OK, that was not acceptable. How difficult will it be to place an Eye so that its border falls between Ghori and her putative prey?
Scott
OOC: It will be Finesse + Per check to target, and a tough as Lady Ghori is very close to the three humans...Target vs 9+, I'll use random to see where it misses if needed.
Also if the Fae will see your words of gestures you should also include an initiative check because casting a spell in striking range might not be wise.
My suss: 10 cubics paces is pretty big as a three dimensional area, and putting that on one humanoid without affecting the others standing close by will be tricky. Lady Ghori is standing in melee range holding a longspear. Let's also say that you as the caster can choose to not use all of it (?) and/or choose how it gets orientated and shaped (?). It's not said specifically how targeting a big area works, or how much of the huge volume has to be used in the spell. I think Eye of the Wizard’s Swamp is from 3rd ed too originally - used to be called "what unarmed soldiers"..
It would have been a 4th Edition, because that's the edition she was created under (and she had the spell at character creation), but I could have sworn it was a modified version of a canonical spell, with a new name. I can't seem to find the original source, though.
I suspect the area of effect is fixed, in any case, because that's how Ars Magica formulaics usually work.
If Eye is going to be dangerous to the grogs, let's test Ghori's Might. We'll try a MuHe spont to turn the shaft of the spear into a limp vine. That's a base of 3, +2 for range Voice for a 5; while the effect is only Inst, that's long enough for the thing to bend too much to be useful. We also need to deal with Constantine.
Initiative for Constantine: +9 Qui + stress die 5 = 14
Initiative for Viola: +1 Qui + stress die 4 = 5
Constantine will likely use his Courtship Dance to distract Ghori's minions:
Athletics 5 +1 for flying specialty +3 Dex + stress die 2 = 9. That uses one Might.
When she's able, Viola will then cast her spont on Ghori's spear, using Innate Spontaneous Magic and Potent Spontaneous Magic (meaning this costs Fatigue):
(Muto 12 + 2 x He 6 + Sta 2 + Aura ? + stress die 7) / 2 = 17 + Aura/2; that makes the penetration 17 + Aura/2 + Penetration 1 - spell level 5 = 13 + Aura/2
If the aura is, say, 5, that's going to penetrate if Ghori's Might is 10 or less.
Scott
[OOC: the Courtship Dance will affect everyone not expecting it, so rolls by Theodoric as well as the Fae. I'll give Simon a pass as he is transfixed anyway at present. Let's set Aura at 5 because I'm not sure what level it was on the previous regio level]
The Dance is unexpected and as delightful as ever to those who see it, resulting in the red-fox hissing at the butterfly, the bipedal rabbit staring at the dance which in turn breaks the hold on Simon, and the songbird is momentarily distracted too. Lady Ghori is not and obviously knows something is amiss, though doesn't act very quickly. Theodoric is unaffected by the dance.
Likewise though your spont spell is ineffective on Lady Ghori and she looks pissed; she sings a loud high note as she strikes out with the spear at you.
Strike against Viola, Att +13, same round as your spear-spell.
The other fae appear to be gathering themselves.
[OK, I appear to have been confused: I thought Ghori was between Viola and the grogs, threatening the grogs directly, not Viola. I'm afraid there's a strong chance this is about to kill her, but let's see what happens.]
A defense roll:
Brawl 1 + 1 for dodge specialization + stress die 0 = 2
That's an attack advantage of 11, and a long spear has a damage modifier of +6, for a total of 17 + Ghori's Str. Viola has a Soak of 2, and Small Frame, so, unless the spear is some sort of magical construct that can be resisted by Parma Magica, that's an Incapacitating wound or (if Ghori's Str is at least +2) Dead.
Do you want me to stat up another magus?
Scott
Wait a second--can I fast-cast instead of dodge even though I've already cast a spell this round? I didn't think Viola could do that, but I dn't see anything in the fast-cast rules on pg. 83 that prevents it (it does mention a penalty to multiple fast-cast spells in a round, but nothing about fast-casting after a normal spont).
But what does "not exploit any other spellcasting options" mean? Would that apply to Viola's (three) sponting Virtues?
Mind you, I'm not sure it matters--with a roll of 0, the fast-casting speed would be Finesse 3 +1 Qui, for a total of 4, which is unlikely to beat anything. Viola could however spend up to 2 Confidence Points, which would raise the total to 10, which might or might not match Ghori's Qui + 2 + stress die + 2 for the spear. Would Ghori have been penalized for only deciding to attack after Viola cast her spell?
As a point of game play: I wish I had all the options at my fingertips like I did at one point in my life--let alone that I had put the thought into it that a real maga would--but the reality is that I haven't read some of these rules in years (in the case of fast-casting, possibly not since ArM5 was published 14 years ago). If you're going to put my character in mortal peril, could you please give me some prompts about obvious options? That goes double for what was supposed to have been a short adventure we're running only because we needed to get it done before pushing the saga along for the next 2 years--in that circumstance, I tend to hurry rather than carefully ask questions about every move.
