Paladin - Have Gun, Will Travel

[Grognardsw]

Tiny rushes into the caboose. “Come on! There are five armed riders, three on the tracks and track bed and two others off ta either side. Looks like they mean to shoot into engine cab if the train don't stop”.

Paladin considered the situation. While firing from the sides forward and the top of the caboose could possibly take some robbers out, they were far away.

With so many passengers, this could easily turn into a hostage situation, whether they took them now or later. How to isolate some of the robbers?

Paladin realized too late that he should have stayed in the engine car.

“Tiny, Luke - quick hide in the freight car and open fire when they go in!”

“Watson - go to the last seat in the second passenger car! Wait for my signal. If it doesn’t come and a robber is robbing passengers, tackle him. If you have to shoot, don’t hit a passenger!”

Paladin made his way forward on the roofs, staying low and looking out, hoping for a line of sight to Sam Bass.

[jemmus]

The train's wheels screech as they slide over the steel rails as it continues its frantic deceleration.

Big Tiny nods and yells over the din, Alright! I guess if I was them I'd check out the freight car to see if they're anything good in it, before robbin the passengers. But they might do it the other way around. He opens the caboose's front door and crosses into the freight car, his lever action carbine looking small against his big body.

Luke yells, You don't tell me what to do! You go to the freight car yourself, if ya want! I'm stayin here. I ain't gittin killed by Sam Bass for this cheap railroad!

Watson doesn't say anything, but he's in swift action. He grabs a small duffel bag that looks like a personal one, goes through the back door of the caboose and onto its back landing, turns the corner, and disappears from the doorway.

Paladin hasn't started moving yet. If he moves along the train cars' roofs, he can do that with jumps of around 2.5 ft. But he'll need a Coordination success to keep his footing upon landing, due to deceleration and one's own hard to judge forward momentum. Paladin, being an observant man with wartime experience, knows that the tops of rough freight and cattle cars aren't designed for safety. Projecting bolts heads, arched steel bands, and small upright plates, and other rough things, etc. with hard to discern purposes from this lie along the surface. (1d2 -1 damage to Strength (HP) per failed roll, and goes prone. Stand up - takes one-half movement allowance in a Combat (not Shootout) turn. (p.29) Per the BH rules (sort of), a plausible explanation will suffice-- with a Luck roll.

Paladin guesses that the roofs of the passenger coaches are smoother, more solid and more finely crafted than the ones of the cars. And bowed to shed rain and hail and the occasional south Texas snow off of the roof, for the comfort of the passengers. Most California coaches have tiltable glass skylights in the ceilings above the aisle, for light and ventilation for the passengers and to let summer heat escape. But he didn't see anything like that above during his tour and inspection of the train. "Typical Cummins. Cheap, "he thinks. (Going to the top of a smooth-roofed coach also needs a Coordination check. On a fail, it's a drop to the ground, still weapons still held and intact. But prone. And still in a Combat Turn).

Paladin sees that another option is to just wait for the train to slow enough to a brisk walk, debark, and climb the ladders up the sides of the caboose, livestock car, and freight car. And then walk over the stationary tops of the passenger coaches, coal car, and with a little jump onto the top of the hot steam locomotive.

Sparks from heavy skidding steel wheels fly, loud steel on steel screeches and heats to glowing orange hot, and alarmed passengers pitch forward and cry out up and down along the coaches up front. Tiny with his carbine and pistol has moved from the caboose to the next car, the freight one. Luke has backed to the back wall of the caboose with his big long range rifle and his pistol. Watson seems to have thought better about the value of his hide.

Paladin is up!

[Grognardsw]

1d2 -1 damage to Strength (HP) per failed roll, and goes prone. Stand up - takes one-half movement allowance in a Combat (not Shootout) turn. (p.29) Per the BH rules (sort of), a plausible explanation will suffice-- with a Luck roll.

To make sure I understand the underlined part, Moving upright across cattle and freight roofs is one-half movement due to treacherous roof conditions? What is the plausible explanation part for?

[jemmus]

The standing from prone action happens if Paladin leaps from one car to another and fails his Coordination roll. Then he would fall to the top of the roof and have to stand. No Coordination rolls are needed if Paladin jumps from car to car after the train has stopped. But he guesses that may not happen until the locomotive is just a few yards from the riders. Maybe 10-20.

[Grognardsw]

"Watson - where the hell are you going?!" yelled Paladin.

