Re: Current play?
 

Note that the giant side also had a ST 20 gargoyle. So, it was 2 fighters plus a 4 hex dragon plus a nuisance creature vs. 2 fighters plus a ST 30 giant plus a ST 20 gargoyle. That must come somewhat closer to even in your gonkulations.
Anyway, this is one of those situations where I'm more interested in figuring things out at the table than in the rule book or firepower calculation. Actually, that's how I feel about all matchups in this game.

The fact that a slime can't be hurt under normal arena combat situations is what makes it interesting; how do you deal with a threat like that? It's easily avoided when you don't have a distraction. But what about when you do? And, there is no rule that says it is immune to push back or forced retreat, so it is possible to force it into one of the many pits on the map (though of course it could climb back out eventually...).

Re: Current play?
 

I had a dramatic situation arise recently in a solo dungeon generator. It was on the Wizard map with obstacles to form a one mega hex wide "corridor" connecting the entrances.

The three fighters in the party were down to about half their hit points. Their goblin wizard was unhurt, with a ST of 9 or 10. They were entering their last room for the day, which if conquered would allow them rest and extra healing overnight.

For this room's opposition I drew a party of three veteran orcs. They would have been an even match for the three fighters I had, but they were fresh and my guys were wounded. Although, my side had a wizard.

Turn 2: The fighters meet with a clash of pole weapons. My first guy drops his halberd (oops!) and the orc rolls double damage with his spear. No more halberd guy.
My second guy misses with his charge attack, and the other two orcs bring him down on that turn.

The goblin casts blur on his remaining comrade who has been hanging back due to heavy wounds and light armor.

Turns 3 and 4: My last fighter succumbs to the twin demons of light armor and missed DX rolls. The goblin is left with mostly defensive spells and no front line fighter to cast them on.

Turn 5: The goblin doesn't have enough juice to fireball all three of the orcs, so he grips his staff, decides to summon a Myrmidon to guard his flank, and prepares to die. At that moment the gods take interest in his fate and he rolls a 3 vs his DX for the summoning spell. Triple Damage, or in this case three Myrmidon warriors. They eliminate the orcs in a brief and brutal exchange, with the wizard delivering the final blow with his staff.

A wise man once wrote, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find you get what you need."

Re: Current play?
 

Epic! One of the reasons why TFT is brilliant at low to moderate power levels is the role the dice play in the way the scene unfolds. There are good and bad starting odds, but you just never know what is going to happen...

Re: Current play?
 

Yes. The stakes feel higher when the risk is real. But even given that, the GM doesn't have to bow to dice or the rules if they don't conform to the story she wants to tell.

One of our first principles when I was a GM was that the players don't really know the "rules" of the world. We used the printed rules as guidelines so they knew mostly what to expect. After all, the characters were from the game world, but they didn't have complete knowledge.

Re: Current play?
 

I ran a 1 hour Death Test foray at lunch today with three co-workers. We completed the first room (spiders!) and had to stop on the second. Some questions came up.

1. One of the figures got into hand-to-hand combat with a bear. He died. However, in the process of dying (HTH with bear, above) he wished to fight defensively. I said yes at the time because we were in the middle of it and, why not? (He died anyway!) Is this legal? Can you fight defensively in HTH?

1.a. Follow up to 1, above. If a figure and a bear are in HTH, do the other figures get +4 to hit the bear? +2? Anything?

2. If your MA is 7, how many hexes can you move and still attack? I think it's 3, and we played it that way. This is really a question about rounding, I suppose. Do we always round down?

3. What happens when a bear (or giant snake, or a slime, etc.) rolls an 18? Does it break a claw? How does an animal/monster drop and/or break its weapon if it's not carrying a weapon?

Thanks! Love this game. :)

Re: Current play?
 

HI Carl, if you're using TFT, the options list (p102-103) gives available options, and if you're in HTH you are very limited: HTH attack, try to disengage, or try to draw a HTH weapon. So no "defend" action.

Yes, since HTH figures are on the ground, everyone in and out of the HTH battle gets +4 to attack them (p 117)

Right again, the rules say half your MA or less

I don't think this is explicitly covered, or for the unarmed combat skills. Our starting point has tended to be that built-in weapons are immune to drop and break. As in, Drop Weapon and Break Weapon spells on a bear or martial artist would be useless, and similarly, rolling 17/18 is an auto miss with no other effect.

Us too! Hope this helps

Re: Current play?
 

Good advice above. Note that standing combatants next to a bear in HTH will have a +4 to hit the bear, but also put their compatriot at risk (I don't have my rule book at hand, but I think you have to roll to miss when striking into HTH).

How did you end up with an MA of 7?? I can't think off-hand of a combination of race/species, talents and gear that gives you that. Maybe through the encumbrance rules?

Re: Current play?
 

We have been playing basically standard Melee/Wizard battles, with a skeleton plotline. Melee battles use the same two heroes and Wizard battles use the same two Wizards. I lost three heroes in battle and my wife lost one. In the last game we played (game 13), the wizards sought out the heroes and they fought together. Now they are a full adventuring party, and are ready to begin some actual adventuring.

Re: Current play?
 

If you're new to the system, or easing yourself back into it, that's a great approach. The game is seriously fun as a gladiatorial skirmish system, so it's hardly a punishment to just focus on that side of things for a few sessions until you have it all down. The roleplaying game will always be there waiting for you when you are ready!

Re: Current play?
 

Re: Animals rolling an 18 (drop/break weapon) in combat:

I had this come up in a battle I played out between a pack of wolves and two armed and armored humans (it went poorly for the humans). I think in future I'll treat it as the animal getting a mouthful/pawful of something unpleasant--biting down on hard armor, or swiping at a blade--and reacting badly. Basically, it loses an action as it reacts to the pain/surprise. Not quite the same as having to pick up a dropped weapon or try to draw a new one, but close enough.