Emerald Lotus Tournament Play by Post

[TDS]

With the release of the Backer pdf, the Emerald Lotus Tournament has finally started.
This thread is, as you might have guessed from the title, for the fights that can't be done over Skype or IM for some reason, to avoid cluttering the main thread.

With that out of the way, I guess I'll start with the first fight, Nina the Red, wandering firewand-using bounty hunter, played by me, against Itzal Altani, played by DaWaterRat:

Nina steps onto the stone dais, not paying much attention to the shouting crowd around her. Whirling her twin flamepieces around her fingers, she gauges her opponent. "I hope you're not afraid to get burned a little."

So uh, how are we going to handle stunts? Assume a 1 point stunt at least and roll dice, then if it was judged better add the sux afterwards?

Name: Nina the Red
Concept: Wandering Bounty hunter
Player: TDS

Battle Stuff:

Flamepiece: Accuracy: 11 close range, 13 short range, 11 decisive
Damage: +13
Soak: 6
Parry: 3
Evasion: 5 (+1 against swords)
Join Battle: 7
Rush: 8
Disengage: 10

Intimacies
Principle: None can escape me - Defining
Tie: Criminals and Outlaws (Disgust) - Major
Principle: Nothing can hold me in one place too long - Major
Tie: Firewands (Passion) - Major


Attributes
Strength: 1
Dexterity: 5
Stamina: 3

Charisma: 2
Manipulation: 2
Appearances: 2

Perception: 2
Intelligence: 1
Wits: 4

Abilities
Archery: 5 (firewands)
Athletics: 3
Awareness:3
Dodge: 5 (swords)
Integrity: 3
Investigation: 1 (Bounties)
Linguistics: 3
Presence: 3
Resistance: 3
Ride: 2
Survival: 1 (deserts)

Merits
Ambidextrous 1
Fast Reflexes 3
Toxin Resistance 3
Resources 1

Flaws

Weapons
Flame Piece x 2
Tags: Lethal, Archery (Short), Flame, Mounted, One-Handed, Slow
Accuracy: 11 close range, 13 short range, 11 decisive
Damage: +13

Other Details
Willpower: 9
Essence: 1

Natural Soak: 3
Armored Soak: 3 (Buff Jacket)
Total Soak: 6
Hardness: 0
Parry: 3 (unarmed)
Evasion: 5 (+1 against swords)

Resolve: 4
Guile: 2

Health Levels
-0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -4 Incp

Bonus Points
4 on Archery, 4 on Dodge, 12 on wp, 1 on merits

[DaWaterRat]

Altani gives a half smile, her stance easy. "We're in the South. I play with fire all the time."

(Still haven't found time to stat weapons or finish specialties. Will do so tonight/tomorrow)

Itzal Altani
Wandering Martial Artist

Join Battle: 7 dice
Evasion: 5 Parry: 4 Defense: 5
Resolve: 3 Guile: 2

Soak: 2
Rush: 9
Disengage: 10

Willpower 4
Health: -0-1-1-2-2-4 Inc

Atributes:
Strength: 2 Dexterity: 5 Stamina: 2
Charisma: 2 Manipulation: 3 Appearance: 2
Perception: 2 Intelligence: 2 Wits: 3

Abilities[Collapse into a single paragraph. Bold Favored/caste]
Athletics 4
Awareness 3
Brawl 5 (Kicks)
Dodge 5
Integrity 2
Larceny 1
Linguistics 2
Medicine 2
Melee 5 (Kama)
Resistance 3
Survival 2

Merits: (7)
Fast Reflexes (3)
Ambidexterous (1)
Language: Flametounge (native)
Language: Riverspeak (1)
Quickdraw (Melee) (1)
Allies: Kirat (1)

Intimicies
To test myself against the best (Defining Principle)
The Realm is Ruin (Major Principle)
No one should have to stand alone for what’s right (Minor Principle)
Five Shadowed Mountain School (Devotion) (Major Tie)
Kirat (Fraternal Love) (Major Tie)
Uncle “Grandmaster” Pravat (Familial Love) (Minor Tie)

Bonus Points: (21)
16 to Abilities
2 on Willpower
3 on Tetriary Attributes

[TDS]

Nina replies with a half smile herself, throwing her red hair back. "Very well, let's start."
With the speed of a trained duelist, she springs into motion, raising her flamepieces, trying to get an early hit on her opponent to end the fight before it begins.