As he looked out the window to see if Watson was running away, or running forward to help, Paladin made a last appeal to Luke: "Staying here will get yourself killed! Back here alone you'll be easy for them to pick off. Go with Tiny!"

Paladin wanted to reach closer to the front before the train stopped. He climbed to the roof, stuck his hat in his back belt, struck a low pose for balance, and ran forward from car roof to car roof! The gunslinger leapt across each section divide, staying low, looking at the line of sight to the train robbers. If he reached a point where he could see them (and thus they see him), Paladin bent over and slowed, then when necessary crawled on hands and knees.

Five roll successes and pause there, given that five cars may be close enough to have sight lines. I didn't feel like cut/pasting all the rolls, but you can check archive. This is the only game where I like our dice roller's low-roll tendencies.

[jemmus]

Wow, sorry, I drafted this offline days ago and thought I'd posted it. But now I remember I wanted to give it a proofread. Sorry, it's been a pretty crazy few weeks starting in mid-February. Not operating at full capacity.

The train continues it's sliding, screeching incremental deceleration, whistle screaming. Paladin wonders if that's a rational action, possibly to let of steam pressure and aid the deceleration. But it could equally be an irrational action-- blowing a warning whistle to a man on the tracks who's waiting to rob you. He looks out the caboose's window, but sees no sign of Watson. It seems that he's still on the caboose back landing.
Luke yells, I ain't goin nowhere! There's no point in tryin to fight Sam Bass and his gang! Let em just do their robbin and go on their way!

Paladin crosses from the caboose to the livestock car, swings around its rear landing, grabs its ladder to the roof and shinnies up it. He runs forward along the roof, bent at the waist for balance, and leaps to the roof of the freight car, crosses it, and jumps down to the bed of the flat car. Then up the ladder of the rear coach, across its roof, and onto the front coach. Ahead is the roof of the coach, the coal car below, and the long steel locomotive. The train has slowed to what seem to be about the speed of a run or fast walk. He crouches, then rises slightly to get a line of sight of the tracks ahead. Two mounted men are standing their horses on the raised railbed ahead. The apparent leader of the two has no a double action pistol tucked under his belt, just right of the buckle. The man beside him has a lever action rifle standing on his hip. Away from them and closer to the left and right of the train are a mounted kid with long-barreled hunting shotgun and a young man with a lever action rifle. They don't seem to be an especially desperate bunch. Actually, they look almost home town congenial.


Paladin takes a glance back and sees Watson jump off the caboose and hit the ground running. Wisely, in the direction of braking train's progress. He takes three quick strides, almost stumbles and plant his face in the dirt on the fourth, but recovers with his legs running faster than him and runs to the cover of trackside oaks and scrub mesquites and disappears.

The wheels of the train slow to a walking pace.

Paladin estimates that the front of the loco will stop around 20-30 yards from the riders.

[Grognardsw]

The two on the track, is one of them Sam Bass? Paladin had memorized his face from the poster.

[jemmus]

The face of the seated man in the photo with the gun pointed at him vaguely resembles the face in the sketch. But the mustache looks different. The face in the drawing had a handlebar mustache with curls. Paladin would need a good Observation roll to know for sure.

[Grognardsw]

Paladin squinted at the suspected Sam Bass, trying to confirm…

Observation 13 [1d20]=1

Also, how close together are the two men on the track?

[jemmus]

The train slows to a full stop, and the cars and their couplers shake and sound as the tension equals out all along the train. Paladin squints his eyes and looks closely at the man on the track. The moustache is different, but if it's not Bass, it's someone who looks like him-- or a drawing of him at least. And the man has something of the air of a celebrity about him. A celebrity who's in his element, and pleasantly enjoying himself. Paladin notices that the man -- the obvious leader-- has a pistol in a holster and another at his waist, his coat casually pulled back to show them. He's mounted on a magnificent horse. The kind of horse that wins races against other fast horses. He's no more than 10 yards in front of the locomotive cowcatcher.

Two yards to the man's right, outside of the rails by on the raised track bed, is a man with lever action rifle and a gunbelt. A coat covers what's in the holster. At the same distance to his left and slightly behind is a man with the apparently similar weaponry. Off to Paladin's left, around five yards off the track bed, is a kid with a shotgun and what may be a fast draw pistol in a gunbelt holster. The kid trots his horse back toward the group and stops directly left of the open cabin of the steam engine. The man on the tracks calls to the engineer and fireman, Mornin! Thank ya fer politely comin to a steady stop fer us. We'd appreciate it if ye'd keep it that way until we get off of the train. We'll just take a look at the freight car and mail car, if ya got one. And maybe greet some of the better-heeled passengers. Ya'll'll be on yer way again before ya know it. He smiles.

