1st Scroll - The Will of Nobles - 1st - 3rd Days

[ffilz]

Turn 7
Katsumi turns and dashes toward the sound of the yell. He, Kentaro and Omi emerge at different points from the brush beside the trail. They see a squat human-shaped figure in the moonlight running as fast as its bow legs can carry it. It appears to be empty-handed. Weighted by his armor, Omi knows that he can only overtake the creature by angling to his left and intercepting it on its path. The scholar Taisho continues to hasten toward the sound of the warty tan monster, though he is no swift runner. Ito calmly sheathes his katana and lifts the shoulder flap of his armor to examine his injured shoulder.

Katsumi - 11 yds from bakemono-sho
Kentaro - 9 yds from bakemono-sho
Omi - 24 yds from bakemono-sho. Point blank bow range
Taisho - 24 yds from bakemono-sho

Taisho will continue pursuing as long as others are, though he won't be catching up...

[jmacatty]

Omi will move to intercept the monster, and will fire an AP arrow when he reaches point blank range.

[jemmus]

I think there are two options. We can wait for Katsumi's post and the results of his action, or you can post an "if-then" post. For example, "If Kentaro can charge to within Long or Medium range, he will do that. If not, _________." The bakemono-sho will take its action immediately after Katsumi's.

Everyone has a -20% adjustment to BMA because of the terrain. So Kentaro's modified BMA is 4.

I'll post a map around two hours from now, if not before.

[Marullus]

Oh. With reduced BMA I won't be close enough to charge, so all I'm doing this round is running. If I get close enough to charge in an upcoming round, let me know and I'll post the action.

[Enoch]

I've posted that I am also chasing after him. Is there anything else needed from me?

[jemmus]

No. When Omi reaches point blank range, I'll let you know so you can roll the shot. Unless you decide you want to stop now and shoot from Short range.

[jemmus]

Here's where everyone ended up at the end of last turn (Turn 7). The squares with the arrows (not text) are where the PCs and NPC are. 1 square = 1 yd. Distances are 1 yd/square, whether they're diagonal or on the x-y axes. Ito and the camp are off of the map, a few yards to the left.

[jemmus]

Turn 8
Katsumi goes first, then the bakemono-sho. We need Katsumi's move, so the bakemono-sho and other PCs can react appropriately on their action phases.

[Enoch]

Katsumi will charge, swinging his kyoketsu-shoge at the o-bakemono's legs.

If I am reading it correctly, if I move 8 yards forward, I'll be 2 yards away (the ideal range for a Long weapon) and in his rear facing (another yard or so and I'd cross into his side facing). I'll attack just before I cross into his side facing, even if it puts me at extra-long range (in which case my ACS would be 1 lower than calculated here).

I have a BCS of 11 with kusari-jutsu. I am charging for +1, and in the target's rear facing for +10. My total ACS is 22 (21 if at extra-long range). I am attempting to Trip him so the bushi can finish him off.
Kusari-Jutsu (Adjusted BCS 22): [1d20]=5
That will put the Effect Number at 17, so he has 17 Distractions this round, and needs to make a Speed save or fall down. If he does fall, he needs to make a Health save or forfeit his next action phase. Also, he's now Engaged, so if he falls and stands (using the Alter Position primary option) he needs to make a Speed save to do so successfully.

Hey kids! Helpful hint: don't run away unless you're faster than they are; getting attacked from behind is brutal.

[jemmus]

The fast-running ninja overtakes the fleeing warty ogre. The ring of his weapon flashes out, the rope goes between its legs, and the thing crashes to the earth with a loud huff of air blows from its fanged mouth.

If Katsumi does a charge attack, it will happen on Turn 2 and the bake-sho will move away some yards before the attack. I'm going to assume that Katsumi preferred to stop it in its tracks while he had the chance. He's setting it up for a kill by the bushi, he wouldn't want it running farther away from the not-so-fast armored guys. Besides, without the charge, he's still got an overwhelming advantage from the rear attack.
Noted about the distractions and possible Action forfeiture.

The bakemono-sho is prone (+5 to all attacks, from any direction).

Katsumi's first secondary action is next, then Kentaro's action.
Omi will come into point blank range this turn, but since he moved, he can't shoot until next turn.
Taisho continues hastening to the scene.
Ito can state an action if he wants, or just continue holding.