I never know how to stunt Join Battle
Well, I hope that qualifies as a one point stunt, at least. I went ahead and roll my Join Battle on rolz. I made a room here. As you can see, it didn't go exactly well... 0 successes on 9 dice. I've never seen that before...

Nina the Red
Init: 3

[Wise Old Guru]

The crowd roars as the contestants make their initial banter.

NOTE: Given the size of the raised stone dais, our contestants will begin on opposite sides of it at Medium range from one another. You can't botch Join Battle, but it looks like Altani's probably gonna act first if she rolls well. DaWaterRat, please feel free to make your Join Battle Roll and, if you get the higher starting Initiative, please feel free to declare your action for the first Round of this battle.

Altani's Initiative: TBD
Nina's Initiative: 3

[DaWaterRat]

Altani's brow furrows for a moment at the distance between herself and the flameslinger before she launches into a series of zig-zagging flips and cartwheels that are thrice tasked - First, to impress the crowd, second to close the gap between Nina and herself, and third - but most important - to make it that much harder for Nina's flamepeices to find their mark

Yeesh. Medium range gives Annie Oakley the advantage.

Altani's additional specialties are Athletics (Gymnastics) and Integrity (Poker Face)

And I'm going with Light Melee weapons for the Kama - Lethal, Melee, Piercing - since I don't feel like looking them up in 2nd ed. Let me know if you want to change them (I'd normally call them Martial Arts weapons as well, but since no one in this tournament apparently took the Martial Arts Merit and corresponding skill, I'm not going to hamstring myself that way. If you do want to rule them as Martial Arts weapons, I'm reserving the right to change my weapon choice, since I haven't attacked yet.)

Roll 7 dice - 0, 0, 9, 6, 4, 3, 2 - My dice like me tonight. Too bad it will take 2 move actions to get close enough to do anything. So starting off with a Move (reflexive action) and a Full Defense (combat action).

[TDS]

The bounty-hunter curses at her opponent's speed, trying to get a shot in on her agile opponent before she's close enough to hit back. Taking aim with her trusty flamepiece, Nina waits until her enemy is in the middle of a cartwheel before she pulls the trigger, sending a cloud of burning flamedust at her opponent. Not waiting to see if she hit, she starts falling back, hoping to keep the range open a little longer.

Going to make a withering attack at short range, then move one rangeband back, assuming there's enough space for that on the dais.
Also, paying 1 wp on the attack for an autosuccess.
Rolled 15 dice (13 accuracy at short range +2 stunt) for 5, 7, 7, 9, 3, 8, 8, 2, 8, 10, 1, 10, 3, 5, 1 plus the autosuccess from the willpower, giving me 11 successes. Guess I got my bad luck out of the way early.

[Wise Old Guru]

Altani's brow furrows for a moment at the distance between herself and the flameslinger before she launches into a series of zig-zagging flips and cartwheels that are thrice tasked - First, to impress the crowd, second to close the gap between Nina and herself, and third - but most important - to make it that much harder for Nina's flamepeices to find their mark

Yeesh. Medium range gives Annie Oakley the advantage.

Altani's additional specialties are Athletics (Gymnastics) and Integrity (Poker Face)

And I'm going with Light Melee weapons for the Kama - Lethal, Melee, Piercing - since I don't feel like looking them up in 2nd ed. Let me know if you want to change them (I'd normally call them Martial Arts weapons as well, but since no one in this tournament apparently took the Martial Arts Merit and corresponding skill, I'm not going to hamstring myself that way. If you do want to rule them as Martial Arts weapons, I'm reserving the right to change my weapon choice, since I haven't attacked yet.)

Roll 7 dice - 0, 0, 9, 6, 4, 3, 2 - My dice like me tonight. Too bad it will take 2 move actions to get close enough to do anything. So starting off with a Move (reflexive action) and a Full Defense (combat action).

I'm fine with those tags for your Kama. And as to the starting distance, it's not quite as much of an advantage as it first appears: the maximum range on those flamepieces is only Short, and they've got the Slow tag which means only two shots before our gunslinger's gotta reload, which takes an action and therefore means flurry penalties if she wants to get anything else done. You might get roasted on the way in if you charge her...but if you can get in close, I'm guessing she's gonna experience some trouble. Enjoy your +2 Defense!

[DaWaterRat]

The bounty-hunter curses at her opponent's speed, trying to get a shot in on her agile opponent before she's close enough to hit back. Taking aim with her trusty flamepiece, Nina waits until her enemy is in the middle of a cartwheel before she pulls the trigger, sending a cloud of burning flamedust at her opponent. Not waiting to see if she hit, she starts falling back, hoping to keep the range open a little longer.

