Testing out the Rules

[Muskrat]

I think you can spend some of your beginning customization points to raise your weapons skills as well as your non-combat skills, so you can start with higher than a 2. I didn't because my character is more of a scholar than a warrior.

The other thing is, I think the game assumes you will frequently be spending Hope to boost your rolls when they fall short, especially when you start off and have lower skills. Hope doesn't automatically refresh though--I think certain conditions have to be met to regain Hope points--or you can draw them from the party's shared Fellowship pool. So, you have be judicious in spending your Hope points.

[Trogdor]

So, you have be judicious in spending your Hope points.

Unless you're a hobbit. We have crappy Endurance, but great Hope.

[Vardaen]

Hmmm, yeah you'll be spending alot of Hope I think. I read it should refresh fairly easily, some of the at a table and on the web doesn't translate well when rules say "per session" but we can figure that out.

[Vardaen]

Okay the next step...

Before combat at close quarters is joined, all players may make a roll of Battle to determine if their characters spot features of the battleground that may be exploited to gain an edge over their foes. The difficulty of the roll depends on the type of combat, as a group of companions is probably in a better position to gain an advantage when making a stand in a defensible position than when charging headlong its adversaries.

• If the company successfully ambushed the enemy, the roll is made against an easy difficulty (TN 12). (See Surprise Attacks below).

• If the company is defending, the roll is made against a moderate difficulty (TN 14).

So Pipkin ambushed and makes his roll at a TN12:

Battle: 0 Ranks = 1 Feat Die: 8 Fail

A surprised companion doesn't get to roll Battle to gain Combat advantages (see Combat Advantages above) and is not allowed to make opening volley rolls. Var was ambushed so no rolls of him. (I did a test roll anyhow just to see, and a Battle Rank 2 only had: 7 anyhow!)

No one has the advantage.

Based on the quality of the result, every successful Battle roll grants a hero a number of bonus Success dice to use in Combat. In this case 0 each.

Now to close combat.

Pick a Stance. Forward, Open, Defensive or Rearward. Rearward is for shooting if you have enough other companions in the other stances to hold of attackers. In this case, we are 1v1 so that can't be taken. The more agressive the stance the easier it is to hit foes, and the easier it is to get hit and the quicker in init you act. There is a whole crap load of rules for number of foes, etc. We'll have to figure out maping and stances but folks should be posting their stance, etc. I'll have to work this out.

For our fight, both heroes will take the Open stance.



COMBAT ROUND SEQUENCE
A combat round is an abstract unit of time, representing instants of intense fighting, the time needed for the fighters involved to exchange a series of blows. During each combat round, all combatants belonging to the side holding the initiative take their turn, followed by the other side.

Pip has init and attacks with his dagger leaping out of the shadows and rushing the feast table weaving among the chairs.

Dagger 1 Rank = 1 Feat Die +1 Success Die = 5+5 = 10 vs Open Stance TN9 + 6 Parry of Var = 15 Fail, Pip's Body is only a 2 so he can't spend Hope to make a success.

Next Var counter attacks also in the Open Stance:
Using his Short Sword Rank 1 = 1 Feat + 1 Success = 3+4 = 7 vs TN9+6 Parry = 15 Fail, Var's body is a 6 which won't be enough with a Hope point.

Pip charges the table swinging wildly with his dagger as he elven guard parries with his own short blade and counters but the little hobbit keeps on moving.

So at the end of "2" rounds we have 0 hits. Yikes.

[Trogdor]

This could go on for a while. But Var has the edge with a 6 Body.

[Vardaen]

Pipkin Open Stance: 10+2 = 12 vs 15 No Hope

Var Open Stance: 10+6t = 16 vs 16 (Forgot Pip has a shield now!) Success! In fact since he rolled a 6t that's a Great Success.

ENDURANCE LOSS
A well-placed blow always has unpleasant consequences for its target, whether or not the hit is successful in producing long term damage: a combatant can be disoriented by the sudden pain, lose his wind, or be sent reeling by the powerful impact. When a melee or ranged attack roll succeeds, then the attack was successful in hurting the target in some way: the target suffers an
immediate loss of Endurance, based on the quality of the roll and possibly modified by the attacker's Damage bonus.

On a success, the target loses Endurance points equal to the damage rating of the weapon used.

On a great success, the target loses Endurance points equal to the damage rating of the weapon PLUS the Damage rating of the attacking hero.

On an extraordinary success, the target loses a number of Endurance points equal to the damage rating of the weapon PLUS double the Damage rating of the attacking hero.

So a Great Success = Weapon Rating (SS) 5 + Dmg of Hero 6 = 11 Endurance

In addition to causing the loss of Endurance points, any successful attack may inflict a Piercing blow: If the Feat die result in the initial attack roll is equal to or higher than the Edge rating of the weapon, the attack resulted in a Piercing blow.

Lets see 10 vs 10 PIERCING BLOW

Characters hit by a Piercing blow must immediately make a Protection test to avoid being Wounded.

Protection Test
A Protection test determines whether a character's armour prevented the blow from causing lasting damage. The character rolls the Feat die plus a number of Success dice equal to the Protection value of his suit of armour (modified by a helmet, if worn). The Target Number for the roll is equal to the Injury rating of the weapon used by the attacker.

Pip has Leather Corslet 2d + 1 from Helm =3 Dice = 7,2,3,6(t) = 18 vs Injury of the Sword 14 = Success, not a piercing blow.

Pip's Enduarnce 22 - 11 = 11, his Fatigue is 14, that makes Pip Weary

[Trogdor]

Wow, it goes downhill from here.

[Vardaen]

I think I've done this right. Certainly is making combat fairly deadly, and once hits are scored quick.

[Trogdor]

It shows that Body is the most important stat. Each stat is good for six skills. But Body is good for six skills, plus[/i] all weapon skills.

Not good news for us low-Str hobbits.

[Vardaen]

Next Round:

Pip: Weary, has to go all out, Forward Stance

Shortsword: 1 Rank 4, +3 (Doesn't count, he's weary and as such 1-3 on Success dice don't count) = 4 vs TN6 +Parry 6 = 12 Fail

Var counters, also going Forward to finish things:
Shortsword: 1 Rank: 6+5=11 vs TN6+6=12 Miss, HOPE to add Body of 6 = 17 vs 12 Hit for normal success: 5 Endurance Dmg, not a Piercing (Feat Dice 6 didn't beat Edge of 10)

Pip's Endurance @ 6 now

Keep it going:

Pip, Open Stance, Weary, Shortsword: 7 +1(doesn't count) = 7 Miss
Var, Open Stance, Shortsword: 8+3 = 11 vs 12 Miss + Hope 6 = Hit for 5 Dmg. Pip @1 Endurance Left

Pip, Open Stance, Weary, Shortsword: 1+3(weary)=1 Miss
Var, Open Stance, Shortsword: 7+3=10

This goes on and on for a while really, but I think we get it. The next hit from Var drops Pip to Dying, perhaps with a piercing attack maybe not, but...

A few things we didn't touch on Called Shots, and Knockback.