Immersive Ink

If something hit Dieter in the dark, he should at least have a sense of where it struck from. So he'll strike back. Yeah, I know, minus several for total darkness, but still...

Dorgan will focus, as best he can, on getting the oil lit.

Yes. Specifically, Dieter will swing in a wide arc all around him, attempting to wound or at least drive back anyone or anything that's near him. He can feel Dorgan next to him, hear his striking of flint on steel; so he knows he won't hit his comrade.

Also he's getting good and angry at the situation, in case that helps at all. This may actually cause him to go berserk...

And, in case it matters, this is that silvered blade he picked up from the elves.

coffee wrote:And, in case it matters, this is that silvered blade he picked up from the elves.

Yes.

Dorgan is short. And kneeling. Which might help.

A torrent of unseeable enemy now come from everywhere! Their savage hisses and marrow-chiling claws are all around--[p Man,mail+helm,sword,shield,9,12/16]Dieter[/p] tries to hold them back with his silvered sword while [p Dwarf,mail+helm,axe,shield,9,17/24]Dorgan[/p] desperately tries to strike a spark to the tinder... and miraculously he punches a spark off his slate as the enemy tear at him all around with frigid claws!

In that briefest spark of light [p Man,mail+helm,sword,shield,9,12/16]Dieter[/p] and [p Dwarf,mail+helm,axe,shield,9,17/24]Dorgan[/p] catch an awful glimpse of a throng of black shapes and awful visages flinging themselves at them with long, outstretched arms eager to throttle the life out of them.

[p Man,mail+helm,sword,shield,9,12/16]Dieter[/p] lashes all around with his silver sword and cuts some of them down, surely. Then [p Dwarf,mail+helm,axe,shield,9,17/24]Dorgan[/p]'s spark hits tinder, ignites, and catches the inflammable oil! There is a burst of flames that shoot up to the waist of some of the black shapes nearest the Dwarf, but there seem to be three to replace each one [p Man,mail+helm,sword,shield,9,12/16]Dieter[/p] cuts down!

| The rules on space allow at most six man-sized figures to surround one man-sized opponent, so assuming our heroes occupy adjacent "hexes", then at most eight opponents can surround them.

Initiative is checked. If Dorgan wins he will strike a spark before he is subject to attacks; 1d6 heroes=4, enemies=1. A fire is lit--for a small mercy!
The ref dices to determine how many enemy are caught when the oil ignites; 1d6=4 (perhaps a bit generous, but they are crowding in...). These suffer burns to the total of 1d6=3,4,3,2 hit points.

Dieter dishes it out versus (unseen for part of the turn) normals; 4d20=18,20,10,18 (@-2 blind for part of the turn) that's 3 hits. 3d6=4,2,5.

Ref rolls some hit points for the bad guys: ?d6=??, and determines that Dieter has vanquished two of them. So eight potential attackers in the immediate vicinity are reduced to six (there are more beyond those).

Now they come.
3d20 vs Dieter (AC3/5 @+2 unseen)=6,6,20. One hit 1d4=2 (-2 str, 14 str left).
3d20 vs Dorgan (AC5 @+2 unseen)=14,7,2. One hit 1d4=2 (-2 str, 9 str left).

The oil fire is still burning, so now you can see the awful throng of shadows... what next? |

Dorgan will grab Mads Cold Iron Axe and shield, and if time allows he'll attack the... darkness?

If they can be slain, then that's Dieter's mission.

Fight on!

While the oil still burns, it's on fer young and old--or more precisely, for [p Man,mail+helm,sword,shield,9,12/16]Dieter[/p] and [p Dwarf,mail+helm,axe,shield,9,17/24]Dorgan[/p].

Dorgan will attack last this turn due to having to equip his axe. Dieter gets an initiative roll as usual...

1d6; Dieter=1, enemy=1, so simultaneous attacks.

Dieter 4d20=12,14,4,9 is two hits. 2d6=10! Ref rolls some more hit points, and determines that another black shape is cut down in the mayhem.
Attacks are simultaneous, so a total of 8 could still attack.
But let us say that our heroes use the burning oil as a barrier, so only 6 will attack.
3d20 vs Dieter (AC 3/5)=20,6,13 is one hit 1d4=4 (-4 str, 10 str left).
3d20 vs Dorgan (AC 3/5)=9,5,14 no hits! (9 str left).
Dorgan 4d20=4,4,18,2 is one hit 1d6=3 damage is soaked by the mass of them.

So all told, Dieter has destroyed three of them and hurt another. Dorgan has hurt another. The fire has hurt several others, but it will be down to its final embers next turn. There are at least a dozen of them still pressing in from all sides.

What next, O Heroes?