Pt. 3: "Showdown at Biggs Ranch"

Auren halts the horses, "We can conduct this interview from a jail cell if you prefer, Bossman. While this may be 'your land', that land is in the State of Arizona (territory?) in the United States. As such - you, your agents and your land are subject to both State and Federal laws. I can be impolite and unfriendly too, but that doesn't mean you can get away with murder. I already told you that 3 times in as many days your agents have attempted to take my life or the lives of others."

Auren returns the hard stare, "You told me you didn't know anything about that business back in the watering hole, now you say you sent Bain on 'special operations' to kick ass and make your business run right. You got 1 more chance to come clean or you going for a long stay in the Crossbar Motel and I will come back here with a full posse and a search warrant. Tell me the truth, Biggs."

(he is still under the effects of Coersion, until he leaves my presence)


"What the Infernal Hell was that blast Biggs?"

Was that jp's dynamite or someone elses?

Biggs, and his two bodyguards, are with Tommy and Auren outside the lodge, near their horses at the hitching post. Everyone hears the explosion at the gate.

"What in tarnation is going on?" exclaims Biggs. "Sina, go check that out," he orders and the woman quickly mounts her horse and rides towards the gate.

Turning to the heroes, he looks irate and asks, "you wouldn't know anything about gunfire and explosions, would you marshal?"

navyik wrote:Was that jp's dynamite or someone elses?

It was JP's dynamite bundle. The well-dressed man ignited it with a well-placed Heat Ray.

Robyo wrote:
Turning to the heroes, he looks irate and asks, "you wouldn't know anything about gunfire and explosions, would you marshal?"

"I do not, Biggs. Unless your agents are assaulting my other deputy that I left waiting outside the gate. You know, Bossman, I am suddenly not feeling very welcome here. Place your hands behind your back, you are under arrest."

Auren will secure Biggs with his MW manacles. (and no Miranda for another 80 yrs )

Tommy hasn't dropped his rifle at all yet, as soon as the marshal talks about arrest... he point's it back up at the Bossman

Everyone roll initiative. Biggs isn't going peacefully...

Tommy:

Roll(1d20)+5:
16,+5
Total:21

9+4=13

initiative
Result of the throw of dice "1d20" :

11


just asking.... has it actually been 5 minutes?

you successfully bully a creature into being cooperative for 5 minutes......A coerced creature does what you ask
but with minimal effort and only while you remain in line of sight or
hearing.

That was one of the reason I decided for arrest, I felt like it was dragging out. It was never my intention to go all the way to his house and have tea with him. I was just trying to use my 5 minutes to force him to answer questions and get some of his people away (at least the second part worked).

Shouldn't Biggs have to comply with being arrested if it within the 5 minutes? I didn't mean to assume the action of shackling him, but I was assuming his compliance was mandatory, given the time frame.

Or are we going into initiative because his bodyguard is going to fight us? (and Biggs is already cuffed)

Coercion is a powerful tool, but in this case, Norman's cooperation doesn't extend to becoming passively arrested. He is not the one to act. The 5 minutes isn't over yet, but his bodyguard gets aggressive when Auren pulls out the manacles. Biggs isn't cuffed yet. Once combat begins, Norman is no longer obliged to being coerced.

Initiative:
1) Tommy
2) JP
3) Storm
4) Auren

Fair enough and makes sense.... I could rules-lawyer ya, but not this time

"Kill the gun-hand, Tommy!" Auren declares "Bossman, you best eat some dust if you don't want to get hurt."

Auren remembers the loud explosion and JP's penchant for dynamite, "I hope JP is ok... and I hope he has more dynamite!" the marshall thinks to himself.

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locations:

B-1: JP's corpse
D-9: JP's eidolon
E-9: Stranger
E-10: Grog (guard)
F-10: dead guard's horse
I-6: horsed rider heading SW towards gate
M-5: ox-drawn wagon with rider
0-16: Sina (Bigg's bodyguard) on horse, heading N towards gate
U-17: Lennie (inside lodge)
V-17: Sarge (inside lodge)
V-18: Bud (inside lodge)
S-21: Auren
S-22: Tommy
T-20: High Dollar (tethered to hitching post)
T-22: Goliath (hitching post)
R-29: Storm (Bigg's bodyguard)
S-29: Norman Biggs
V-21: Storm's horse (hitching post)
V-23: Biggs' horse (hitching post)

What sort if weapons have the dead hands left on the ground?

navyik wrote:What sort if weapons have the dead hands left on the ground?

