closer you can see the hatred that burns in their eyes.
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by buzzmong »

Larandar wrote:Chaos has returned! Run!
Larandar looks around to see how many watchmen there are with Captain Schilling and moves to put them between him and the gatecrashers if possible.

Who else is about in the square Pantsu? And are there other exits?
Last edited by buzzmong on July 29th, 2013, 23:02, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by FatherJack »

Alice wrote:Yikes!
She points.
Angry fings!
One hand reaches for her sling and she scrabbles around for stones as ammo with the other if she doesn't have them already.

She looks around for cover which maintains line of sight with the new arrivals, trying to move silently and concealed if she can (despite having just yelled)

Silent move:
Ag 50 + 10 (Alley Cat - if urban)
Roll(1d100)+0:
59,+0
Total:59

Concealment:
Ag 50 + 10 (Alley Cat - if urban)
Roll(1d100)+0:
9,+0
Total:9
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by Dog Pants »

You guys being latecomers to the gathering means you're all pretty near the back, which incidentally puts you pretty much nearest the charging mutants. There are three or four guards in the square, but they're right at the opposite side of the mass of panicking bodies. The only exit is the main gate to the town, but there are plenty of buildings in various states of repair, including the ones you emerged from. The mass of people are mostly making for these, and getting through the crowd is going to be difficult. Nearby are the selection of people who were less interested enough to drift to the back, pretty much the collection of non-townsfolk. Each other, some wounded (but recovering) soldiers, possibly a priest (hard to tell if what he's wearing were once white robes, stained as they are with blood and dirt and tied up around his waist), and the nearest townspeople.

FJ: Being smaller and used to slipping through crowds you can move a little faster and put some people between you and the uglies if you like. You've had plenty of opportunity to pick up handy stones from the rubble so you can have as much ammo as you need.

Buzz: You can only push against the crowd of people trying to do the same as you, and your position at the back leaves you without many people between you and the mutants.

As you're weighing up the situation you hear the 'priest' call over to the soldiers (who look in poor condition to fight); "Stand firm you men! Your war's not over yet!"
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by Joose »

Im going to try and use my rabble rousing skillzors to try and encourage some of the crowd to join the fight. My Public Speaking talent and a Fel of 28 means I can try and influence a max of 20 people. I doubt this will work, but nothing ventured etc:

Roll(1d100)+0:
36,+0
Total:36

Whelp. It was worth a try.
Ulrich wrote:Lets show these monsters what the people of Untergard can do! Right? Who's with me?

Anyone?
I have just realised that my character sheet just says "Hand weapon". Was I supposed to pick something specific to go in there? Whatever it is I'll be waving it around my head.
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by Dog Pants »

Yeah, the crowd aren't really listening. Nice try though. All hand weapons are the same for the sake of stats - sword, mace, hand axe. They all just do your damage bonus. Take your pick.

I'll move into bullet time when I get home and can see the stats etc.
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by Dog Pants »

Right. Combat works thusly:

1. Roll initiative. That's your agility plus 1D10. This only needs to be done once for the combat.
2. Hit each other in turn. Or do other stuff, your call. You have one action per round, and you get full actions, half actions, and free actions:

Full actions -
Charge (move into combat, attack, and get a +10 WS bonus for that attack)
Guarded Attack (-10 to attack, +10 to parry/dodge)
(B)all(s) out attack (+20WS, cannot parry or dodge)
Run (Mx6, harder to hit)

Half actions -
Aim (+10WS/BS)
Move (Mx2)
Equip/stow an item
Normal attack
Defensive stance (cannot attack this round, opponents get -20WS)
Delay (may take other half action at a later initiative)
Feint (opposed WS test, if passed opponent can't parry next attack)
Manoeuvre (horse opponent 2yds in a direction)
Parrying stance (may parry one subsequent attack that round, offhand weapon/shield gives this action for free)

Free actions are just little things like dropping something.

So, would you like to roll for initiative?
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Re: WHFRP: Through the Drakwald

Post by buzzmong »

Not really, but here goes :)

Agility: 48 +
Roll(1d10)+0:
1,+0
Total:1
:lol:

Initiative roll of 49.
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