03: High Spirits
----You can always identify rhetorical and literary patterns in the works of others when reading or listening to them.
----After performing a check to interpret or create a play on words (such as a Composition [Air] check to write a poem with a perfectly executed poetic pun or a Performance [Air] check to subtly imply something to your audience via a double meaning), you remove 3 strife.
Each of the ronin are armed but none of them are pulling weapons, seeming to be happy with their fists. You will all be facing off against a single ronin.
Ok, this is our first proper Skirmish. During a Skirmish characters will act in order of initiative, from highest to lowest, with ties being broken by PC's (in the event of a tie between PC's the character with the highest honor score will go first). So to start off we'll need an Initiative check, can everyone please make a TN 1 Tactics check, the ring you use for the check will determine the Stance you will start the battle in (see below) and your Initiative score will be equal to any bonus successes you get plus your characters Vigilance equal to your Vigilance if you fail the check, if you pass it will be equal to your Vigilance plus 1 for succeeding plus an amount equal to any bonus successes on the Tactics check.
Result: 1. (1 Opp), 2. (1 expl success) + (1 Opp), 3. (1 expl succ +1 strife) +(1 succ + 1 Opp). I'll take 2 and 3, so 3 successes, 1 Strife, 2 Opportunity
Rolls
Air 2, Tactics 1 - (2d6, 1d12)
2d6 : (36) = 9
1d12 : (12) = 12
Explosive - (1d6, 1d12)
1d6 : (3) = 3
1d12 : (10) = 10
Rolls
void:2 tactics:0 - (2d6)
(22) = 4
Initiative Track
Kashita - 6!
Yoshi - 2
Aki - ?
That's a total Initiative of 3
Rolls
Tactics 0, Fire 3 - (3D6)
(531) = 9
Kashita - The Ronin you are fighting seems to be favoring one leg which you adjust your stance to take account of
Kashita - 6
Ronin - 4
Aki - 3
Yoshi - 2
You are all currently unarmed so could attack with your fists or try to kick the ronin using the Strike action (see below) or try to ready a weapon of some sort (improvised or otherwise). Those of you who have Opportunities from your initiative check can spend one to ready a weapon (either an improvised one or could say you had a boken (practice sword) in the possessions you brought with you).
Sequence for a round in a Skirmish is first you choose whether you are staying in your current stance (in this case it is whatever Ring you used on the Initiative check) or changing to a different Stance. Then you can Move and perform an Action (in either order). I've noted the Strike action below, other Skirmish Actions are listed on page 263 of the rule book but if you don't have access to it just tell me what you are thinking of doing and I'll give the details of the Action that seems most appropriate.
Kashita is up first.
Activation: As an Attack action using one readied weapon, you may make a TN 2 Martial Arts check using the appropriate skill for the weapon (such as Unarmed for fists) targeting one character within the range of the weapon. In this scene, your foe will always be within range.
Effects: If you succeed, you deal damage to the target equal to the weapon’s base damage plus your bonus successes. You may also spend 2 x Opportunities to deal a critical strike on your opponent with a severity equal to your weapons deadliness
Result: 2 successes, 1 Strife
Rolls
Air 2, Unarmed 0
1 Success, 1 Advantage
Total: 1 Success, 1 Advantage
Woops, - (2d6)
(61) = 7
Explosive - (1d6)
(5) = 5
That attack deals 2 damage to the ronin. They are wearing no armor and have no other means of reducing the damage. As they are not Incapacitated they will instinctively defend (twisting to reduce the impact) taking 2 fatigue in the process. As their Endurance score is 5 they do not become Incapacitated (you need to get an opponents Fatigue above their Endurance for them to become Incapacitated)
Hope that's clear (has taken me a bit to get it straight in my head). Feel free to ask any questions if there's any part of that which doesn't make sense.
I'm going to roll for the Ronin below and then narrate what happens in a separate post.