[Grognardsw]

Paladin’s intent was to take a shot before the train stopped, so as to surprise and throw the gang off balance. Confirming Bass would be a plus, but regardless Paladin figured that guy was the leader. Can I do that as the train is stopping?

[jemmus]

Sure. You can pick a range between 50 yards and where the train stops at 10 yards. A -2 modifier applies (shooter moving: walking).

This will be a Combat Turn (6 seconds) Or or two Careful shots can be taken by either side. Or one shot another kind of action. Paladin has initiative (without rolling for it), do to the situation and his Tactics skill.

Paladin will need to be to the left or ride side of the roof for a shot, so that the engine smokestack doesn't block the target (the man in the center of the tracks, i.e. the leader). Please describe where Paladin is on the roof, the range, and the actions he takes.

[Grognardsw]

Okay, thanks. Just to make sure I followed that, given at the moment they don’t know he’s on the roof, is this a surprise situation where he can get initial shots off without return fire? Meaning after his shots, it goes to Initiative?

I’m figuring its that, but was uncertain when you said “Or or two Careful shots can be taken by either side” - does that mean one or two shots now by both Paladin and the robbers?

I’m hoping to get the jump on them for the first shots, before they realize someone is on some car roof.

[jemmus]

This is tricky, and honestly BH 3E's rules are both crunchy and vague and not very refined at the same time. (In contrast to the refined and elegantly integrated, highly organized, but poorly-worded rules of Bushido! You can't have it all, I guess.

This is going to be a 6-second Combat Turn. The rules for Surprise rules only cover comparative Speed numbers in 1-second Shootout Turns. This Combat Turn, Paladin is going to have initiative, and he's going to get two shots 6 section or actions before the gang members get theirs. Then each NPC in the area will get their two actions in these first 6 seconds. That includes the robbers, engineer, fireman, passengers, conductor, mailman, and Watson, Tiny and Luke. Even Copper and the other animals in the freight car. Those actions might include spotting and firing and firing back, or any other number of things.

After this first round of Paladin two careful shots/actions followed by NPCs' two actions, Paladin's hand will be springed. Then we'll go into 1-second shootout rounds and phases calculations. Where choice of weapon, choice of Skill (Rifle vs Fast Draw, etc. might mean a lot over the course of things. It's BH and sudden and harsh, after all).

Good luck, Paladin! It's a fix, but not a tricky one. Just a get out of Texas and back to SF and Betty one. Of course, all roads along the way have potential hazards. And rewards. Dang.

[Grognardsw]

Sorry for the questions, I’m just trying to get a tactical handle on all aspects of the combat given Paladin is outnumbered possibly four to one.

Yes, the rules’ lack of surprise accommodation (except as a Speed modifier) is… surprising and disappointing.

How fast is the train going as it stops across the 50’ yard distance? I ask because to travel 50 yards (150’) in six seconds needs 27mph, according to an online speed calculator. As the train is slowing, the speed is slowing, so I’m wondering if at the end of the six second combat round the train has not reached its full stop point. I ask this as it may be in Paladin’s favor that the train hasn’t stopped yet.

Given Paladin is lying on the roof and the rifle has solid support, does he get the Sniping modifier per p. 25?

So given Paladin has Initiative, do I get to hear what the robbers will do (per action declaration rule p. 27)?

Thanks.

[jemmus]

I'm going to unscientifically and unmathematically say:
80 yds out from Paladin to the leader/Bass; full speed, throw on the brakes - 20 mph
50 yds out - 15 mph
30 yds - 7 mph
20 yds - 3 mph
10 yds - 0 mph

The 6-second Combat Turn starts when Paladin chooses to fire his shot(s). If it's while the braking, rocking, and bumping coach is going over 3 mph, the -4 running/trotting modifier applies. Otherwise, the -2 or -0 modifier applies. Before firing, Paladin has to move to the left or right side of the coach's roof and drop prone (or drop prone and crawl forward). He can do that before firing and opening the initial Combat Turn. He sees these mounted men, the first on a fine, muscled, and intelligent-looking stallion:
-Robber 1 (Bass/leader) - In the center of the track and smiling with friendly confidence.
-Robber 2 - A couple of yards off the slightly raised track bed to 1's left (as seen from Paladin's perspective).
-Robber 3 - A couple of yards off the tracks bed to 1's right.
-Robber 4 (the kid with the shotgun) - Off to the left of the tracks, and forward of the other riders.

