Middle Earth Systems - Part 1: Against the Darkmaster

This is the first in a series of sample combats involving two PCs trailing three Orc scouts in the wilderness.

 For the purpose of this test combat, we will use two of the character in the free pregen packet available on Drivethrurpg.com (https://www.vsdarkmaster.com/quickstart-and-downloads/)

Athelstane the Black and Gandrell Windblade are patrolling the frontier, following up on disturbing reports of Orcs and other fell creatures being sighted in the area. Orc-kind have not been seen by human eyes in a generation, but Gandrell is quite familiar with what they are capable of.

Gandrell is using Hunting to follow tracks. He has a +20 to his roll, so this is not quite in his wheelhouse. Athelstane just assumes that all Elves are expert woodsmen, which is not actually the case. Gandrell rolls d100 and gets a 55, plus his bonus of 20 yields a 75. A 75 for a normal test is a ‘partial success’.

Gandrell notes that these are indeed Orc tracks, but given they seem to be making some effort to conceal their movement, these are most likely scouts. As he conveys this to Athelstane, they both notice the orcs they are trailing peering out of the grass ahead of them. (The success at a cost was that they find the orcs, but the orcs are ready for them. Had they succeeded, they may have caught them unawares, and a critical failure would have ended in ambush.)

We move to the fight itself, albeit using ‘theater of the mind’ versus miniatures.

A combat round is broken down into multiple phases:

Assessment: This is the book keeping phase and the phase wherein those afflicted by conditions , or ambushed may save out.

Action Declaration Phase: GM declares NPC actions and players then declare theirs.

Move Phase: Anyone who is moving, moves. This is considered simultaneous (with mechanic to see who goes first if needed).

Spell Phase A: Spells already prepared or that are instant ar cast.

Ranged Phase A: Ranged weapons that are loaded and aimed, or readied thrown weapons.

Melee Attacks: This goes in order of longest to shortest weapon, ties broken by skill. If skill is the same as well, attacks are at the same time. There are a variety of positional and movement bonuses and options here.

Ranged Phase B: Other ranged weapons or weapons loaded in this round.

Spell Phase B: Unprepared spells happen

Round 1

Athelstane had declared earlier that he had his Greataxe ready, while Gandrell had his Bow knocked and readied. The orcs do not have weapons readied yet.

The Gm states that two of the orcs will charge Athelstane and the third will get his bow ready for a shot.

Athelstane is fine with this and charges the two orcs. Gandrell is going to shoot one of the two orcs first.

Assessment: Everyone is aware of each other and no conditions.

Move Phase: Athelstane and the two orcs spend all half-action to meet each other. The orcs will draw their weapons, spending another half-action.

Spell Phase A: No spells.

Range Phase A: Gandrell lets his arrow loose, rolls a 67 and adds 65 to the total (This is his skill of 80, minus the target’s defence.) This nets a 132….

We check the Missile table, note the Orc has Light Armor, and see that this inflicts 21 damage, and a Grievous Critical strike. We roll on the Pierce table and adds +30.

In this case he rolls a 57 + 30 for an 87:

The arrow strikes under the knee, the orc takes another 3 points, is -25 to all actions and is Stunned.

Melee: Athelstane’s Great Axe requires him to spend a half action to ready which he cannot do. The non-stunned orc is also out of actions.

Ranged B: The orc with the bow is just done loading.

Spell B: Nothing.

Round 2

Assessment: Nothing, the orc that was Stunned won’t recover until the end of this round.

Declaration: GM: The stunned orc is going to devote all his skill into defense, the Orc engaged with Athelstane will devote half of his CMB to defense to buy time for his comrade to recover. The orc with the bow is shooting Athelstane. Gandrell is loading.

No spells, and no movement, so we go to Ranged A which is the Orc. Athelstane does not have a shield, so only his swiftness matters. 

The Orc rolls a 40 + 50 for skill - 15 for Athelstane’s Swiftness = 75.

Checking the missile attack table versus his armor, this inflict… 0 damage.

Melee: Athelstane is foregoing putting any points into defense as doing this gives him +20 to his roll on attack. Rolling a 59 +  85 for skill + 20 for ‘Mighty’ weapon quality - 15 for opponents defense - 20 for opponent’s points put to parry this turn is 129. (His weapon has two modes it can operate in, but he is cutting)

His Axe inflicts 17 points of damage, and a Grievous critical:  96+30 = 126…

So this is a nasty one: Swing to the shoulder, +15 damage, arm almost severed, Stunned, 10 bleed and -50 on all actions. The orc isn’t dead, but is ‘combat ineffective’ and will bleed to death in a couple of rounds.

The orc that just had his arm severed would have gone next, and the other orc in range is still working through having an arrow in its leg, so this melee phase is over.

Round 3:

The orc with the arrow in it is no longer stunned, and in its despair, it will throw everything it has at Athelstane. The orc with the bow is going to run.

No spells.

Movement happens, and the orc with the bow is running away.

Ranged A: Gandrell lets fly at the fleeing orc, he is at a -25 for the range and the target’s swiftness, but rolls a 91 + 85 for skill: 145

This inflicts 25 damage and a Lethal Critical injury +40: 88 + 50 = 138

The arrow goes through a leg artery. Target is unconscious and Bleeds for 15 to death.

Melee: 

Athelstane hits the Orc with the flat of his axe a 59 + 85 - 15 = 129

This does 16 points, plus a Grievous critical on the impact table: 25 + 30

Blow to side: +4 damage (killing him) stunned at -40 for 1 round. 

Sadly, without medical aid, it appears they have no orcs to question…