Today's cards are...
- 158 → Cave Hideout: 4d6 Thugs hide out in a cave.
- 253 → A Hungry Giant: it's a giant that eats halflings.
Ok, 4d6 thugs is too dang many for a two person party. Also doesn't really fit into the current vibe — the nearest place is a small village — so we'll build off the other. There's a giant who mostly feeds off a few sheep here or there and is well avoided by Yewsforth folk. However, the skeletal creatures and other hostile enemies from [The Wizard] have awoken it and cut off its relation to the village. It is angry and hostile.
That being said, a single Cave or Hill Giant [the two most logical options] is not going to be a problem, per se. So let's go and add a few skeletal warriors in. NOT 4d6 because I don't want to be rolling dice for two hours, but let's just 1d6... 5. However, to stop it from being too one-sided, we'll say only 3 can attack at one time.
- Skeleton Warriors: 8/6. Armed with obsidian spears [+1D] and Medium Bite. No Armor.
- Lonkre, Cave Giant: 9/10. Club. No armor. Double damage.
NOTE: Lonkre is hostile to everyone. Even if they save him they will have to figure out how not to be attacked by him, if possible.
The sound of a loud roar has Barston and Derron running towards a rocky outcropping at the top of a hill. There they see a cave, some remnant of the era when the Mountains Midnight were twice their current height, and at the mouth of the cave strange skeletons are trying to jab black-tipped spears into the hide of a rather cranky giant.
"Jullie benige klootzakken!," screams the giant as he smashes a heavy club into the skull of one of them and smashes it to bits. Five more, remain, though.
- Lonkre (two attacks): 6+9 [1] and 5+9 [6].
- Skeleton 1: 9+8+2 [6+1].
- Skeleton 2: 5+8+2 [6+1].
- Skeleton 3: 7+8+2 [5+1].
- Skeleton 4: -
- Skeleton 5: -.
Well, this went about as well as could be expected for Lonkre. He loses the first, second, and third combats. Their spears do a total of 14 hp damage. Which kills him. Which is a shame, really.
In short time, the spears run bloody and red and the giant collapses as the skeletons continue to poke at the corpse.
"Should we get involved?," Derron asks, already preparing for the answer.
"Yes, let's." Barston pulls out his bow and lets loose an arrow.
We'll say it will take d3 = 3 additional turns for the skeletons to reach the pair. That means Barston gets off 4 total shots.
For this, though we'll use a special rule from The Warlock Returns #13. Glenn Sharman has an article called "Missiles in AFF2e" and an optional combat roll called One-Roll Missiles that says 8+[TARGET's SKILL] can be used to hit enemies that have no chance to hit. This will put Barston's required 2d6+Bow = 16+. He will get a -1 because they are moving targets. Since it is 4 rounds away, I'll say they start in medium range for a longbow.
- Round 1: 4+9-2 = Miss. The missed arrow causes the skeletons to turn and charge
- Round 2: 8+9-1 = Hit of 6. That's 3 damage to Skeleton 1 (3 remain).
- Round 3: 11+9-1 = Hit of 3. That's 2 damage to Skeleton 1 (1 remains).
- Round 4: Barston casts BLESS on Derron.
Skeleton one has two arrows in its skull but is still mobile. Now we get to main combat.
The first arrow clatters against the walls of the cave and the skeletons stop and turn and see the two men at a distance. With dead silence, they turn and start running the grassy gap. Barston's second arrow catches the first one in the skull. As does the third.
As the strange skeletons close gap, Barston says the words of blessing over Derron who steps up to push the creatures back.
Will roll 5d6 with odds = Barston, even = Derron. 3 on Barston, 2 on Derron. We'll keep it "easy" and say the odds are on Barston and the evens are on Derron, if that makes sense.
- Derron (vs S2 and S4): 10+11+1 [3+2]
- S2: 10+8+1 [4+1]
- S4: 6+8+1 [3]
Derron is going to do 5 (3hp) damage to S2. 3 Remain.
- Barston (vs s1, s3, s5): 8+11 [3+1].
- S1: 7+8 [1].