Going to make a withering attack at short range, then move one rangeband back, assuming there's enough space for that on the dais.
Also, paying 1 wp on the attack for an autosuccess.
Rolled 15 dice (13 accuracy at short range +2 stunt) for 5, 7, 7, 9, 3, 8, 8, 2, 8, 10, 1, 10, 3, 5, 1 plus the autosuccess from the willpower, giving me 11 successes. Guess I got my bad luck out of the way early.

Okay, quick question for Wise Old Guru - I'm not used to declaring my own even level 1 stunts as such, so if you'll allow it, I'd like to retroactively do so for Altani's tumbling routine and get an extra +1 for defense

If not, I understand.

Either way Nina hits, for either 3 or 4 net successes.

Altani has a Soak of 2, and I'm really praying for a bad roll.

[TDS]

The flame-blast hits Altani despite her valiant effort at dodging, the burning dust engulfing the poor, unarmoured Martial Artist.

Going to assume you get your +1 defence, so 3 net successes.
3 threshold successes+13 damage-2 soak = 14 damage dice.
I rolled 2, 7, 10, 8, 9, 8, 9, 6, 1, 3, 5, 5, 10, 6, for 9 init damage. I'm pretty sure that crashes you, putting me at 3 (old init)+9(won init)+1(landing a withering attack)+5(crash bonus)=18 Initiative.

[Wise Old Guru]

Ouch! A gout of flame engulfs the bounty hunter, leaving her singed. Her eyes and lungs are full of acrid smoke, and she's coughing.

TDS, the farthest distance you can get from your opponent on this dais is Medium. Altani came halfway across it to get to Nina. Nina can back away-but if she does she's going off the dais into the crowd (an unfriendly battlegroup). You can keep moving around her in a circle, but since she's in the center of the dais the farthest you can get from her without moving out into the crowd is currently Short range. Unless you can force her back to the other side of the dais from you, you're not gonna get to Medium again.

Round 2: Fight!
Nina's Initiative: 18
Altani's Initiative: -2 (Crashed: No decisive attacks for you!)

EDIT: While I wouldn't run it this way at my own table, I'm fine with you guys declaring 1 die stunts for yourselves in this combat just to keep things flowing faster. You're supposed to be able to manage them on most actions, after all. That said, no declaring 2 or 3 die stunts. I'll be the judge of those. And they'll be a bit difficult to manage, I suspect-you're sort of on a big flat stone square. There's not much stunt fodder available here.

[DaWaterRat]

Wait -6? I rolled 2 10's and a 9 - isn't that 5, plus 3 is 8, minus 9 successes is -1

I'm re-reading the book, but I don't think the bonus for putting Altani in crash comes from Altani's initiative, unless I'm missing something else (which is possible. It's tech week. I'm amazed I'm this coherent)

[TDS]

I think it should be -2, actually. A full defence action costs 1 Initiative.

[Wise Old Guru]

Wait -6? I rolled 2 10's and a 9 - isn't that 5, plus 3 is 8, minus 9 successes is -1

I'm re-reading the book, but I don't think the bonus for putting Altani in crash comes from Altani's initiative, unless I'm missing something else (which is possible. It's tech week. I'm amazed I'm this coherent)

You're right. I misread that section. It seemed low to me as well, I'm glad it wasn't that easy to get that big a first-strike advantage without surprising your opponent. Edited!

[DaWaterRat]

Okay, so yes, I'm at -2, still crashed, just not that bad. I believe it is Nina's turn.

[TDS]

Grinning as her opponent is staggered by her blast Nina quickly raises her other flamewand and fires another blast of flamedust, trying to get her enemy even more off-balance before she hurriedly pushes some new flamedust in her other weapon.

New round, and since I have higher init I get to go first. I'll flurry a withering attack with my second flamewand with a reload action. So -3 to my attack and -1 Defence for a turn, but you're at a -1 Onslaught Penalty from my last attack.
Rolling 12 dice (13 accuracy -3 Flurry +2 Stunt), getting 4, 10, 1, 5, 1, 9, 8, 8, 9, 3, 2, 8 for 7 Successes. Seems like dice want to apologise for that Join Battle roll . Does that hit, too?

Nina:
Init 18
WP 8/9
-1 Defence Penalty at the moment
One Firewand loaded, one not
-0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -4 Incp
Short distance from Altani