There's a shotgun, rifle, revolver, and a bowie knife.

"Bossman, you don't know me and I don't know you... but the Marshall here is an honest,er, hombre. If you're innocent of mischief, you'll go free. Let's not make this... messy." Tommy is holding his action to see what his bodyguards do.

Robyo wrote:Everyone roll initiative. Biggs isn't going peacefully...

Robyo wrote:Coercion is a powerful tool, but in this case, Norman's cooperation doesn't extend to becoming passively arrested. He is not the one to act. The 5 minutes isn't over yet, but his bodyguard gets aggressive when Auren pulls out the manacles. Biggs isn't cuffed yet. Once combat begins, Norman is no longer obliged to being coerced.

Initiative:
1) Tommy
2) JP
3) Storm
4) Auren

I think their intentions are obvious - FIRE FIRE FIRE! (before I get into melee with the bodyguard, we got to drop him fast before the others get here, keep the fight manageable) and think about getting some cover

Jp will magehand the bowie knife to attack grog from the strangers waist level (hoping to turn them against eachother.

13+5=18 vs. Ref. + whatever bonus the bowie knife may have (+do i get any advantage for surprize?)

Damage 1d4+2=3

Look! Up in the sky... it's a bird, it's a plane.... it's the Blue Avenger Super Grover!

\kicks self for being a jerk

oh fuck it, blast Grog...

"you don't look like much of a guard"

using Sucker Shot

Attack:

Roll(1d20)+10:
20,+10
Total:30

SWEET!!

Damage:
Roll(2d12)+5:
10,7,+5
Total:22

Sucker Shot damage:

Roll(1d6)+0:
2,+0
Total:2

whit10 wrote:oh fuck it, blast Grog...

Grog can you even see Grog?

or did you mean "Storm" the bodyguard that is with Auren, Tommy and Biggs?

Grog is over by the gate, near JP.

oops, my mistake... Storm it is.

Ba cant fly til he gets advanced abilities...

I think I see him hiding next to that cactus!

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He cant fight against evil when his feelings are hurt.

navyik wrote:Jp will magehand the bowie knife to attack grog from the strangers waist level (hoping to turn them against eachother.

13+5=18 vs. Ref. + whatever bonus the bowie knife may have (+do i get any advantage for surprize?)

Damage 1d4+2=3

You get a surprise attack, but that's all. Grog and stranger aren't in initiative yet. Next round, there will be many more folks taking actions.

JP stabs Grog using the knife with his telekinetic powers (no bonus).

"Eh?" Grog looks around and sees the knife floating in thin air (you didn't say you dropped it). He looks bewildered and exasperated. "What the grungar is going on around here?"

"I tell you there is magic afoot," replies the stranger. "Just earlier, I spied a man staking out this ranch. I proceeded to shoot him down dead in the dirt like a dog. But when I searched his body, a visage of him appeared standing beside himself. That is when the dynamite bundle started floating."

Neither of them seem to notice JP.

whit10 wrote:

using Sucker Shot

Attack:

Roll(1d20)+10:
20,+10
Total:30

SWEET!!

Damage:
Roll(2d12)+5:
10,7,+5
Total:22

Sucker Shot damage:

Roll(1d6)+0:
2,+0
Total:2

Did you roll a crit? It would be max damage, bypassing DR, if you did.

Tommy shoots Storm. He takes it like a champ.

Storm stays where he is and snaps a whip off his belt and uses it to try and Disarm Auren (melee attack with a 15' reach):
23vsRef = Auren's sword lands in square R-22.


Auren is up...

Robyo wrote:Storm stays where he is and snaps a whip off his belt and uses it to try and Disarm Auren (melee attack with a 15' reach):
23vsRef = Auren's sword lands in square R-22.

So his sword is diagonally 1 sq SW of Auren? west of Tommy and 10' total (not counting the first diagonal) from Storm, who is west of Biggs?

Is it a move action to pick up his sword since it is adjacent to him?


