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Old 04-18-2019, 08:58 AM   #1
hcobb
 
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pacheco, California
Default Slaughtering Fencers with crossbows

I setup a scenario where a fencer is supposed to be a big challenge and the players took care of the the problem with one figure defending while the others poured in crossbow fire.

I've modified the fencer by giving him Shield Expertise, but this doesn't help much.

How do you keep big bad fencers or martial artists from getting slaughtered by missile weapons the first turn they're engaged by a defend-only anchor and so have to drop their dodge?

Note that I just want solutions under the rules as written rather than a house rule.
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Old 04-18-2019, 09:01 AM   #2
Chris Rice
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: London Uk, but originally from Scotland
Default Re: Slaughtering Fencers with crossbows

Quote:
Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
I setup a scenario where a fencer is supposed to be a big challenge and the players took care of the the problem with one figure defending while the others poured in crossbow fire.

I've modified the fencer by giving him Shield Expertise, but this doesn't help much.

How do you keep big bad fencers or martial artists from getting slaughtered by missile weapons the first turn they're engaged by a defend-only anchor and so have to drop their dodge?
Terrain. Allies. The usual.
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Old 04-18-2019, 09:30 AM   #3
larsdangly
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Default Re: Slaughtering Fencers with crossbows

It is hard to say without knowing a little more about the constraints of the scenario you have set up. Is the idea that the fencer is alone and fighting two or more foes, one of whom has a crossbow, in an open arena?
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Old 04-18-2019, 09:52 AM   #4
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Slaughtering Fencers with crossbows

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Originally Posted by larsdangly View Post
It is hard to say without knowing a little more about the constraints of the scenario you have set up. Is the idea that the fencer is alone and fighting two or more foes, one of whom has a crossbow, in an open arena?
Yes, here is the fencer so far. He is a loner up against a party of scholars.

Goblin Wight(ITL 84) Hero Gadzukk Age:31+53 ST:9 DX:14 IQ:13 MA:10
Rapier(1d+1 for fencer), Small Shield(1+1 for expertise) Punch(1d-2/1d-1), Drain Strength touch, immunity to normal weapons
Climbing, Fencer, Goblinish, Knife, Literacy, Naturalist, Shield, Shield Expertise, Sword, Tracking, Unarmed Combat I
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Old 04-18-2019, 10:26 AM   #5
HeatDeath
 
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Default Re: Slaughtering Fencers with crossbows

I believe the historical solution to that problem [soldiers with missile weapons slaughtering soldiers without missile weapons] was ultimately inventing tanks. [The historical response to that, of course, was better artillery and strike aircraft.]

Last edited by HeatDeath; 04-18-2019 at 10:34 AM.
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Old 04-18-2019, 10:43 AM   #6
Michele
 
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Location: Udine, Italy
Default Re: Slaughtering Fencers with crossbows

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Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
Yes, here is the fencer so far. He is a loner up against a party of scholars.
Frankly you can't expect him to survive against many crossbowmen. It's the realistic result.

A lucky fencer having to deal with one melee opponent and one or at most two crossbowmen who are firstly scholars (and therefore not that good with those crossbows) might make it. He'd keep the melee opponent between himself and the crossbowmen, and try to force the latter to fire their one bolt hurriedly. There is even a possibility that they hit their ally in the back, or at least that they miss.
Once the crossbows are useless, the fencer will despatch the melee fighter, and then in short order the two others as they desperately try to reload.
But he'd need to be lucky with two crossbows. Three is already too many.
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Old 04-18-2019, 11:40 AM   #7
larsdangly
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Default Re: Slaughtering Fencers with crossbows

I wasn't expecting that! I'll have to say, you get full marks on creativity. As for the outcome of your fights, all I can say is that unarmored combatants aren't really safe in open fights against gangs of well armed people. Perhaps you can get away with that sort of thing in D+D, but in TFT it's a non starter. Maybe give your goblin weight fencer Running talent or a flight spell for a quick get away?
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Old 04-18-2019, 11:58 AM   #8
Skarg
 
Join Date: May 2015
Default Re: Slaughtering Fencers with crossbows

Michele's answer is correct.

However I would add:

* Wights are immune to non-magical attacks, so there's no real problem unless they have magic.

* You asked for a RAW answer, and "Branded" crossbow bolts are not RAW, so that won't pass as magical weapons.

* If the warriors engaging the Wight don't have magic weapons, the Wight can invoke "you don't engage me because you can't hurt me" and run past them to kill the crossbowmen.

* It Wight has high IQ, and should use that to act intelligently, not just in combat, but before (and during the approach to) combat, avoiding wide-open encounters with any ranged weapons that can hurt it.

* If a human (or Wight faced with magic projectiles) faces inferior melee fighters backed up by crossbows, they should try to choose terrain and hexes within that terrain that deny line of fire to the crossbows, arranging for the terrain (trees, pillars, walls, tall rocks, darkness, etc) to prevent them just being shot.
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Old 04-18-2019, 12:21 PM   #9
HeatDeath
 
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Default Re: Slaughtering Fencers with crossbows

This is why medieval Japan banned gunpowder. It's just completely unbalancing that a small gang of 32 point noobs with 2 weeks training can trivially off a noble samurai with 20+ years experience.
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Old 04-18-2019, 12:47 PM   #10
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Slaughtering Fencers with crossbows

In Europe too, crossbows were considered unchivalrous and a threat to the social order.
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