Play@YSDC

I'm in a hurry so I haven't read your posts yet.

Question for Mr. Handy: Miskatonic Expansion adds 8 new Epic Battle cards to Kingsport's 16, do I shuffle them together and draw 16?

The rules say to shuffle all the green cards together, shuffle all the red cards together, and then put the green cards on top of the red cards.

We need twice as many hits to win, for a total of 110 (ten per Doom token). We'll be lucky if we get half of that. Once we start dropping, and we will as we fail our Focus rolls when Yibby attacks, the damage we can inflict will fall off. Also, anyone devoured loses his/her stuff, so whoever is currently the first player in a given round should have the weakest weapons. The exception is the Dynamite, which is a one-shot weapon anyway.

We do have a bunch of rerolls available. Mandy's Research can be used for anyone, so we will have to attack in the proper turn order until I've used it up. It will only reroll failed dice, preserving any successes. It cannot be used for the Focus rolls, but Blessing will help there. So will the Bullwhip, even if it's not in anyone's hand, but that only works for combat rolls on one die and only for whoever holds it. Marksman, on the other hand, rerolls all dice, whether they succeed or not. It should only be used when you roll poorly. We lose all of our Clues, but we do have Research Materials. That won't help on the Focus rolls either.

I don't want to use Dread Curse of Azathoth in the first round, as I can't maximize both my Lore and Fight at the same time. However, I could use it for a little while starting in the second round. Carolyn should use it in the first round, as she has better Lore. Carolyn's special ability will help for as long as she survives. I think I should use Shrivelling plus either the Enchanted Knife or the .38 Revolver. In fact, that may be a better long-term arrangement. I can still get +9 dice that way, with less chance of spell failure and less Sanity loss. Once my Sanity drops to 1, I could switch to the Brazier, which gives +8 dice. By then I won't need to use Focus to adjust sliders.

Peacehammer wrote:I don't think that I have played an epic battle before. What does that mean / what effects does that have?

They make the final battle more interesting/challenging: flavour text, additional conditions, etc.--I'll post the cards.




Upkeep
Fight up to 3, Will down to 4.
Trade with Michael: Sword of Glory for Dynamite; give to Mandy Crystal of the Elder Things + .38 revolver?


Upkeep
Fight up to 6, Will down to 1.
Trade, see above.


ProfToff's investigator is in danger of being devoured . . . I reckon the Brazier ought to go to someone else for this turn. If anyone thinks up a better trade than the ones I posted, go ahead and action these.

Let's finish our Upkeep and then I'll draw the first Epic Battle Card.

ooc

Mr. Handy wrote:Give the Dynamite to Carolyn. If she's devoured, she loses nothing. Someone else should hold Dread Curse this round. Luke should use the Brazier. I don't need the .38, I have the Enchanted Knife. I would like Shrivelling, though. However, if I have the .38 as well, it would help in the event that I fail my spell check. I could also use the Research Materials best.

I note you say Carolyn and not Rex, is this because the Epic Battle Variant does not mention that the first player marker is passed to the left--as in the base game rulebook? If so, the first player changes in round 2?

I'm happy with your trade suggestions.

ooc

Okay, I'll rule that Peacehammer is still the first player, so it is Carolyn facing up to Yibby this round. And next round, before Upkeep, the first player will become ProfToff.

So Carolyn could be devoured, therefore she has Dynamite and trades away everything else.

Where's ProfToff, BTW.

-double post-

Tabs wrote:Okay, I'll rule that Peacehammer is still the first player, so it is Carolyn facing up to Yibby this round.

Ok.



SANITY 6/6
STAMINA 3/4

SPEED/SNEAK 3/0
FIGHT/WILL 2/3
LORE/LUCK 5/2

Trade everything away for dynamite.

Do I roll to see whether I am devoured before I attack? Also, can I use research materials for this roll?

Peacehammer wrote:

Everything will be okay, don't worry.

Do I roll to see whether I am devoured before I attack? Also, can I use research materials for this roll?

No. The Epic Battle Cards are self-explanatory--you'll see after I post 'em--sometimes investigators attack first, sometimes the ancient one. And Research Materials, no, because "discard instead of spending a Clue token," and Clues are for skill checks.

