Summer 1222 Tribunal: The Tournament

Alright. Ideally these should not be random. The idea being you don't want the two strongest competitors (on paper) meeting up in the first round.
So, while I'm more than happy to do this, unless you randomize the abilities to match the names, you do run the risk of having the #1 and #2 meeting early on, instead of slogging their way through the finals.

I streamlined this quite a bit for the tournament games in Bibracte. Randomized results, and only worried about the PC(s) and who they might face, based on some idea of where they might rank. Alexei, probably should've been out in the second round, but the other guys had some rotten luck. He always ended up facing the guy who just squeaked through the last round, at least to the finals, and that was fixed a bit. :laughing:

Doing what you ask, though.
[tableborder][tr][td]Focus[/td][td]Gavril[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Ariel[/td][td]Theodolis[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Martinus[/td][td]Cerys[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Valentinus[/td][td]Mercurio[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Zan[/td][td]Iapetus[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Culhwch[/td][td]Iorwerth[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Hughes[/td][td]Caltis[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Deiectus[/td][td]Sinmore[/td][/tr][/tableborder]

This is essentially a Dimicatio, with the exception that each match lasts until one combatant scores three "touches" against his opponent.
You will cast spells at your opponent forcelessly (0 Penetration-- you can always opt to drop your penetration on any casting down to 0 with no penalty for doing so). Your opponent tries to fast-cast a defense. Each time someone fails to fast-cast a defense, their opponent scores a point. It is three points to win a match. Generally speaking, the bigger the offensive spell, the harder it is to fast-cast a defense.
Rules for fast-casting are on p.83. Common fast-cast defense options: either negate or redirect the magic itself (Perdo or Rego Vim), move out of the way of the spell (ReCo), or directly oppose the form of the spell itself (someone throws a rock at you with ReTe, you could PeTe to destroy the rock).


The very first match is Focus Flambonis vs. Gavril Tremeris; Focus destroys Gavril in a single round, as he multicasts five Balls of Abysmal Flame in rapid succession. Gavril uses Muto Ignem with an Animal requisite to turn the first fireball into a fluffy bunny, a Muto Vim with an Imaginem requisite to turn the second fireball into a harmless flash of light, and then he takes three fireballs to the face and is eliminated.


Use invisible castle to roll your own dice for these matches.


Group Phase, initiatives:

** Iapetus 7, Zan 5
Iapetus must cast a spell at Zan, with 0 penetration. Zan will try to fast-cast a defense against it, and return fire.


** Sinmore 2, Deiectus 4
Deiectus opens with a Ball of Abysmal Flame.

Iapetus is likely to be very out of his league with the experienced people around... and he's bad at most of the defensive options. So, might as well start with a big attempt. He'll cast Jupiter's Resounding Blow (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3504260/) successfully, since he can't technically fail this one.

Zan rolls a 3, +3 Finesse +1 Qik, which is barely enough to fastcast a defense.

He casts a lv 25 Mirror of Opposition (Auram) and wastes a 1,1,4 roll (20) on casting a spell with no penetration; the thunderclap that Iapetus creates turns upside down and directs its effects into the sky.

He counters with The Crystal Dart (MuReTe). (To fastcast a defense, your Qik+Finesse+Stress die must equal Zan's initiative, which is a 5. You take a -10 penalty on your casting total.)

Iapetus will have little trouble getting a defense up in time: 1d10+3=10. As far as a defense, Iapetus will have to settle with a spontaneous PeTe, unless my knowledge of that spell helps at all. Really, no damned clue what to do here... 1d10+9=12 Which will likely fail to do any damned thing. And probably fatigue him, if I remember the rules at all.

A counter spell is usually about 1/2 magnitude of the attacking spell, to negate the attack, and as long as the competing forms make sense. CrAq against CrIg. PeFo and PeVi are always good fallback mechanisms. The Dimicatio is a pain to compete in, one almost has to be hyper-optimized for it, which makes him a combat monkey with little else going for him. See Marcus of Tytalus for an idea of what I built to do well in the Dimicatio.