[Enoch]

Katsumi can't reach with the knife-end and Secondary Options don't allow for movement, so he'll attack with the ring again, this time trying to do damage:
ACS 6 (originally 11 but halved for Secondary), +10 for being in rear facing, +5 for prone target: ACS 21 (- whatever the bakemono's AC is)
Kusari-Jutsu (Adjusted BCS 21-AC): [1d20]=5. Not enough for a crit even without armor, but close!
Damage (S): [1d5]=3

[Marullus]

Kentaro comes at a run through the forest, chasing the would-be robber. When he sees Katsumi trip it to the ground and recognizes it as a bakemono-sho rather than a human thief, he resolves to capture it for questioning rather than slay it. Charging it down, he tries to grasp it with his beefy hands, using his momentum to sweep it up into a full suplex and slam it down and render it unconscious, as that's how such things are done on the Mountain.

Grand plan is: Charging Sumai Grapple (adds BCS to Effect), needs to have a higher Effect than the target's Strength (for a -sho, looks like average, so maybe 10?). If not, the grapple contest continues round-to-round. As soon as he gets a grapple, Sumai allows him on his next action to pick-up and body slam to render his foe unconscious, or if they pass a save, only stunned. Once unconscious/stunned, he can use Hojojutsu to speedily hog-tie his target and render it at their mercy.

Great legends always begin with a Bakemono making a deal with a hero who captures him, Kentaro thinks.

Sumai! (11+16=27+5 Effect = 32) [1d20]=20
Oh hell. That's either a success with 12 Effect, or a Critical Failure and I'll let Jemmus sort that out.

Citations:

Sumai BCS is 11

BCS Modifiers:
Attacker is in target's rear facing +10
Attacker is Charging +1
Target is Prone +5

...then add +5 Effect (his BCS)

Sumai:
If the character Charges into his attack, he may add his Base Movement
Allowance to the Effect Number of that Grapple attack.
Once a character using Sumai has rendered a foe helpless in a
Grapple attack, he may elect to use his next Available Action Phase
to hurl the Target to the ground. This requires the Target to make a
Health ST. Failure indicates unconsciousness, while success
indicates that the Target has taken a Stun Critical Effect. If the Target
makes a Critical Success on the Health ST, he suffers only a Daze
Critical Effect.

Grapple:
Grapple
A Grapple attack is an attempt to get a grip on the target in such a
way that he is rendered helpless. Beginning on the Action Phase in
which the successful BCS roll is made and continuing on each of his
Primary Action Phases thereafter, the attacker accumulates Effect
Numbers. If the total exceeds the target's Strength, he has been
totally subdued and is held helpless in the grip of the attacker. If the
total is ever less than 1, the grip has been broken and the target is free
to act normally.

Hojojutsu
A technique for binding a foe so that he cannot escape. Also used
defensively by the victim to impede the binding process and possibly
to escape.
The Attacker must have rendered the Target helpless before
attempted to tie him using Hojojutsu. Common means of doing this
include completed Grappling attacks or completed Entangling
Attacks. These are both explained in the Combat rules (section
1117.1). When a die roll is called for, it is made on the Base Action
Phase of the Attacker, since the Target is in a passive role unless he
happens to escape the Attacker, in which case the fight will probably
start all over again.
If the Target is unconscious, the Attacker can tie him up simply by
making a successful Hojojutsu BCS, rolling on each Detailed Turn
until he succeeds. A conscious Target is presumed to be struggling
and the following rules come into play.

Full Suplex:

[jmacatty]

1051.2: If the adjusted BCS exceeds 19, a roll of 20 still fails...

[jemmus]

The shinobi quickly spins his weapon's iron ring and snaps it down onto the bake's back. And instant later, Kentaro charges in and grabs at the prone body, but he has mistimed his approach and his grip slips.

After some consideration, I think that the +5 prone and +5 rear modifiers are cumulative. If the bakemono-sho were face up, it might have a chance to block or dodge a strike. Here, it's face down and can't even see the incoming strike. Thoughts on this?

I checked the rules and confirmed that Katsumi's strike wasn't a critical sucess, even with the high Effect Number of 13. (The NPC's AC is 3).

The rules don't give Attribute scores for NPCs, so lets say the o-bake's Strength is 15. (It's a bakemono ogre, after all, even if a small one). I think you could have added your BMA into the Effect Number (sumai grapple charge). But the roll of 20 makes that moot. BCS is over 19, so no Critical Failure, but an automatic miss. Kentaro charged, so no secondary action this turn.

