Bay 12 Games Forum

What if we want to leave it unrestricted and leave the crit bonus at 30? What kind of poll is this?

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

The Solar Brethren got a contract to hunt down some beasts that had been attacking a village at night. The difficulty was rated at two skulls; challenging, but most likely doable. The village didn't have much in the way of equipment or potential recruits, so the ten-man-strong band, slightly battered but in relatively good spirits, set off.

It happened in broad daylight, in the middle of an open field. With a ragged howl, a pack of eight direwolves rushed the Solar Brethren with bloodlust in their eyes. We barely had time to get into formation - four shieldbrothers in front, four polearms behind them, and a couple of archers on the flanks - before the first of the beasts were already in our faces. That direwolf was the first to die, a concerted effort by three brothers taking it down, but the others weren't far behind. The archers did what they could, aiming for the densest clusters but scoring little damage.

I suppose I should tell you about direwolves. They're fast; no man alive can keep up with one - or run away if he's being hunted. They use their claws and their fangs to attack, so quickly they can strike two blows in the time it takes a mere man to strike one. While they wear no armor, their matted hides and thick skins serve quite well at repelling an untrue blow.

Worst of all, however, is their pack mentality. Direwolves aren't like undead. They won't happily throw themselves into your shieldwall and get hacked to pieces. While a few of them will take the direct route to attack, try to distract you, the others will circle around and try to find a vulnerable place to begin the slaughter.

That's exactly what this bunch did. The spearbrothers did what they could to repel them, but before anyone could do more than blink we were completely surrounded, the archers trapped in melee and unable to fire. At the time I had cursed myself for a fool - why hadn't I given them hand weapons?! - but looking back I honestly don't think it would have made a bit of difference.

The northernmost shieldbrother died first. A good man with a cleaver as I recall, he had very nearly as many kills to his name as he had battles, and he was no slouch with his shield. It didn't help him. With two quick strikes, his opponent ripped his throat out and left him bleeding on the ground.

After that, it mostly becomes a blur. With one man dead, the rest of the direwolves were free to press their attack. Tighten the noose, as it were. Brother after brother fell screaming, the ones still on their feet too shaken to score any clean hits on the beasts tearing their comrades to shreds.

That was when Haspen the Cruel fell. Poor, brave Haspen. He was the last of the original Brethren, the man who had served me the longest. Brothers came and went, but Haspen seemed to be eternal. He stood firm against undead, he sneered in the faces of brigands as he killed them, he boasted of wanting to seek out and fight the greenskins. And then he had to get his guts ripped open by a goddamn pack of goddamn direwolves.

We broke. It was too much to handle, and it was far, far too late. We scattered in all directions, perhaps hoping that the beasts would be content with the very fine meal they had brought down already, but of course they weren't. Direwolves never seem to be satisfied. The last of the brothers were brought down, their struggles quickly ended. I myself only managed to escape by covering myself with blood and playing dead, and even then the damn beast nearest me took a chunk out of my leg. Eventually the wolves wandered off, perhaps lured by the scent of fresh prey elsewhere, and I made my way back to the village. Everything was gone. Everyone was gone. The Solar Brethren were no more.

Move as far north as space allows, apply vulnerary to self.

: "Well...speaking for myself, at least, the addition of another scholar would be a great help regardless of your ability to fight. I can't speak for the Captain or Miss Gawen, but I'd be happy to have you "tag along"."

Amberly (after a brief moment of wondering if she had been forsaken by the Old Gods and cast into the Pit) finally regained her senses enough to rise and greet the newcomer.

: "How curious. We also come seeking an artifact that should be on this island. I do not believe this is a mere coincidence."

Another question: what's the range on this mark? Can the Shadow Sword mark the boss from clear across the map?

Sounds good to me, in that case.

PTW. Considering either a Mage Knight or a Virtuoso. I dunno.