***EDIT***

Chris wrote:
"I do not, Biggs. Unless your agents are assaulting my other deputy that I left waiting outside the gate. You know, Bossman, I am suddenly not feeling very welcome here. Place your hands behind your back, you are under arrest."

Auren will secure Biggs with his MW manacles. (and no Miranda for another 80 yrs )

actually, Auren did not have his Greatsword drawn. His last action was attempting to arrest Biggs, so he had his manacles in hand, not his sword.

Yes, I rolled a crit.

Damage should be 29 plus the 2 from sucker shot, unless that also gets maxed (1d6), in which case the final total is 35.

And I thought critical hits went directly to wounds?

whit10 wrote:
And I thought critical hits went directly to wounds?

that's Star Wars

SW - no max damage, straight to wounds, yes DR
Radiance - yes max damage, no DR, hits vitality

Robyo wrote:

"Eh?" Grog looks around and sees the knife floating in thin air (you didn't say you dropped it).

Didnt say i pulled it back out of his flesh either... unless you just really dont WANT jp's ploy to succeed... part of the problem of the time disconnect and broken nature of typed conversation. If im constantly forced to over technicalize my moves you will get about one move a week from me cuz i post these things with about 1 minute of time to type.

Chris wrote:

Robyo wrote:Storm stays where he is and snaps a whip off his belt and uses it to try and Disarm Auren (melee attack with a 15' reach):
23vsRef = Auren's sword lands in square R-22.

So his sword is diagonally 1 sq SW of Auren? west of Tommy and 10' total (not counting the first diagonal) from Storm, who is west of Biggs?

Is it a move action to pick up his sword since it is adjacent to him?


***EDIT***

Chris wrote:
"I do not, Biggs. Unless your agents are assaulting my other deputy that I left waiting outside the gate. You know, Bossman, I am suddenly not feeling very welcome here. Place your hands behind your back, you are under arrest."

Auren will secure Biggs with his MW manacles. (and no Miranda for another 80 yrs )

actually, Auren did not have his Greatsword drawn. His last action was attempting to arrest Biggs, so he had his manacles in hand, not his sword.

You did not state that you were sheathing your sword. It was already out, as part of coercing Biggs. You grabbed the manacles, but Auren can do that one-handed. As for securing Biggs, that did not happen. You guys tend to overstate things (which is fine, since the pace of play-by-post is slow and often uneven), so I have to clarify, but that's fine. Auren is disarmed. Yes, it landed diagonally adjacent to him.

whit10 wrote:Yes, I rolled a crit.

Damage should be 29 plus the 2 from sucker shot, unless that also gets maxed (1d6), in which case the final total is 35.

And I thought critical hits went directly to wounds?

I'll allow the extra points of damage this time, but it is the last time I will remind anyone of this. I have multiple-times stated what Crits do, and it's certainly in the rulebook. Since you seem to roll "20's" at least 50% of the time, then you should know it by now too.

navyik wrote:

Robyo wrote:

"Eh?" Grog looks around and sees the knife floating in thin air (you didn't say you dropped it).

Didnt say i pulled it back out of his flesh either... unless you just really dont WANT jp's ploy to succeed... part of the problem of the time disconnect and broken nature of typed conversation. If im constantly forced to over technicalize my moves you will get about one move a week from me cuz i post these things with about 1 minute of time to type.

Well, after DR, you damaged him for 1 point of vitality. Vitality isn't really wounds, so it wasn't "sticking out of his flesh." Barely a pin prick.

Yes, it would help if you were more technical in stating your moves and actions. I've asked repeatedly for more explicit directions and coordinates when you move. It's a lot of work on my part too!

Sorry, Rob, I think since this encounter has gone on for such a long time, with breaks from all of us, we get confused as to what is happening.

For instance, I thought that we were actively riding our horses down the road to Biggs' house. It was just Biggs, Tommy and Auren.

Robyo wrote:
Then he gestures to his bodyguards and they exit. He turns to the heroes. "Let us ride our horses down the road to my humble home."

Chris wrote:Auren halts the horses, "We can conduct this interview from a jail cell if you prefer, Bossman. While this may be 'your land', that land is in the State of Arizona (territory?) in the United States. As such - you, your agents and your land are subject to both State and Federal laws. I can be impolite and unfriendly too, but that doesn't mean you can get away with murder. I already told you that 3 times in as many days your agents have attempted to take my life or the lives of others."

