Deep in an orc lair, our hardy band of heroes has scattered to avoid an even worse threat. Join us now as we follow the first of our heroes.

Stepping through a door and slamming it behind him, Llanas surveys his truly deplorable surroundings. A cookfire to his right provides as much smoke as it does light. Whoever or whatever had tended that fire had left a mess on the tables, a full meal or its leavings is hard to tell.



But it's not time for dinner just yet (as if any hero would eat any of this), three orcs have also entered the room; two with nasty cleavers and shields, a third with a crude bow.

Llanas, what do you do ?


One note on PBP posts in a DW game. I recommend front loading color, internal dialog and the like. Then go into what you aim to do, how you're doing it and then, at the moment of decision, that's where the move gets rolled. What exactly the decision point is will depend on what move you're trying to trigger. If you can also fill in your choices for any options the move provides, I can just take the result and tell you what happens.

Quote from: mllaneza;675834Stepping through a door and slamming it behind him, Llanas surveys his truly deplorable surroundings. A cookfire to his right provides as much smoke as it does light. Whoever or whatever had tended that fire had left a mess on the tables, a full meal or its leavings is hard to tell.

But it's not time for dinner just yet (as if any hero would eat any of this), three orcs have also entered the room; two with nasty cleavers and shields, a third with a crude bow.

Llanas, elf fighter
HP: 25/25 | Armor: 2 | Damage: d10 (d10+1, 2 piercing w/sword) | Load: 7/12 | Level: 1 | XP: 0

Llanas took the room in at a glance, and felt his body tense reflexively as the orcs opened the door at the far end of the room, presumably on the hunt for himself, and his allies past the door behind him.

Well this is an ugly little spot, Llanas thought to himself, ducking out of view as a temporary measure.

I can't let them get past here, but maybe I can get an advantage on the three of them... he thought, still crouched down but with the orcs getting closer. Thank the orc-god for giving his creations such terrible eyesight; I think I might be able to lose them in their own foul smoke. Maybe get under one of those tables, if I'm quick enough. There's no dishonor in attacking with surprise to keep your ally from a slit throat, after all...

Move: Defy Danger to hide & avoid notice, using Dex for quickness & silence.
Roll: 2d6 + 2
Result: 12 (link)

Llanas, you duck forward to take up a hiding spot under the first table. The orcs at the far end are grumbling about something in LE alignment tongue as the cross the room. You've got a nice ambush going when...

Arsilasral and Ruiltherin come through the door behind you. The orcs saw the door opening, so they're set when you enter. All three are roughly in the middle of the room by the fire pit.

What do you do ?

Llanas, elf fighter
HP: 25/25 | Armor: 2 | Damage: d10 (d10+1, 2 piercing w/sword) | Load: 7/12 | Level: 1 | XP: 0

When Llanas sees that the orcs have refocused their attention on the now-open door & his elven compatriot, he seizes the moment of surprise as soon as the orcs are close enough. Bellowing a guttural cry in the archaic, clipped tongue used by elf border-guards, he springs out from under the table, catching the closest of the filthy tunnel-dwellers unawares...

======================================
Move: (none, just using surprise to deal straight damage)
Roll: 1d10 + 1; 2 piercing
Result: 10; 2 piercing (link)
======================================

Llanas smiles, feeling his blade strike true & bite into the orc's hairy flesh...

[let me know if any of this is incorrect proceedurally]

Llanas, you've got a dead orc on your blade and another one between you and the archer. The one with the cleaver is coming for you.

Give Arsilasral a reasonable time to post, then tell me what you do about the rest of them.

Arsilasral, Elf Ranger
HP: 23/23 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Load: 8/11 | Level: 1 | XP: 0

Quickly assessing the situation, Arsilasral springs into action and points his spear tip at the orc archer and yells a command in Elven to Ruiltherin, "Ndengina ho!" ('Kill it!' in the Common tongue of the humans.)

The ferocious cougar immediately springs onto the first table and uses it as a launching pad to spring attack at the orc archer.

Nearly at the same moment that the cougar moves into action, Arsilasral balances the haft of spear in his hand and steps to the side of Llanas as he shouts in Elven while throwing his spear for the orc archer's heart, "at your back, Llanas!"

However, the Elven warrior was already caught up in the fight and blocked Arsilasral line of fire at the last moment so he had to step forward as he threw his spear at the orc and exposed himself to the two orc swordsmen despite his initial plan.

==================================================

OOC:  Arsilasral Commands Ruiltherin to coordinate her attack with his Volley Move on the orc archer.

Move:  Volley
Roll:  2d6+2 = 8
Damage:  1d8+3 (with Companions Ferocity score) = 4
Result:  You have to move to get the shot placing you in danger as described by the GM.

Arsilasral, that's a seriously dead orc. Your cougar buddy is mauling the archer, you have your bow out and Llanas is toe to toe with the other orc.

Llanas, the last one of the three is trying to chop your head off. What do you do ?

Arsilasral, Elf Ranger
HP: 23/23 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Load: 8/11 | Level: 1 | XP: 0

With practiced grace and talent, Arsilasral steps sideways to be perpendicular to Llanas and the orc swordsman while drawing and notching an arrow in a single and swift motion as he yells the command in Elven to Ruiltherin, "Ela ta!"  ('Flank it' in the Common human tongue.)

Ruiltherin gracefully moves around and behind the orc swordsman to flank it with Llanas and attacks savagely as Arsilasral lets his arrow fly at the foul orc.

