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'Sarge' Ezekiel

"Tonkawa shoot long, straight. We shoot fast, straight." he replies using their previous comment and turns down the trade offer, settling for the extra loading speed over extreme distance.

The wagon train is headed northwest, to Camp McKavett.

We should go that way, retrieving Charlie's favoured horse too.

Sorry for the delay posting. I'll try to speed things up going forward.

The scouts recall that the wagon master said that the train would move as quickly as it could to water for the livestock, then circle the wagons and wait for the Army. To get Charlie's horse Pict back, they'll need to go to the train and wait for Sykes come with the Army and return it, or find Sykes himself. Last night he rode for Camp Mason. and his estimated arrival in the wagon train's area is around noon today. If the Army mobilizes quickly and travels fast. And if he made it to Camp Mason last night. It's around 9:00 AM now.

Sarge and Charlie leave the Tonkawa scouts and ride back toward the wagon road from San Antonio to Fredericksburg and beyond, to Camp Mason and Camp McKavett. As they top hills and rises, they observe the prairie land in all directions.

Please roll Observation rolls. Orientation rolls could provide some benefit too.

Charlie

Observation (16) [1d20]=13 Orienteering (10) [1d20]=3

Not as concerned about getting Pict back as I am with the safety of the wagon train.

'Sarge' Ezekiel

Ezekiel: Observation (14) [1d20]=13 Luck (7) [1d20]=6

More buzzards, campfire smoke, galloping Comanche?

The scouts see six horsemen top a rise to the north, the same time they top one on their east northeast ride to the road and the settlers' wagons. The riders stop their walking horse and quietly observe, at around 400 yards. The scouts, experienced with the dress and habits of the various tribes, know who the riders are. Comanches. Of course. Six of them. One walks his horse forward 10 steps and stops. He's got a long, old muzzle loading rifle laid across his horse's shoulders. He seems to say something over his shoulder to the other riders. Two of the other men seem to have rifles or carbines in beaded and quilled deer hide sheathes lying along their horses' shoulders. One carries a long lance, made for killing big bull and cow buffalo. The rest have no firearms showing. But the distance is around 400 yards. It's impossible to see a pistol on a man or horse at this distance.

'Sarge' Ezekiel

"I can see this going awry." he says.

The way I potentially see this is the one with the rifle tries to shoot us and the others ride in to scalp us at close quarters. My horse is intelligent, strong and gifted. I have no doubt that it has stamina for a chase, is calm under gunfire, it even has the 'leap through fire' knowledge trick.

My own riding skill is 19. And rifle 4. So if 'muzzle injun' puts a bead on me or Charlie, I will return the compliment.

Ezekiel: Rifle (4): Careful Shot vs Dex 17 [1d20]=17

Charlie

Charlie will ready his lever action, but knows this could turn bad fast once shooting starts so will be ready but not start the shooting.

Turn 1
Initiative
Here's the Comanches' roll:
[1d6]=6
And another, in case a tie-breaker is needed.
[1d6]=2
Losing side has to declare their actions: Shoot; Move; Move and Shoot; or Delay Action and do something at end, when somebody already done something. It's a Combat Round, where everybody gets 2 Careful Shots.

Going in alphabetical order, Charlie, please roll initiative for the scouts.
(If you guys want to save a step next turn and have GM roll for both sides, please let me know. I can post initiative rolls quickly. It's just posting GM text posts that's slow for me).

Charlie

Initiative [1d6]=3 Tie Breaker [1d6]=6

I don't mind if you roll our initiative too.

'Sarge' Ezekiel

There is an advantage in knowing if we win or lose initiative and in pbp, it can get confusing to hold actions, "I will do this when he does that" but he does something different.

For any success with my first shot:
Wound Location [1d20]=7 Severity [1d6]=6

My second shot:

Ezekiel: Rifle (4): Careful Shot vs Dex 17 [1d20]=2

Wound Location [1d20]=9 Severity [1d6]=6

My attacks are focused on the 'muzzle gun' injun, moving along once he drops.

"I will take those on the left Charlie, you take out the three on the right."

Charlie

Charlie works is way outside in on the right 3.

Rifle (1) Dex 15 [1d20]=13 Wnd Loc [1d20]=12 Severity [1d6]=2

Turn 1
The scouts won the tiebreaker roll for initiative with a 6. I won't post the roll, because you guys won.
Comanches state their actions (in order from north to south (the scouts are facing west))
1 (rifle sheathe) - Will move, galloping
2 (lance) - Will gallop
3 (no visible weapon - Will gallop
4 (muzzle loading rifle) - Will gallop
5 (rifle sheathe) - Will shoot
6 (no visible weapon - Will gallop

The range at the start of the turn is 400 yds, Extreme range for a lever action rifle (-5). Target galloping, (-4). There are other penalties if the shooter moves and shoots (p.26).
This a Combat Turn, so the scouts can take 1 or 2 shots, then the Comanches can take 1 or 2 shots. You can revise your posted actions, now that you have more information on the Comanches and the range.
Please note BH's rules on horses in gunfights that I just posted in OOC.

