(01) The Approach

[Tonneau]

Did Wraist use his spell yet?

Wraislin apologizes for the lack of arcane fire spewing from his fingertips and reaping barbeque death, but he has been trying to find time to ascertain the range of the small arsenal of spells he has memorized in his gargantuan brain. A sleep could possibly remove the issue of imminent crossbow death for potential liftees, and a charm person might help with some chaos, both otherwise options seem limited.

[ehiker133]

Tass, Goldwen, and Witherun have arrived at the front of the near-side moat house, and are there with Wraislin.
Do you want Golden to run through the near-side arch, past Thanis, and out onto "target practice bridge" to join the three already there?

lol, no. Unless, just like attacking the swamp castle in MPTHG, she can quickly slash the neck of the guard with the hiccups and run past before the other guard can even respond!

Otherwise, she will stop running and take cover to make herself not such an obvious target for the crossbowmen.

[sully]

I'm in favor of trying to Sleep the crossbowmen and then attempt to lift the portcullis... but I appreciate it's not my PC putting himself in harm's way to cast a spell! Are the crossbowmen still within arrow range?

[mgtremaine]

Tass looks past the arch and shakes his head "That's a killing zone, let's not do that."

[Tonneau]

Wraislin assesses his chances of a successful employment of his scroll of Sleep on the guards behind the portcullis.

That is, without becoming a pin cushion

[rredmond]

Can the MU crouch behind Garamon and his shield? I think I could suffer a pin or two. Not three but maybe two.

[waysoftheearth]

Are the crossbowmen still within arrow range?

They are within range, but line of sight is the issue. Thanis would have to shoot between Stern, Garamon, and Flin, then through the portcullis and into the archway/tunnel to hit the men hidden there. A decent chance of hitting friends in the back...

Wraislin assesses his chances of a successful employment of his scroll of Sleep on the guards behind the portcullis.| That is, without becoming a pin cushion |

The official range of the sleep spell is 24". By the miracle of 1974 rules ground scales, that makes it 240 yards outdoors. The bridge itself isn't half that long, so they are well within range. The glorious thing about this situation is that sleep will (like it or not) affect 4-14 normal types. Ordinarily, there is a risk of affecting friendlies too, but because Garamon, Stern, and Flin are all hero-tier, there is no risk they will be affected!

Can the MU crouch behind Garamon and his shield?

In theory he could, but Wraislin is still at the near moathouse, whereas Garamon has run all the way across the bridge to be at the gate of the far moathouse. So... Wraislin would have to run all the way across the bridge to get there... which doesn't seem very likely when he can simply throw his spell from afar

[Tonneau]

Wraislin mumbles something derogatory about muscleheads as he sets down his pack and extracts from it a leather scroll case. From this, he cautiously withdraws a sheaf of papers which he shuffles through (dropping some) and finally pulls a single, bent, parchment.

He begins to read aloud from the parchment, his words cryptic and thick, and seeming to hang in the air before wafting toward the opposite gatehouse where the crossbowmen huddle.

Wraislin reluctantly employs his Sleep scroll.

[ehiker133]

Wraislin mumbles something derogatory about muscleheads as he sets down his pack and extracts from it a leather scroll case. From this, he cautiously withdraws a sheaf of papers which he shuffles through (dropping some) and finally pulls a single, bent, parchment.

He begins to read aloud from the parchment, his words cryptic and thick, and seeming to hang in the air before wafting toward the opposite gatehouse where the crossbowmen huddle.

This is SOOOO much better than "Wraistlin casts a sleep spell from a scroll." It's a true joy to have you in the game, Tonneau. Thank you.

[waysoftheearth]

Wraislin begins to call forth his spell as the two ranks of crossbowmen let fly another volley of missiles that punch into Stern, Garamon and Flin---breaking on their armor and splinters flying off in all directions---as they hesitate mere strides from the portcullis gate. Alas, Stern is pieced by two bolts that wedge between the plates of his armor.

Then, by Wraislin's enraptured asseverations, an insidious palsy arises from his scroll as that crumbles--unnoticed--to ashes between his fingers, and momentarily gathers as a ghastly stilt-limbed shadow that crosses the distance to the crossbowmen with frightening speed to engulf them, invading their mouths, eyes, and nostrils to squeeze their piteous minds. The military men drop to the ground where they stood, every one of them, as if life had been suddenly stripped from them all.

And then, for a moment, the quiet babble of the murky water passing lazily under the bridge is the only sound to be heard...

The ref decides that firing crossbows is quicker that finding and reading a spell scroll, so the crossbowmen will get their shots off before Wraislin's spell lands. No affirmative action from Stern, Garamon or Flin, so they will be caught flat-footed in the cross-fire.

8 crossbowmen (THAC2 17): 8d20=3,3,2,20,16,7,13. The 13 would hit AC 6, but even Flin's AC is 5, so it's 2 potential hits.
Who is targeted? 1-2=Garamon, 3-4=Stern, 5-6=Flin. 2d6=3,4 so it's Stern (AC3). That's two hits. 2d6=2,4 so 6 hp damage; 10 of 16 hp remaining.
Flin and Stern have now taken two crossbow hits apiece.

Now Wraislin's spell lands... how many normals will be affected? 2d6+2=6,4,+2=12! That's a high roll, and enough to get all 10 remaining men.

For all intents and purposes, the bridge combat is over... what now?