Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

[Panzersharkcat]

(OOC: Well, only if he puts Alfred in a low position. I would rather this not turn into a running joke with him, like getting his politic analyses hilariously wrong.

And yeah, you're right. If Larric figures it out in-character, he should probably mention it to Alfred and Mr. Snuggles. Probably suggest poor coordination between the two.)

[White Haven]

"A hammer. Well, it certainly has blunt simplicity to it. Anything else to..." And at that point, he trailed off as he looked, really looked at the hammer. At the rather potent, albeit slapdash, enchantment worked over it...in what appeared to be the arcane equivalent of a shaky hand working in crayon while staring into a mirror. A quick glance around revealed a similar set of enchantments on some rocks and assorted pottery, prompting the referee's eyebrows to make a mad dash for cover beneath The Hat. Curiousity warred with concern on his face, the reaction of bomb-maker to a new type of explosive, while at the same time the reaction of a bomb-defusal technician to a device constructed entire out of LEGO blocks and uninsulated wires.

"In...teresting," he finally drawled out, his fingers twitching as he started building the groundwork for a shielding spell, just in case. Well, the refereeing job just got somewhat more interesting if nothing else... "I'll need to have a closer look, of course, to examine them for any signs of outside channeling or interference."

[Simon_Jester]

Larric may perceive that shield (if so, then to him it's the visual equivalent of chords- interlocked patterns and waves of force, the extent to which they're layered and interweaved depending more on Verone than anything else, obviously). He won't comment, deducing its purpose.

"You'll not find anything troublesome. Everything that's ever going to be in those, is already. Just don't jostle them too hard, if you don't mind..."

[Panzersharkcat]

He nods. "The simplest solutions are frequently the best ones. Because anything in the universe can be destroyed by hitting it hard enough, I opted to play to my strengths and go with a blunt weapon. A sword may fail to penetrate when it hits armor but a hammer will carry its energy through."

[Kaelan]

OOC
Panzer- if that's fallout 2 you're playing there is a set of rigged gloves kicking around.

IC - any word on radulf and what are the odds being passed around on the fight?

[Simon_Jester]

OOC:

I think Lady Tamarin's troopers are still watching Radulf. No reason to assume that's changed in the last few hours. He's too badly wounded and surrounded by potential enemies to make any more escape attempts, what with our shooting him repeatedly.

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

Yes, Radulf is still being watched. He's a little better, possibly enough to get back on his feet but not to flee.

As ar as odds go, there may be unpleasant consequences- involving rope- for trying too hard to find out. Seriously- try to run a book on this one and hope that you're either talking to a fellow member of the disgruntled, or prepare to defend yourself.

Oliver's brought back some pretty impressive bits of beast before, including what his throwing axes are made out of- a svartalfven combat gholem shaped like a metal earthworm; his axes are made from it's teeth. Alfred's a relatively unknown quantity.

General opinion is probably Oliver to win, likely with a few tricks and surprises along the way; and that it shouldn't be happening at all, but no alternative now.

Half an hour prior to the fight. Assuming no attempt to fight the hellhound, it's going to let Rohal run, and he should arrive back about now.

Large, dark furred, not readily identifiable as a werewolf per se, except to someone competent in animal or healing magic or Insight for that matter, but obviously, potentially suspicion raisingly obviously, not just a dog.

[Simon_Jester]

Hmmm. Larric wants to explain his concerns- he has at least a limited amount of Insight magic, assuming "competent" is normalized to a skill of 10. The problem is that he'd be hard pressed to do so in front of the referee.

Verone has Life magic, doesn't he? He's likely to spot the werewolf himself, then. We already know Life magic can be used to deliberately interfere with the werewolf's transformations, so it's hardly a stretch to assume it can perceive them in the first place.

[Feralgnoll]

Rohal will walk up and look at the Verone's inspection of Alfred's weapons with the classic dog head tilt.

[Kaelan]

As far as odds go, there may be unpleasant consequences- involving rope- for trying too hard to find out.

Williams not looking to place a bet, just get a general feel of how people are suspecting the fight will go down and what method they feel that Oliver will be using. If he has fought multiple duels in the past he may have developed some habits that others might have picked up upon, and that Alfred may be able to exploit.

[Panzersharkcat]

(OOC: I know. I beat the New Reno boxing tournament without them, though, through the power of punching my enemies in the balls repeatedly. Lost an ear and got a permanent -1 to charisma because of the last guy, the Masticator, though. Didn't realize it until I saved over it.)

He gives Mr. Snuggles a scratch behind the ears.

[Simon_Jester]

Larric looks at Alfred and Rohal, and then at Verone, and wonders what will happen next.

He's reluctant to say anything for fear of making matters worse.

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

At this point, I'm wondering what's going to happen next too. White Haven, it is obvious to Verone that something is quite odd about Rohal, apart from being a large wolf. Looks too intelligent for a start.

Probing would be noticeable; it's possible to guess what's there to be found, and quite possible that Oliver would make the same deduction. This definitely would violate the terms of the duel, but if they're desperate enough to try it...


Has Sorchus been seen at all, recently? Must be- since before I went down to York, or only just after, we last had an action from Eliska. Her help could be useful.

[Simon_Jester]

Eliska could be immensely helpful here.

I PMed him a few days ago, exactly because I thought we could use Eliska's help. That was two days ago, and he hasn't been on the site since. This is his last post in this thread, and this, from the eighth, about two and a half weeks ago, is the last in-character action Eliska's taken.