So in my view, my sword was put away since we were mounted. I don't really understand why the bodyguards are still around at all, honestly. I intentionally had Biggs send them away while he was under coercion, which he did.

I think we all just have different pictures of what is going on. We try to adapt to changes as they come and go, so apologies for overstating, but sometimes it just helps keep things moving along, until we run into disparate interpretations of events - which leads to frustration on everyone's part.

I assumed the shackle of Biggs because he was still under coercion and there were no bodyguards around to interfere, since he sent them away and I thought we were all mounted on horses and riding to his house privately.
I was trying to AVOID further combat by not provoking the bodyguards when they were around. I would have either had Biggs send them away (again) or not forced the arrest if that didn't work. I never intended to that in front of his 2 bodyguards.

I probably should have said a big "WHOA NELLY!" when you called for initiative with the bodyguards, but like I said, we all try to roll with what the GM says is happening, even when we didn't see it that way.

So.... I guess if we are stuck in combat with the current situation..... my other question was 'is it a move action to pick up the sword off the ground?'

yeah man, sorry but when there's four pages of dialog, it gets a bit confusing.

[quote="Robyo"]

whit10 wrote:Yes, I rolled a crit.


I'll allow the extra points of damage this time, but it is the last time I will remind anyone of this. I have multiple-times stated what Crits do, and it's certainly in the rulebook. Since you seem to roll "20's" at least 50% of the time, then you should know it by now too.

I'm rolling them 50% of the time? Wow... kinda surprised that anything is surviving if that's true.

Josh's dice are either blazing hot or freezing cold.... been that way for 20 years.

watch his Jedi get a string of 1s

Thanks for jinxing me Chris

Chris wrote:Sorry, Rob, I think since this encounter has gone on for such a long time, with breaks from all of us, we get confused as to what is happening.

For instance, I thought that we were actively riding our horses down the road to Biggs' house. It was just Biggs, Tommy and Auren.

Robyo wrote:
Then he gestures to his bodyguards and they exit. He turns to the heroes. "Let us ride our horses down the road to my humble home."

Chris wrote:Auren halts the horses, "We can conduct this interview from a jail cell if you prefer, Bossman. While this may be 'your land', that land is in the State of Arizona (territory?) in the United States. As such - you, your agents and your land are subject to both State and Federal laws. I can be impolite and unfriendly too, but that doesn't mean you can get away with murder. I already told you that 3 times in as many days your agents have attempted to take my life or the lives of others."

So in my view, my sword was put away since we were mounted. I don't really understand why the bodyguards are still around at all, honestly. I intentionally had Biggs send them away while he was under coercion, which he did.

I think we all just have different pictures of what is going on. We try to adapt to changes as they come and go, so apologies for overstating, but sometimes it just helps keep things moving along, until we run into disparate interpretations of events - which leads to frustration on everyone's part.

I assumed the shackle of Biggs because he was still under coercion and there were no bodyguards around to interfere, since he sent them away and I thought we were all mounted on horses and riding to his house privately.
I was trying to AVOID further combat by not provoking the bodyguards when they were around. I would have either had Biggs send them away (again) or not forced the arrest if that didn't work. I never intended to that in front of his 2 bodyguards.

I probably should have said a big "WHOA NELLY!" when you called for initiative with the bodyguards, but like I said, we all try to roll with what the GM says is happening, even when we didn't see it that way.

So.... I guess if we are stuck in combat with the current situation..... my other question was 'is it a move action to pick up the sword off the ground?'

Picking up the sword is a move action.

I acknowledge you may have misunderstood the sequence of events. That is the reason why I'm trying to remedy that now.

Obviously, you guys weren't on your horses yet, still only near the hitching post. Biggs gestured for his bodyguards to exit the lodge ahead of him, NOT to leave him alone. That would never happen, especially in a situation such as this (as they have both vowed to protect him, whatever the cost). I can see how this might have been confusing. And I also see how this confusion would have altered what your actions actually were.

Hmm, at this point, we can either: 1)proceed as normal, considering how things have transpired, or 2) try a reboot, if that's what everyone decides they'd rather do.

In hindsight, your characters probably should have been better prepared before "storming the castle."

whit10 wrote:yeah man, sorry but when there's four pages of dialog, it gets a bit confusing.