Rolls
Martial Arts - Unarmed (Fire) vs Aki - (2d6, 1d12)
2d6 : (11) = 2
1d12 : (1) = 1
Martial Arts - Unarmed (Fire) vs Kashita - (2d6, 1d12)
2d6 : (15) = 6
1d12 : (7) = 7
Martial Arts - Unarmed (Fire) vs Yoshi - (2d6, 1d12)
2d6 : (24) = 6
1d12 : (9) = 9
On Aki: Ring dice - 1(Blank) 1(Blank), Skill Die - 1(Blank)
On Kashita: Ring dice - 1(Blank) 5(Success), Skill Die - 7(Success and Strife)
On Yoshi: Ring dice - 2(Opportunity and Strife) 4(Success and Strife), Skill Die - 9(Success)
TN for the Strike action to hit is 2.
On Aki the Ronin get's nothing regardless on how many dice they keep so it's a miss.
On Kashita whilst the Ronin could keep dice for two successes their TN for the Strike is increased by 1 due to Kashita being in Air stance so they cannot hit them (as the Strife only count as bonus successes if the attack hits). They will keep the Ring die with the single success.
On Yoshi they will keep all of the dice to get a total of 1 x Opportunity, 2 x Strife, and 2 x Successes. So that meets the TN and does 1 base damage, due to them being in Fire Stance that get's increased to 3 damage due to the kept Strife and they will use the Opportunity to activate their 'Sit down child!' ability which knocks Yoshi down. They need to spend their Movement on their next action to stand and suffer 1 Strife from the embarrassment. As Yoshi has no way to reduce the damage they will take 3 fatigue as they try to defend against it.
Ronin Condition Track
Ronin on Aki: 0 fatigue (5 Endurance), 0 strife (6 Composure)
Ronin on Kashita: 2 fatigue (5 Endurance), 0 strife (6 Composure)
Ronin on Yoshi: 0 fatigue (5 Endurance), 2 strife (6 Composure)
Aki and Yoshi to go....
so I need 2 success: success and strife + exploding and strife
For critical justice, I need two opportunities, but my strife will be maxed then...so I'll use both single opportunities to breath and recover strife.
How do abilities work? I've got this Blood of the Kami that gives an extra opportunity on unnarmed combat. If that is for each unnamerd attack, then I could use the 2 opportunities for critical and take one strife on top of what I did.
Rolls
Earth: 3 Martial Arts (Unarmed): 1 - (3d6, 1d12)
3d6 : (346) = 13
1d12 : (5) = 5
explode - (1d6, RA)
(2) = 2
Rolls
Fire 3, Unarmed 0 - (3D6)
(515) = 11
As your attack just met the TN you only do the base damage of 1 for using your fist and again as the Ronin does not have any way to reduce the damage they take 1 x fatigue.
Ronin Condition Track
Ronin on Aki: 0 fatigue (5 Endurance), 0 strife (6 Composure)
Ronin on Kashita: 2 fatigue (5 Endurance), 0 strife (6 Composure)
Ronin on Yoshi: 1 fatigue (5 Endurance), 2 strife (6 Composure)
Aki to go....
Ronin Condition Track
Ronin on Aki: 1 fatigue (5 Endurance), 0 strife (6 Composure)
Ronin on Kashita: 2 fatigue (5 Endurance), 0 strife (6 Composure)
Ronin on Yoshi: 1 fatigue (5 Endurance), 2 strife (6 Composure)
Kashita to go....
I could eventually decrease my strife with the Blood of the Kami ability, but I'm not sure how that works...
I could eventually decrease my strife with the Blood of the Kami ability, but I'm not sure how that works...
The Blood of the Kami adds an extra ring die to your pool showing 1 x Opportunity result (so you don't roll it) you can then decide whether you want it to be one of your kept dice or not but you still can't exceed your ring value in kept dice (not including extra dice from Explosive Successes though)
Rolls
Air 2, Unarmed 0 - (1d6, 1d6)
1d6 : (6) = 6
1d6 : (6) = 6
Explosive - (1d6, 1d6)
1d6 : (6) = 6
1d6 : (6) = 6
Explosive - (1d6, 1d6)
1d6 : (5) = 5
1d6 : (6) = 6
Explosive - (1d6)
(3) = 3