However, the cunning orc saw Arsilasral taking a position to shot it with his bow and tries to maneuver out of the way.  Arsilasral quickly draws, notches, and fires three more arrows in quick succession at the orc while it is distracted by the cougar at it back and Llanas' quick and precise sword strokes.

=====================================

OOC: Arsilasral Commands Ruiltherin to coordinate her attack with his Volley Move on the orc swordsman.  Here is a small diagram of Arsilasral's intention:

----Ruiltherin
A---Orc
----Llanas

Move: Volley
Roll: 2d6+2 = 7
Damage: 1d8+3 (with Companion's Ferocity score) = 4
Result:  You have to take several shots, reducing your ammo by one.

Character sheet updated with ammo reduction.

Llanas, elf fighter
HP: 25/25 | Armor: 2 | Damage: d10 (d10+1, 2 piercing w/sword) | Load: 7/12 | Level: 1 | XP: 0

As Arsil feathers the remaining orc with arrows, Llanas does what he can to keep the attention of the orc's weapons and hopefully help bring the monster to a quicker end. Point-blank arrows won't do this on their own, he thinks...

======================================
Move: Hack & Slash, vs. the orc
Roll: 2d6 + 2 (using DEX mod from Precise)
Result: 11; choosing to avoid enemy's attack (link)
Damage: 7; 2 piercing (link)
======================================

Two heroes, three orcs. That encounter is my way of "calibrating" the DW combat system a bit. It gets harder from here.

You've got the room, for what that's worth. There's the other door out ahead of you, and the door behind you leading back to more perils than you want to face. There's a roaring noise coming through, and it doesn't sound like the fire is catching up with you yet.

What do you do ?

Arsilasral, as the second player in, you get to pick why you're down here in the first place.
* Hilarious misunderstanding
* Retrieve something
* Rescue someone
* An assassination

Llanas, fill in a detail (who, what or why) for whatever Arsilasral picks.

Llanas, elf fighter
HP: 25/25 | Armor: 2 | Damage: d10 (d10+1, 2 piercing w/sword) | Load: 7/12 | Level: 1 | XP: 0

Llanas doesn't see much that draws his interest in this room, but he knows that while orcs may be wretched, they're not categorically dumb. Moving across to the far door, Llanas stops to try and perceive what he can of the room beyond.

======================================
Not totally sure if the orcs shut the far door behind themselves -- if so, Llanas listens at the door. If not, Llanas tries to stay out of the sight-line of anyone on the other side of the doorway, slooooowly moving to peep though it if needed.

Move: Discern Realities for the room beyond
Roll: 2d6 + 1
Result: 11; 5 & 5 + 1 (link)
Questions: 3

• What should I be on the lookout for?
  
• What is about to happen?
  
• What here is not what it appears to be?

======================================

Arsilasral, Elf Ranger
HP: 23/23 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Load: 8/11 | Level: 1 | XP: 0


Arsilasral quietly draws and notches an arrow and moves to cover Llanas anything rushes at him.  He draws his breathing slow and shallow in preparation for executing any needs pulls from his bow.  Ruiltherin paces quietly on her padded paws behind Arsilasral and waits patiently like her Elven companion.

Llanas, the door did indeed close behind the orcs. You don't hear anything. It's a crappy door though, so there's a hot, foetid draft coming through. This is mildly unusual, orcs don't often go for humid as well as hot lairs. The strength of the draft also indicates the door opens onto a corridor. Wait, now you hear something. Tramping feet and the rattle of the mail. Faintly thank the gods.

What you should be on the lookout for: something other than just orcs and their usual hangers on. That's a freebie based on the ooc thread, so I'll also give you a good whiff of mold. Beware.

What here is not what it seems. The orcs. They're wearing an unusually good approximation of a uniform instead of the usual tribal rags and scavenged armor. The decent mail shirt is  a dead giveaway.

What is about to happen. Remember that roaring noise from behind the door you came in through ? What's going to happen is, something big and scary is about to bust through the door and then a bit later some other things are going to bust through the other door.

The door you came through makes a really loud crashing noise and just about pops off its hinges. There's a big roar and something is cursing in a very deep darktongue.

Llanas is by the other door. Arsilasral is set up to cover the other door, with  Ruiltherin closest to the door where all the racket is coming from.

What do you do ?

Arsilasral, Elf Ranger
HP: 23/23 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Load: 8/11 | Level: 1 | XP: 0


Arsilasral whirls to face the breaking door as he says in Elven to Llanas, "we got company!"

He quickly moves to the table closest to the southern door and kicks it over in front of him with one swift motion to provide partial cover.

"Ruiltherin!" Arsilasral commands in Elven as he points with the tip of his notched arrow to behind the turned over table, "Hide!"

Confident that she will understand his meaning, Arsilasral draws a bead on the center of the bulging door and waits for the moment when it shatters and then he will let fly his arrow at whatever comes through the door.

======================================

OOC:  Not sure if this will qualify for the Ranger's Called Shot Move.  If not, then he will use the Volley Move when the creature breaks through the door.  Just let me know.

Arsilasral, good reading on the moves but we'll go with Volley in the absent of a present target.


Ruiltherin ducks under a table, eyes glinting in the shadows. The door bursts open and an ogre bursts in. He wields an iron bound club and wears spiky bits of metal and leather. Raising his club he lumbers towards Arsilasral.

Let's see that Volley roll.