Paladin has initiative, so the NPCs have to declare their actions first. The engineer beats the robber (3 vs. 2 on analog dice. I'm lazy, but you can trust me on rolls). Robbers:
Leader - No shots or movement.
2 - No shots or movement.
3 - No shots or movement.
4 (the kid) - Moves.
In other words, the train robbing gang does what was previously posted. Leader/Bass makes his speech, etc.

Yes, the sniper bonus does apply for being prone with a steady firearm. As long as Paladin chooses on side or the other of the hot, steam pressure engine's tall smokestack.

Atop the curving varnished hardwood of the roof over the forward coach of the train (the first class coach, as is customary along train lines), with its two raised boxed glass skylights, Paladin moves with all of the silence Texas riding boots afford. He hears muffled women's shrieks, and cries of Did you the guards scurrying to the rear? And the postman too? It's Sam Bass, himself! Hide yer belongings! And, No! Better to just let the heathens take your goods and be on with it! Is yer life worth than less than what ya got in yer billfold and yer purse? Shush now, Margaret!

[Grognardsw]

Paladin gritted his teeth and hoped the other guards wouldn't make this a four-against-one fight, but things were happening too fast to rely on them. The leader in the middle, two to the left, one to the right.

Hoping to use the breaking-but-still-moving train and his roof position to his advantage, Paladin immediately positioned himself prone to the right side of the engine smoke stack ahead, the surface for sniping support as he carefully aimed his prize Winchester .38c Model 1873 rifle at the leader and fired at 80 yards away.

First rifle shot 20 [1d20]=5
Coor 19, Rifle Skill +2, Rifle +1 = 22. Moving train -4, sniping +2 = -2. Careful Shot Total 20
First rifle shot location [1d20]=6
left arm, modified to 9 left shoulder
First shot severity [1d6]=2
Severity: light wound (2 wound points)

Damn jostling about! Paladin squinted and immediately followed up with another shot at the leader.

Second rifle shot 20 [1d20]=10
Second shot location [1d20]=9
left shoulder, modified to 12 abdomen
Second shot severity [1d6]=3
severity: serious wound (3 wound points)

Gun fights have been so rare that this is very suspenseful!

[jemmus]

Paladin's shot passes through the leader's left shoulder, apparently between the bone and the ligament. The man's mouth goes from smiling to wide open in surprise. He looks toward the sound of the shot and spots the rifleman lying on top of the first coach behind the coal tender. Paladin second shot catches him in the gut, making a grave wound. The other two men in front look to the area of the shooter and chamber rounds into their lever-actions. To the left, Paladin hears the fourth rider yell above the screeching of the brakesHyah!. He sees him spur his horse from a lope to a gallop as he passes into sight between the coal tender and rear of the engine. The same voice yells, Sam! What a we do?

The man on the left changed is action some from what was posted before the initiative roll. Instead of riding up to the engine's cabin, he galloped past it toward the other men. Per the rules, characters who lost Initiative have to state Shoot, Move, Move and Shoot, or some other action. The way I read it, when it's their turn, they're free do any action within the called category. From our previous combats, that's really the only way it can really work. Otherwise we'd have some really unrealistic actions when the situation changes after the side with initiative acts.

The next turn will be a Shootout Turn. NPCs' initiative roll: [1d6]=1
Need Paladin's initiative roll, applying Tactics if he'd like.

[Grognardsw]

Some tactical questions related to my rooftop strategy. Sorry for these, I’m trying to use environment to overcome odds. I chose the right side as there was one robber on that side, while the left had the other robber and boy. Would the right side two be able to see Paladin, given the angle? They are on the ground, I have high position prone, and the stated curvature of roof and two raised box skylights. I wouldn’t think so.

The center and right side robber could see. Sliding into the center of the roof would I assume prevent sight for everyone, including Paladin of the robbers to either side but not straight ahead.

Being prone leaves most of body unseen to ground-level. Does that translate to a Cover defensive modifier?

Per our PM conversations, the train is probably 70 yards out now to the engine? Plus length of engine (45’), the 5’ gap, and coal tender (20’) to Paladin’s specific location. Or 23 yards, plus the 70, total 93 yards? According to Table 6 Combat Round Movement, a galloping horse can go 32 yards. So the kid is about a third of the distance to Paladin. Making his angle of sight to Paladin on the opposite side of the roof problematic.

[Grognardsw]