I'm sure Sorchus has perfectly good reasons for not getting involved. But I'm beginning to think that it would be easier to write the character off than to keep up the pretense that she's around.

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

There could be a good reason for it, I don't think there's anything in the Hall of Shame that would explain it- although the character's being absent actually fits quite well with something else that's going on.

In fact, now that you think about it, Eliska's bedroll is still there- her armour is still there, not very good scale- her axe is gone, and so is she. Hasn't been seen since sometime this morning, you've all been busy, where did she get to? No note, no explanation, nothing.

If she is wandering around the streets of the town somewhere, you haven't come across her. No sign, nothing. She night be all right, then again she might not.


Time's pressing. The courtyard Oliver referred to is the space between the inner wall and the side of the hall- no spectators on the ground, anyone who wants to watch will be on the inner wall or looking out of the windows of the hall. Temporary fences will beplaced across the gap at each end, to prevent anyone wandering into it. Safest place to referee from is probably up on the wall.

Is Rohal trying to convey anything about the hellhound? Is Verone doing or saying anything about Rohal?

[Feralgnoll]

Rohal will do that after the battle. As quickly as possible. He knows we have little time till we start swinging, and avoid shaking up the battle rhythm Alfred already has. However if there is a point where Rohal and Larric are alone, he will spell it out in the dirt, point like a hunting dog in the direction, then roll on the ground to mess up the words. Then urinate on it to further throw off the trail.

[White Haven]

"Rest assured," Verone murmured, "I do not intend to jostle such...unique contrivances in any way." That said, the shielding spell he's quietly constructing as a just-in-case measure while he stalls with chatter is...unique, to Larric's eyes. Then again, anything done by a professional, educated wizard probably would be, but whatever Verone's doing, it incorporates threads of all manners of types of magic, not just the usual momentum-distortion effects. "Anything else to declare, before I get started?" he continued to stall; whatever the defense he's constructing, it's definitely not one designed for a snap casting, "Any...wider-area explosives or elemental effects, necromantic invocations, things of that nature? Understand that I ask more for the sake of my own role as the individual responsible for keeping collateral damage to a minimum, not because such things are disallowed. Still, if I'm to make a proper inspection, I do need a proper list."

As of yet, he's not paid the dog much mind...of course, that may well change should the dog be declared as a part of Alfred's arsenal.

[Panzersharkcat]

"If I may, I request that I be allowed to bring Mr. Snuggles with me into battle."

[Feralgnoll]

Rohal will act as dog like as possible.

[Simon_Jester]

OOC:

I'm going to be very, very busy for the rest of today, and nearly all of tomorrow. I'll try to check in once in a while, but it won't be often.

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

Good luck with whatever it is.

I've gone through quite a lot happening ehre. If you want to stop me and backtrack, feel free.

Rohal's acting is unexceptional. (Checks character sheet.) It isn't, in fact, there. It passes muster as far as Verone is concerned- he's a very large dog, antenna twitching may suggest otherwise but he does look the part. Someone who is more of a doggy, horsey type probably wouldn't be so easily convinced.

William manages to gather the following; Oliver's not that great a swordsman. Flourishes well, but prefers to stay further away than that from his usual targets- circles and pokes it, usually, weakening it before pressing in.

Goes through horses at a terrible rate- must take lots of risks.


There'll be time to pass all of this on to Alfred. (Although it doesn't square with what the knight prepared to act as his second was tellig him- so who's fibbing?) Essentially, if Detrick and his crew haven't made it back before the start of the duel, they won't in time to interfere, Rohal can't pass anything on about the spoor of the countess, there's nothing to stop it all going ahead.

Oliver, and a small group of men including someone who must be his second, are at one end of the space, he's armoured- not in shining plate; it's solid all right, but it's been dulled down and blackened to the point where it would probably blend in fairly well in a dark forest. His horse is heavily armoured too, in the same style. No minions.

There are a few onlookers, including Tamarin, worried, and of course Andrea, in fairly shiny armour with a solid hand and a half sword, a shield slung across her back. Some of them notice Rohal, and look very worried. Evidently some of them are doggy, horsey types.

The treasurer is there, and he asks the formal question- 'You are, both, determined to proceed with this? There is no other answer to your grievance but in blood?'

[Simon_Jester]

Good luck with whatever it is.

Grading. Mountains of grading. There's a stack of 270 engineering exams that needs wading through. And thank you.

I will next be in a position to check up on this thread some time in the late evening on the Eastern Seaboard. Good luck, everyone, and please don't do anything (else?) stupid!

[Feralgnoll]

Rohal's acting is unexceptional. (Checks character sheet.) It isn't, in fact, there. It passes muster as far as Verone is concerned- he's a very large dog, antenna twitching may suggest otherwise but he does look the part. Someone who is more of a doggy, horsey type probably wouldn't be so easily convinced.

OOC: to be fair, a pre game Rohal would have never imagined having to pretend to be a war dog in a duel between Nobles, hence no skills in acting, but I am laughing a bit over the whole scenario.

IC: Rohal will wait to be ordered around by Alfred like a attack dog would.

[Simon_Jester]

OOC:

Oh. One last question: given his Animal Handling score, is Larric a doggy, horsey type?

[Panzersharkcat]

"I bore Sir Oliver no malice until he insinuated that I acted as part of a conspiracy when I consider sneaking around like a thief to be disgraceful. I will accept an apology from Sir Oliver in lieu of fighting, however. Should he do so, I will bear no more ill will towards him and we shall go our separate ways. If he is unwilling to apologize, then may the best man win."