04-18-2019, 08:58 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pacheco, California
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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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04-18-2019, 09:01 AM | #2 | |
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: London Uk, but originally from Scotland
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Re: Slaughtering Fencers with crossbows
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04-18-2019, 09:30 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Dec 2017
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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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04-18-2019, 09:52 AM | #4 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pacheco, California
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Re: Slaughtering Fencers with crossbows
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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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04-18-2019, 10:26 AM | #5 |
Join Date: May 2012
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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. |
04-18-2019, 10:43 AM | #6 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Udine, Italy
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Re: Slaughtering Fencers with crossbows
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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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04-18-2019, 11:40 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Dec 2017
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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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04-18-2019, 11:58 AM | #8 |
Join Date: May 2015
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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. |
04-18-2019, 12:21 PM | #9 |
Join Date: May 2012
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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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04-18-2019, 12:47 PM | #10 |
Join Date: May 2015
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Re: Slaughtering Fencers with crossbows
In Europe too, crossbows were considered unchivalrous and a threat to the social order.
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