Katsumi has a final Action this turn. If making an attack, please roll. It will happen before Kentaro's charge and grapple attempt. (Charges go on Turn 2, Katsumi's third action is before that).

Omi can use his dai-kyu point blank next turn.

Taisho is running and around 20 yds from the face-down bake-sho with the wind knocked out of it.

Ito appears to be holding.

[Marullus]

I think facing (+10 rear) and prone (+5) are intentionally cumulative, and should be.

I'll hold on posting my next round's action until Katsumi has done his third action for last round, his first two actions for next round, and we know if the bakemono-sho has overcome its Distractions to act and/or change facing. Kentaro acts on phases 7 and 3.

[Enoch]

Katsumi pulls the ring back and snaps it down toward the bakemono one more time as the enormous bushi closes in, then yanks it out of the way as Kentaro barrels past him.

Assuming a net +10 for prone and rear, Katsumi's ACS will be 16 for a secondary attack:
Kusari-Jutsu (Adjusted BCS 16): [1d20]=12, damage (S) [1d5]=4

[jemmus]

The ninja and the bushi both charged at the odorous tan warty thing in a bloodstained peasant shirt. Katsumi overtook it, tripped it, and twice struck it with the ring of his kyotetsu-shoge. An instant later Kentaro charged in, lay down, and tried to scoop up and flip the prone bake with a sumai technique-- that somehow went wrong.

Reminder that all of this happened in six seconds.

Turn 9
Sequence (Edited, a few additional details added)
Katsumi's action
Bakemono-sho's action (It's prone, has a lot of Distractions, and seems to have failed a Trip health roll).
Katsumi's 2nd action
Kentaro's action
Omi's action (Point blank dai-kyu shot available. Omi is 19 or so yds away and had a clear view of the events of the last six seconds, but for the bare trunks of some trees in between.)
Katsumi's 3rd action

Note: PCs can Hold actions and perform them in later phases if they prefer. It's pretty simple. When it's your phase you just say you're going to Hold for a later phase. You have to use the Action before your next secondary action phase. For example: PC has Actions in Phase 5 and Phase 2. He can Hold the first action and do it in Phase 4 or 3. He can also hold the Phase 2 action (and probably the last char to act this turn).

[jmacatty]

LOL. Omi will shoot at his BAP, assuming there is anything to shoot at.

[jemmus]

Here are the modifiers for Omi's shot. +2 to BCS for target is passive, +2 for point blank, +3 for three-man dai-kyu, -3 for target's AC.

[Marullus]

Putting these up while I have time... Jemmus can weave them together in order. These are Kentaro's INTENDED actions.

Turn 9, Phase 7:

Kentaro stumbles and misses his grip on the warty little ogre, cursing in surprise. Planting his feet, he then grabs the beast to subdue him!
Sumai! [1d20]=10

He loses the +5 for charging, lowering from BCS 32 to 27... which should still be effect 17, which is greater than 15, unless the ogre did something to change modifiers on his own turn? If Katsumi's distractions apply, then that's also a factor here...

Gripping the short-wide creature, Kentaro puts him into a lock and heaves him into the air...

Turn 9, Phase 3:

Kentaro slams down the bakemono-sho in a dramatic suplex maneuver, attempting to render him unconscious!


If the grapple succeeded in beating the -sho's STR last turn, then there's no additional check for me to do this maneuver. It just costs the action and requires a Health ST for the -sho. If it fails, it is unconscious. If it succeeds it is stunned.

If the grapple was not yet successful, the contest continues this round. (Effect numbers of last round and this round being cumulative.)
Sumai #2! [1d20]=12 (if needed)

Turn 10, Phase 7:

Whether unconscious or stunned, Kentaro pulls the coil of rope from his belt and begins tying the creature up immediately!

(I love that hog-tying your foes is a Bushi favored skill...)

Apparently, even if they are unconscious, I need to roll. It is a matter of time-taken, I guess...
I am not sure what modifiers Jemmus wants to apply here.
Turn 10, phase 7: Hojojutsu! [1d20]=14 (Base BCS 6)
Turn 10, phase 3: Hojojutsu #2! [1d20]=10 (Base BCS 3)
Turn 11, phase 7: Hojojutsu #3! [1d20]=7 (Base BCS 6)
Turn 11, phase 3: Hojojutsu #4! [1d20]=6 (Base BCS 3)