((Well, I'm trying to learn this game through the forums. It's hard, slow, and confusing. I have been in one campaign before, it met semi-regularly, and that was a long time ago. The only other thing I could think of is a CrTe to summon a wall. Unless CrAu would let me channel winds to deflect things. Honestly, I'm not too concerned, if Iapetus loses, he won't be heartbroken. He competes for the challenge, not for the victory. Losing and surviving is almost as good as struggling and winning. Winning with no challenge is boring.))

Ahh, a true Tytalus! :laughing:

((Oh yes, I decided to learn the game through slamming my forehead into a message board solely because it was more challenging, not because it was my only chance. :smiley: ))

Where's Sinmore?

Sinmore is at the refreshments tent getting a pre-tourney meal and keeping an eye out for that bastard Valten. She didn't see his name on the lists but wanted to make sure she didn't miss him.

You're supposed to be competing, you cotton-headed ninny muggins!

Valten is registered in the free-for-all melee. If Sinmore entered in that event, she had to send off letters of Wizard's War to each and every other magus entering that event, so if she's entered in it, she knows he's there.

((Doh! I keep missing these!))

Sinmore had rushed to the tourney grounds, still with sauce dripping from her fingers and chin. "Where are we doing this, here?" she asks and then looks up just as she hears the spell being cast. "Whoah!"

Fast Cast roll:
1d10+2 → [1,2] = (3) Exploder!
invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3509810/

Exploder dice:
1d10 → [4] = (4)
invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3509812/
Fast cast total 10

Spontaneous fast cast spell (Spending a fatigue):
Parry the Ball of Abysmal Flame ReIg
Knock aside a flaming ball using one's voice.
Base R: +2 D: 0 T: 0

Spell roll: Int 2 + Rego 6 + Ignem 18 + Aura 5 (?)
1d10+31 → [1,31] = (32) Woot! Exploder again!
invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3509820/

Exploder die:
1d10 → [1] = (1) Again! Yowza!
invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3509821/

2nd exploder die:
1d10 → [1] = (1) Oh...my God!
invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3509824/

3rd exploder die:
1d10 → [8] = (8)
invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3509826/

OK, 1 second, let do the math. 63 divided by 2, 31

Easily half the spell's level.

With a few blurted out words of Latin and hasty warding gesture she unleashed her spell.

Yeah, she didn't have the presence of mind to do that ahead of time.

Sinmore needs to return fire.

If I may make a suggestion, Iapetus' Muto is better than his Perdo, so he may be better lff changing the crystal dart back into dirt. That would gve him enough CT to counter the spell, and then cast a new attack.

One magus is in the crowd, when he sees this says to all the magi who are nearby, "That's bad form, indeed it is. Any apprentice who has learned the least little bit about Bonisagus' theory knows that was not a single spell, but in fact copies of the same spell. Each spell carries their own chance of failure or success. Yes, quite bad form. Would seem that the competition is rigged in his favor. Why I know a Tytalus in Normandy who would love to come compete here under these rules. Charming fellow name of Marcus. Poor chap got his legs taken out from under him when he was in the Sinai. Still gets around quite well, though." The only thing that stops the magus from droning on is a sneezing fit. "Damnable hayfever!"

For purposes of engagement, Attravere happens to be seated not far from the talkative magus nods in agreement at the first bit regarding multi-casting being separate spells, but then starts to lose interest when the subject detours into members of House Tytalus in other tribunals. Does Attravere recognize who the sneezing magus might be?

With a Perception of 2 and Awareness of 3, even while in the midst of a sneezing fit, Tektonius can see a magus nodding absently in agreement. After the fit he goes over and introduces himself. Tektonius appears to be a decade older than Attravere, and his brown hair has flecks of gray in it. "Look sharp their, my good man. I'm Tektonius, pleased to meet you." He's dressed in scholar's robes, standing out from everyone, except probably the magi of Schola Pythagoranis. "I see you agree with my assessment. Not many magi or magae around here who have the courage to stand up for what's right, nowadays!."