- S3: CRIT [4]. Crit = 8, Barston takes a head wound. Damage +2 and Barston -3 next round.
- S5: 5+8 [4].
Barston finishes off S1. S2 does 6+1 Spear (5) vs [4+1]=5 Breastplate + Shield (2+1=3) = 2hp damage.
Derron leaps up and kicks the first skeleton that gets to him. Drives it back a few inches as he dodges out of the way of its companion's spear.
Barston brings his silver mace down on the head on the injured skeleton which causes it to collapse. Unfortunately, one of the others strikes Barston in the head and causes him to stumble back. As Barston wipes blood from his eyes, the next round of attacks begin...
- Barston vs S3,S5: 10-3+11 [4+1].
- S3: 5+8 [4].
- S5: 5+8 [2].
Even at disadvantage, Barston scores the win. Does 3hp of damage to S3. 3 remain.
- Derron vs S2,S4: 8+1+11 [4+2].
- S2: 5+8.
- S4: 10+8.
That's enough damage to finish off S2. Derron has 2 rounds of Bless left.
The bleeding scalp does not prevent Barston from returning the blow to his attack. The bones rattle as the mace catches it on the skull. Nearby, Derron's heavy punches break through his first target and leave it as a collapse of bones.
- Barston vs S3,S5: 6+11 [6+1].
- S3: 6+8.
- S5: 11+8 [6+1].
Barston will do 4 damage to S3, killing it. But S5 will get a 5hp - 4hp hit, which does another 1hp of damage. Barston is winning for sure, but taking some stabs.
- Derron vs S4: 7+11+1.
- S4: 7+8.
Derron does 1+2 (2hp) damage. 4 remain.
Barston cries out as another jab from the spear catches him in his side, underneath where the breastplate protects. It is not a severe wound, but still, he knows from experience that such things wear you down.
Derron is doing better against his single foe he has left.
We are down to single opponents so this gets quicker to notate.
- Barston vs S5: 10+11 [3+1] vs 7+8. S5 takes 3 damage. 3 remain.
- Derron vs s4: 8+11+1 [3+2] vs 9+8. S4 takes 3 damage. 1 remains.
And just to maybe finish it off...
- Barston vs S5: 4+11 [4] vs 7+8 [6]. A tie.
- Derron (last round of Bless) 11+11+1 [1+2] vs 5+8. S4 is destroyed.
And almost definitely just to finish it off...
- 9+11+1 [6] and CRIT [5]. Derron's crit for Martial Arts is... goes up a grade on the MA damage track. In other words, he is a MA = 3. He'd hit for MA = 4. It doesn't really matter because S5 rolled a 4+8. The two finish it off ina HEAVY blow.
With a decisive chop down and a heavy swing, the two old friends smash the last skeleton into an absolute pulp.
Barston starts wrapping some bandages around his injured head...
Heal test: 8 vs 8. He succeeds and gets 2hp back.
And manages to fix himself well enough for now.
"Well, what do you think about that?," Derron asks.
"Not good, alas. These things are vicious and since I do not yet see the village, they are spreading.
They make their way up to the cave and pull the other skeleton's corpse out and toss it down the rocks, then make a make-shift cairn for the slain giant. Checking out his belongings, they find...
Using the Poor Humanoid table from Encyclopedia Arcana: Treasures we get 8 → 1sp.
...a lone silver piece in his possessions. Barston takes one of his own silvers and puts both on the edge of the cairn.
Then the two continue their journey towards Yewsforth.
I was going to give Barston a chance to try and glean some information from the skeletons but I forgot he has no Magic Lore skill so really can't. It makes sense because he is effectively anti-magic. Not like a personal stance. He simply has an anti-magic aspect to him. Can't cast wizardry, sorcery, or even minor-magic spells and gets a bonus when those are used against him.
To clarify something about combat, Barston is good at fighting crowds. That's why the skeletons did not get a bonus fighting him in a group.
Finally: I have been having the Eastern Phillians speak a variation of Dutch. That is not to say they are speaking Dutch. They are just speaking a different enough language that some things are lost to our heroes.
Also, I think I gave Derron a bonus round of bless somewhere in there. Oh well.
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