OOC,I looked through the rules, and the Refresh phase is the same in the Epic Battle Variant. The first player marker is passed partway through that phase, so [b]Rex[/b] is now the first player and should get the Dynamite. This means that [b]Carolyn[/b] should keep Dread Curse of Azathoth and get the Crystal of the Elder Things. Also, give her one of the +6 weapons in case the spell check fails. I'm going under the assumption that I'm getting Shrivelling, the .38 Revolver, and the Research Materials. Also, [b]Carolyn[/b] forgot to use her special ability. I could use that Sanity point restored. Mudslides and The Great Ritual should be discarded at this point. [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3639454/]Roll to keep Blessing (on anything but a 1) (1d6=3)[/url]. [b]Mandy[/b] increases Fight from 2 to 3 and decreases Will from 3 to 2. [b]Mandy[/b] increases Lore from 2 to 3 and decreases Luck from 2 to 1.

Final Battle Round 1, Investigators Refresh

Mandy hurries through the gateway and finds herself back in the woods, where she is met with a horrifying sight. An enormous creature with thousands of glowing eyes is rampaging through the forest towards Arkham. "No, I'm too late!" she cries. "There's only one thing to do. I have to stop it or go down fighting." As she steels herself and advances on Yibb-Tstll, she sees four other people coming from town to join the battle, a couple of whom look familiar. They band together for the final conflict.

ooc

Mr. Handy wrote:I looked through the rules, and the Refresh phase is the same in the Epic Battle Variant.

I don't agree, the Kingsport rulebook says . . . actually, I don't care! I just want to play. Right--executive decision--Rex is the first player, Carolyn soothes Mandy 1 Sanity, and . . . I'll post for ProfToff tomorrow morning; then, we'll start the final battle.

Upkeep FB1(Focus 2)
Fight up 2 to 4

Trades and Weapons & Spells
Rex: Dynamite
Luke: Brazier
Michael: Sword of Glory
Mandy: .38 revolver, Shrivelling, Research Materials, Enchanted Knife, Bullwhip
Carolyn: Dread Curse, Crystal, Tommy Gun


The Final Battle


Two Worlds Being Torn Apart (MH) Battle Condition
"Strange debris was everywhere."
Keep this card in play for the rest of the game. For each "6" an investigator rolls during a Combat check (not including any die bonuses or penalties to the die) add an additional success to the total number of successes rolled.

For each "1" an investigator rolls during a Combat check (not including any bonuses or penalties to the die) reduce the total number of successes rolled by 1 (to a minimum of 0).

Immediately draw and resolve another Epic Battle card.

Time Stands Still (MH) Battle Condition
"Never before had I been so perfectly focused and clear. I took in the whole scene in detail."
Keep this card in play for the rest of the game. Investigators receive a +1 to all skill checks except Combat checks.

Each time an investigator is devoured, all remaining investigators lose their choice of either 1 Stamina or 1 Sanity. This loss cannot be reduced by any items or abilities.

Immediately draw and resolve another Epic Battle card.



Let's post in player order--we'll look at it next round, to see how it's working--: Rex, Luke, Michael, Mandy and Carolyn; if someone rolls badly, he may ask to use Mandy's "Research" (re-roll)--but that is down to Mr. Handy, so each player waits on the decision. But once "Research" has been used, post in any order (I cannot think of anything else that effects player order).
The Ancient One attacks last, Rex's focus is 2, ProfToff needs a success, or he is devoured.

Okay, here we go, ProfToff rolls first. 110 hits on Yibb-Tstll to save the world. . . .

Tabs wrote:The Final Battle
Two Worlds Being Torn Apart (MH) Battle Condition
"Strange debris was everywhere."
Keep this card in play for the rest of the game. For each "6" an investigator rolls during a Combat check (not including any die bonuses or penalties to the die) add an additional success to the total number of successes rolled.

For each "1" an investigator rolls during a Combat check (not including any bonuses or penalties to the die) reduce the total number of successes rolled by 1 (to a minimum of 0).

This one seems to be fairly neutral as it both helps and hinders, however as we have a few sources of re-rolls, I guess it will help make the sucesses bigger.

