(079) What a Gnome Knows

[waysoftheearth]

The players prepare for combat. So be it.
Wetzel, Zax, Karl, Gerhard, Akbar, and The Herald are here. Please await my high-tech mud map for general disposition...

[waysoftheearth]

Mudmap is like so:

  Code:

.   .   .   .   .   .   .
                    Enemies   
.   .   #  #.   . approaching
        #  #        /    
. # . ##.   ##  .# /.   .
#  # #       *# #  #     
.#  ##  .   . ##  # .   .
  #  #    (A) #  #       
.  #. (G)   .   #   .   .
    #     (Z)  #         
.   #(H). (K)  #.   .   .
    #       (W)#         
.   #   .   .  #.   .   .
    #          #         
.   .#* .   . # .   .   .
      ##    ##           
.   .   #  #.   .   .   .
        #  #  ~7ft wide          
.   .   #  #.  passage .
        #  #             
.   .   . | .   .   .   .
          L--> to        
.   .   .   . sunlight  .

(K) Karl, (Z) Zax, (W) Wetzel, (A) Akbar, (G) Gerhard, (H) The Herald.
* Torches

The "ambush intersection" itself is approximately 20-25ft broad.
The four tunnels coming into it are approximately 7ft wide, and are "twisty" rather than straight.
I have intentionally not marked any direction as being north.

[flightcommander]

Akbar would ideally choose to move to a vantage point where his mighty arbalest could be used to greatest effect, before laying into the unfriendlies with his hand axe.

[sirravd]

Gerhard wastes no time in retreating to the back of the engagement.

[waysoftheearth]

Nobody has eye-balled the enemy, so it's time to dice up the enemies.

FYI, in the interest of time saving, I'm not going to religiously relay every individual dice roll of the entire combat in the ooc as I have done previously. You'll will get some key ooc info, and an in character summary of the action of course.

Good luck!

[sully]

The Herald tightens his grip on his weapon and awaits the moment to strike!

The Herald makes sure to hide enough that he doesn't ruin the ambush.

[waysoftheearth]

The goblin troop thunders down the tunnel with a yell! Zax, Wetzel, Karl, and Akbar fire their missiles as soon as the goblins come into view. Two are dropped on the front rank and trampled underfoot, but the rest are far are too close to be stopped now and seven of them come crashing into the players. Wetzel's helmet is struck off, and both he and Gerhard take serious blows (6 and 5 hp, respectively) in the suddenly fierce fighting. It's gritty, close quarter action, but within a minute of brutal blows, our hardened fighters have cut down five more goblins, leaving but two (including the sergeant) alive and looking none too confident now. Clearly the fighters had their mail coats to thank for their success!

The ref dices for numbers; 3d6=9, so it's 9 hobgoblins, including a sergeant.

Missile Segment
Zax, Wetzel, Karl, and Akbar fire their missiles at short range; The Herald and Gerhard have none.
'Tis a pity nobody thought to hurl a fire bomb but none the less, there are two hits for 11 hp damage. Two hobgoblins are dropped in the rush.

Melee Segment
The Hobgoblins covered more than half a move to engage, so there's only time for one round of melee. Generally the attacker is assumed to have the initiative unless the defender has a reason to offset the attacker's advantage (uphill or setting spears, etc.). In this case the players (other than The Herald and Gerhard) need to change weapons after firing, so the goblins will attack first. The Herald and Gerhard get to dice for initiative (1d6 players=1, goblins=5), but are caught out too.

Six hobgoblins plus the sergeant attack, so seven attacks: 19, 15, 11, 17, 14, 13, 7.
Targeted at (1=Zax, 2=Wetzel, 3=Karl, 4=Akbar, 5=Herald, 6=Gerhard: 3, 4, 3, 3, 5, 6, 5.
So that's 19, 11, 17 vs Wetzel, 15 vs Akbar, 14, 7 vs Herald, 13 vs Gerhard.
Wetzel (AC 3/5 is hit twice for 2d6 =6,5 so 11 hp. The first hit cracks his helm off, for 1 hp dam. The second hit is for 5hp, so he takes a total of 6 hp, reducing him to 1 of 7 hp.
Akbar (AC 3/5) is not hit.
The Herald (AC 3/5) is not hit.
Gerhard (AC 9/9?) is hit once for 1d6=5, reducing him to 1 of 6 hp.

The players retaliate:
4 man+1: 17, 13, 7, 7 and 2 men: 14, 17, so four hits. 4d6=5, 5, 6, 3. That's hard core; five hobgoblins are slain, only two remain.

Morale Check: 2d6=6 (uncertain result, so can be checked again).

What for next turn (very possibly a combat turn)?

[acodispo]

Once again finding himself covered in blood, some of it his own, little Wetzel snarls and shakes his spear!

"Throw down your weapons or die!" he grates at the surviving enemies.

He puts on a brave show, but perhaps the tremor in his spear arm is weakness & not anger.

If the offer of surrender isn't accepted, Wetzel, fearing for his life, chooses to parry for the next round, crouching behind his shield and beating aside incoming blows with his spear.

[Tonneau]

Zax does not parley with greenskins (at least those without significant stores of quality ale). He lays into the remaining pair with his ice-pick.

[coffee]

Karl presses the attack.