Charlie

Charlie dismounts quickly, unlatches his saddle and pulls it off, tossing it on the ground. He then slaps the horse on the rump and drops prone behind the saddle, resting his rifle on the saddle, pointing at the on coming Comanches. He will start shooting once they close to a more reasonable range.

'Sarge' Ezekiel

Ezekiel: Rifle (4): Careful Shot vs Dex 17 [1d20]=9

Ezekiel: Rifle (4): Careful Shot vs Dex 17 [1d20]=18

Did I not any anyone with my previous shots?

Ignoring the Comanche with the long range breechloader single-shot Sharps rifle, Sarge fires on the man with the old big bore muzzle-loader. A slow weapon, but with decent range, and a terrible punch. He sights at the man galloping forward from 400 yard out and the loud report of his lever action rifle rings across the quiet brushy prairie. His horse doesn't twitches a muscle after the explosion over its head and ears. Drawing a bead on the rider again, he fires. The charging rider twists from the horse's back and drops to the grass. Ezekiel raises his eye from the rifle sights to peer at the Comanche, but sees no sign of movement at all. The rider's pinto mustang looks strong and continues to gallop forward on its course, but with some uncertainly, and glancing back to the left and right. Again after the second shot, Sarge's horse hardly moves a hoof or a muscle, though it gives a nervous swish of its tail. Sarge thinks, "Yeah. This old horse is a fighter. It's a brave one."

Charlie swing his leg over the saddle bow, dismounts, unbuckles the cinch belt under the loaned horse, and slaps its flank. She takes that as permission to walk back away from some steps from the direction her rider is intently concentrating on. From riding, Charlie knows she's a strong young mare, and the man back at the wagon circle said she's a sure footed cutting horse who can get in front of cattle and turn their heads toward where they ought to. She'll also come trotting up at a whistle. Charlie doesn't hardly know how to make use of either skill in this particular situation. He throws the saddle on the ground, goes prone behind it, rests his rifle, and sights.

The galloping Comanches yell to each other in their language and urge their horses on. The two with rifles come straight from the west. Another with a now visible bow reins his horse in by the felled man, leaps down and takes the muzzle loader and shoulder pouch, and quickly mounts again. The man with a lance angles northwest, and another with a bow angles southwest.



We have three rolls for two turns for Ezekiel. Charlie's action changed after getting more detailed information.

The first two will apply to this turn. The third will carry over into the next turn. That may be another Combat Turn or it may become a quick Shootout Turn.
1st shot
17 Coordination. +4 Rifle -5 Extreme range -4 Target Galloping. Net = -4. 17 roll misses.
Horse's Gun skill roll
[1d20]=1
2nd shot
Net = -4. 9 roll hits. Wound location 9 - left shoulder. Wound severity 6 - mortal wound. Luck roll - [1d20]=17
Sarge's horse made two successful Gun rolls.
Range:
Rifle men - 368 yards
Dead man and new muzzle loader man - 400 yards
Lance and bow men - 400 yards.

Turn 2
Initiative[1d6]=1 Tiebreaker[1d6]=1

Charlie

Charlie will start shooting at approximately 200 yards. Braced shots, aimed, slow fire.

You can go ahead and roll for me as many times as you feel meet his criteria.

Scouts' initiative
[1d6]=2[1d6]=1
Scouts win

Rifle Comanches with move, galloping
Muzzle loader will move, galloping
Bow will move, galloping
Lance will move, galloping

'Sarge' Ezekiel

Having shot the first, I will train my rifle upon 'Lance'

Ezekiel: Rifle (4): Careful Shot vs Dex 17 [1d20]=3Wound Location [1d20]=20 Severity [1d6]=6

and then upon 'Muzzle'

Ezekiel: Rifle (4): Careful Shot vs Dex 17 [1d20]=15Wound Location [1d20]=18 Severity [1d6]=5

Tracking Ezekiel's shots.
Turn 1 - Fired and missed before we rolled initiative. -5 extreme range, -4 target galloping. Fired a second shot (in a subsequent post), same modifiers, killed muzzle loader man.
Turn 2 - Scouts win initiative. Hits Muzzle again with first shot of this turn. First shot of a subsequent post hits (same modifiers). A later post says switched targets to the lance man. Killed him.
Turn 3 - Rolling for initiative for this turn now. First shot carried over from the previous post misses with an 18. The first shot from this turn kills the rider with the lance. Depending on what happens with Sarge's horse's Gun skill rolls. We'll need four of those for four shots after the first roll. (Let's just see what happens before we decide about reversing any historical events).
Turn 4 - There's an extra roll from the last post carrying over into this turn. We'll disregard, because it would be predictive of the future. (And it missed anyway).

Sarge changed targets and

Sarge changes targets to the Comanche with a lance galloping to the right to the northwest. He elevates his rifle barrel for the very long shot, and a second later the man tumbles from his light wooden saddle. Charlie waits lying behind his saddle for the riders to come into better range.

Turn 3
Initiative (with tiebreaker rolls)
NPCs - [1d6]=1[1d6]=2
PCs - [1d6]=3[1d6]=1
The NPCs will move, fast.