Tabs wrote:Time Stands Still (MH) Battle Condition
"Never before had I been so perfectly focused and clear. I took in the whole scene in detail."
Keep this card in play for the rest of the game. Investigators receive a +1 to all skill checks except Combat checks.

Each time an investigator is devoured, all remaining investigators lose their choice of either 1 Stamina or 1 Sanity. This loss cannot be reduced by any items or abilities.

Well, +1 to skill checks will make spellcasting easier, and the stamina loss isn't that bad because the GOO attack will either kill us or not, no actual damage, but sanity loss will affect spellcasting.

Tabs wrote:

Thank goodness it is only this round!

Overall, not too painful. Is there one of these cards per turn?

Tabs wrote:Trades and Weapons & Spells
Rex: Dynamite
Luke: Brazier
Michael: Sword of Glory
Mandy: .38 revolver, Shrivelling, Research Materials, Enchanted Knife, Bullwhip
Carolyn: Dread Curse, Crystal, Tommy Gun

I don't understand the reasoning behind these trades!! Is the GOO attack not againts focus and since Luke and Michael only have 1 focus and I have 2 why are they more likely to survive the first round *scratches head* Also if I am honest I don't remember ever agreeing to swap the Brazier and would not if sat at a table unless it seemed justified (which in this case I can't see!)

Sorry to seem pedantic but I just like to be clear before doing the rolling!

No, not pedantic at all. I guess because of your enforced absence you've missed some of the chat. It is only the first player who is at risk of being devoured and the first player is you! That is why you've got the Dynamite, if Rex doesn't make it to round 2 we haven't lost the good kit; he can have the Brazier back next round.

aaaaah, gotcha. Sorry hadn't read the GOO text proper, thought it was gonna be ultashort battle(still is ) In that case here goes the dynamite!!

-2 San to 1
Fight 4 (+1S) (+8D) = 13 Not sure if what the modifier is so I will take away dice from left to right)
13d6.hits(5)=7
Focus = 2
2d6.hits(5)=1
Huzzah, I live for a few more rounds

So it comes down to this. Rex found himself lined up in Main St with 4 other desperate looking individuals, a couple he had met fleetingly over the last couple of days. Passing his Brazier and parchment to his compatriots he found a stick of dynamite thrust into his hands in return. He reached into his pocket for a match, lit the stick and hurled it towards the centre of the amorphous, inky black cloud in front of him, trying to ignore the multitude of eyes which appeared at random and stared at him with evil malevolence. He could feel his sanity slipping away with every dread gaze. KABOOOOM went the thunderous explosion, and it took all of Rex's conentration to dodge to the side when a smoky pseudoped leapt out towards him.

Well done Rex! He loses 2 Sanity due to "Waves of Madness" Epic Battle card, which cannot be helped. Rex rolled: 3d6.hits(5) → [3,1,3,5,5,5,1,6,2,5,6,2,6] = (7), due to "Two Worlds Being Torn Apart" Battle Condition, 6s count as 2 successes, 1s reduce successes; and the combat modifier is -1--you said "take away dice from left to right," so drop the "3"; I reckon it's 7 +3 -2 =8 successes.



Round 1
Luke attacks and loses 2 Sanity. 3[Fight] +8[Brazier] -1[combat modifier] (1d6=1, 1d6=1, 1d6=3, 1d6=5, 1d6=2, 1d6=2, 1d6=3, 1d6=2, 1d6=4, 1d6=6); exhaust "Marksman" skill: R1(ii) vs. Yibby (1d6=3, 1d6=5, 1d6=1, 1d6=4, 1d6=6, 1d6=6, 1d6=1, 1d6=5, 1d6=6, 1d6=2); i reckon it's 5 +3 -2 =6 successes.



Round 1
Michael attacks and loses 2 Sanity. 6[Fight] +6[Sword] -1 [c.m.] (1d6=4, 1d6=5, 1d6=1, 1d6=3, 1d6=1, 1d6=6, 1d6=1, 1d6=4, 1d6=5, 1d6=5, 1d6=3); 4 +1 -3 =2 successes--pooh! (As Mandy is Blessed, she's the best investigator to use the re-roll.)

McGlen fluffed it