Scott
OOC: I don’t believe in killing characters, in Ars deaths should be story choices by players and not dice rolls. Your Maga isn’t in mortal peril. IMHO companions are a little more at risk, Grogs are the red shirts if they are needed.
To be plain I’m sketchy on Ars mechanics too, but the fae were not intended to wipe the three humans and certainly still won’t.
That said, I thought there might have been some other options and I thought you were on the right track when you plonked the bear into the pool quick smart.
- the toy maker said these fae were nasty
- Your combative grog has yet to do anything and toe to toe could easily beat all the minor fae. All are cowards except the bear and Lady Ghouri
If you prefer I can skip the rest, debrief how I thought it might play out and we can wrap this?
Is anyone controlling Theodoric? I haven't specified actions for him because he's an independent character, and in the absence of another player, I was assuming you would. (Actually, Constantine is supposed to be independent, too, but it's usually pretty obvious that Constantine will start out with Courtship Dance.)
Yes, I was prepared for the possibility that they'd want to fight it out, and it's entirely in-character for Viola not to take that possibility as seriously as she should. It might have been a little too conservative to try a low-level spell first--but I didn't realize the spear was in reach of her, and I was planning to launch a much more potent spont with her next action, probably with some vis added in. I can still do that, but with the poor roll, I don't think she can fast-cast quickly enough. Could Theodoric have struck her before she went after Viola?
Scott
He would strike before Lady Ghouri - roll / act away.
[OOC: The other option is that Theodoric should really be Defending Viola - which means she can't be attacked until he's out of the way.
If you really need the cavalry coming in, Gregorius does have Premonitions, so there's a reason he might turn up in a hurry, probably bringing Alcimus with him.]
He could certainly be shielding the maga, good call.
I was thinking that Viola had kept the grogs behind her, but I was apparently confusing her actions in this story with those in the Demeter story, and that's where my confusion about who was where came from. She was actually more cautious than usual:
In any case, even if she'd kept the grogs behind her, Theodoric, an experienced shield grog, might have resisted. We really need people to play the grogs (and, ideally, Constantine). Salutor, could you play Theodoric at least? Would any of our new players like to join in?
Scott
I'll give first call to the new players (there are two grogs - Theodoric, a middle-aged combat grog statted here: https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/covenfolk-character-sheets/5242/1)
If no-one wants to play them, then yes I'll take Theodoric.
Theodoric wasn't a man of big words, but the silent type. He had been waiting to defend Viola as needed. He didn't scream Noooooo! or anything foolish like that but simply stepped forward to interpose himself between the petite maga and the fairie's cruel spear. Of course, he was afraid, for being afraid is what keeps you alive in battle.
His shield, deftly raised, took the blow.
"Orders?", he asked.
Defense 10 + (confidence point spent: he is cautions+2) 3 + roll 4 (you don't seem to be using an online dice roller, if you do I'll use it) = Def +17 -->nothing happens?
The shield block is successful to the frustration of the lithe fae who sings a short sharp sound.
...
OOC: next actions, next round. Lady Ghouri is last initiative, the other smaller fae around 5s at this stage. Safe to say that all the humans are in close range to Lady Ghouri with the maga protected. The rabbit and fox are many paces away atop a stone boulder, and the songbird closer to them between the two groups. The snow continues to fall.
..So your actions.
Viola is annoyed. However, she's not ready to kill Ghori yet, and so she's not going to whack her with Life-linked Spontaneous Magic and a pile of vis (that trick probably only works once, so it had better be the final word).
Instead, she'll CrHe a log under Ghori's feet, figuring that's easier to aim than Eye, and let her trip as she lunges toward Theodoric. That's a base 1, with a +2 for Voice range, so a 3.
The casting total: (Cr 8 + He 6 +2 Sta) / 5 = 3--no roll or Fatigue required for the spell itself.
However, we shall roll Finesse for targeting...probably a Qui roll:
Finesse 3 + 1? for precision specialty +1 Qui + stress die...and a botch. Ugh.
Scott
[ OOC: Did you actually botch or just zero the Finesse roll? ]
If an actual botch the log is created at your own feet (resolve Pen/movement impacts), otherwise the log lands nowhere particularly dangerous aside the path.
[hr][/hr] Init order: Constantine 14, Viola 5, Smaller fae 4, Theodoric 3, Lady Ghouri 2,
I botched the Finesse roll. It's obviously not going to pen her Parma (it's not range Pers, so it would have to), but it's still in the way (that was the point, to create an object that would interfere with Ghori without having to penetrate), so I suppose she trips over it, or makes some kind of Athletics roll?
An Athletics roll would probably be:
Athletics 0 + 0 Dex + stress die 0 (and she manages not to botch despite not having Athletics, unless you want me to roll 6 or more botch dice--I got another 0 on #6).
Scott
(I think it’s enough say that the low athletics check result means that Viola can’t easily move till the start of her next action. Call it a movement penalty)
Was her familiar repeating the use of the distract power?
Sure, Constantine can attempt to dazzle again--it may not do much, but he's not really a cut out for combat. [Maybe Viola could enchant a laser turret into his bond....]
Ideally, we could get someone else to play Constantine--he's supposed to be Independent.
Scott