4 pages of just dialog? Kind of surprising that people have been dying then!

I concede this has become a complex encounter. Personally, I enjoy the flow of such things, but then, I tend to be overly-ambitious. It's absolutely true that I can be a tough DM, but I also try to be fair-minded and gracious when giving rewards.

If we do decide to reboot, I guess we'll stick to the Keep It Simple Stupid methodology. Dungeon crawl/hex crawl anyone?

Honestly, I'm not trying to be grumpy, but sometimes it happens

I wasn't really complaining dude. Just sayin', movement gets confusing unless there are constant map updates (which I am NOT suggesting you do, that'd be a pain in the ass)

as for the damage thing, my bad. PF, Star Wars and Radiance all do crit different and I get them confused on occasion.

whit10 wrote:I wasn't really complaining dude. Just sayin', movement gets confusing unless there are constant map updates (which I am NOT suggesting you do, that'd be a pain in the ass)

as for the damage thing, my bad. PF, Star Wars and Radiance all do crit different and I get them confused on occasion.

No problem. I wish I could update the map more often, but it's just not in the cards.

Tommy did 35 points of damage to Storm (bypassing DR). He felt that one! And is wounded.

A couple honest reactions:

Some very gracious replies and suggestions for a prickly situation from all involved. Good form!

I prefer complex encounters and situations too. No static dungeon crawls for me (ok, once in a while they are fun, but not for long). I think you are telling a great story, no complaints there.

I think we should (as slowing as it will be) make more effort to ask questions before acting, just to clarify, as a general rule. I don't mind a slightly slower pace if it keeps situations clearer.

A tough GM is fine, great even. But I do expect (just my own expectation) a GM to keep encounters at a level-appropriate challenge. Maybe this is not how you see being a GM or maybe I am just being a scaredy-drack, but the Biggs ranch seems like we should have waited a few levels. I remember you also mentioned a 'sandbox' approach, which can mean different things to different people in terms of open access to higher level areas or scaling difficulty to match level, etc.

I think there is a difference between 'very hard' and 'unbeatable'.

A simple "Bossman isn't here today, come back later" or "you're not coming in without a warrant, law-drack" would have easily diverted us until a later time, if this is a higher level zone.

So if this is not a level-appropriate area, I would suggest the reboot option and Auren will ask a few questions and leave without trying to arrest Bossman. And we will now know for the future, that we CAN actually wander into higher level areas, encounters do NOT scale down and to be more careful.

If this is a level-appropriate location (just very hard), then let's just keep going. If we die, we die, it's just a game.

No guts, no galaxy!

I concur with my long winded colleague, but have no qualms about this character dying and making a Pathfinder instead.

I am enjoying this so far though

Well, level-appropriate in Radiance terms, would be: total PC levels vs encounter levels. That means your combined levels would, I think, now be 15 levels (given JP's post-mortum buff). So you would in theory, be balanced against 15 level-one creatures, or a 15th-level solo, or some combination thereof.

The total levels of NPCs on this ranch exceeds that estimate. Not all of them are considered aggressive, however (as you have seen). It kind of depends on how the PC's interact as they go along... This is a stronghold, so the ratio is going to be skewed?

And it's my bad for not clearly illustrating the level of encounter you guys were going up against. Then again, no one really asked either. So I'm totally in agreeance that you guys need to ask lots of questions. It is an investigation, or I've tried to treat it as such.

Knowledge checks, anyone?

One thing your characters would automatically know, Norman Biggs is an Alder-status Townie. Alders are at least 6th level, or more. With his bodyguard Storm, you guys would still be balanced. Adding more encounters (second bodyguard, other guards) things will get hairy for Tommy and Auren.

As for JP, he's up against some stiff competition too. Who is the well-dressed man? What about the stranger? Is Grog really a bad guy? He is an orc.

Sandbox campaign, to me, means everyone gets opportunities to sculpt bits and make a contribution. It's open-ended, allowing for input from all. For example, the whole arc of the journey (since the heroes have left town, pretty much) developed since Auren decided to leave town and confront Biggs. Originally that was regarding the fell,black,shifter corpse that was Zeke, but things have changed and evolved since then.

a 15th level singular bad guy should take us apart unless there's something a might fishy going on.

...my two cents