inky says, "ok, so, another test, this time with Conan, who has the 8-skill column rather than the pyramid" inky | Conan inky | inky | Great (+2): Weapons (Barbarian), Brawn inky | Good (+1): Athletics, Endurance inky | Fair (+0): Alertness, Stealth inky | Average (-1): Socializing, Survival inky | inky | Cimmerian Barbarian inky | Adventurer, Conqueror, King inky | inky | Ladies Love a Brawny Barbarian inky | Well-Traveled inky | Slavery is an Affront Eolo says, "er, he needs some Socializing specialization -- I guess it's Socializing (Soldiers)" inky says, "anyway, Conan had joined up with Malpoto, a Corinthian mercenary, to investigate (and loot) some ancient temple out in the middle of nowhere" inky says, "but as is inevitable Conan was betrayed and left for dead, while Malpoto made off with the prize, an elaborately-carved marble statue with inlaid jewels" inky says, "ok, the GM emulator says Malpoto has left Conan with a sadistic joke -- he's chained by one arm in a cave which the tide is slowly starting to fill with water, and there's a knife which Malpoto kindly left so Conan could free himself -- by cutting off his own arm" inky says, "Conan is of course not a fan of being chained, and musters all his strength to break it" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 4 5 | 9 + 2 = 11 inky says, "nice work, Conan -- the ancient metal yields with an extended groan, and a link snaps" inky says, "Conan wraps the remains of the chain around his arm like a bracer, grabs up the knife, and makes his way out of the cave ahead of the rising tide" inky says, "he emerges from the cave shortly, only to see a shocking sight -- Malpoto's head, the eyes staring at nothing" inky says, "it sits in the middle of the clearing in a pool of blood" inky asks, "Conan looks around the clearing and sees Malpoto made camp here overnight; is there anything left he can salvage?" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 6 1 | 7 + 0 = 7 inky says, "there are a few provisions, mysteriously rotten; the cooking-pot is similarly inexplicably rusted; a length of rope did survive more or less unscathed -- Conan tests it and then slings it over his shoulder and heads onwards" inky says, "he's looking for a trail" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 3 5 | 8 - 1 = 7 inky says, "looks like there were several people, probably three, with more than that many horses; they came after Conan and Malpoto arrived, and presumably killed Malpoto and left with the statue" inky says, "they don't seem to have been making much effort to cover their trail" inky says, "and in fact Conan is upon one of the men almost before he knows it -- he'd better silence him quickly" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 2 6 | 8 + 2 = 10 inky says, "this guy is a nobody, so that roll means he and Conan see each other simultaneously, but no city-bred bandit such as this can react as fast as Conan -- Conan draws and hurls the dagger into the man's chest before the bandit has even touched his sword-hilt" inky says, "Conan doesn't go in for regrets, so he doesn't worry about not being able to interrogate this guy; he just quickly searches the body (a small pouch of coins which Conan recognizes as one Malpoto took from him earlier), takes the man's belt and shortsword, wipes off his dagger and retrieves that, and heads onwards" inky says, "Conan follows the party for a couple days; normally on foot he'd be unable to keep up, but they're clearly weighted down" inky says, "in fact, within a day's journey of the city he sees they've stopped, and he starts to gain on them" inky says, "they must have joined up with a larger force, because there's probably a dozen men scattered around the hill -- and at the top stands the statue, gems sparkling in the light" inky says, "Conan watches them for a while; they're taking it fairly easily but not totally, and their commander never leaves the top of the hill" inky says, "clearly he'll have to wipe them all out if he wants to get back what's rightfully his" inky says, "as such, he watches til evening, and prepares an ambush for the bandits as they go to catch some game for dinner" inky says, "(seems like stealth)" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 4 4 | 8 inky says, "hmm" inky says, "I think that means he ambushes a group of three, sending boulders crashing into them and killing two -- but the remaining bandit sees Conan and turns to flee to warn the rest of the group" inky says, "Conan has only one shot to stop him from putting the others on alert; he picks up a rock and flings it at the man's head" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 1 2 | 3 + 2 = 5 inky says, "I don't actually see an aspect that could improve this, so I am afraid it is disasterous!" inky says, "the rock grazes the man's head, sending him tumbling down a slope -- but he gets up and runs off, safely out of Conan's reach; worse yet, Conan turns to find himself surrounded by another group of three who have emerged out of the underbrush" inky says, "hmm, I think Conan attempts to move between the rocks to ward off their blows and get into a better position so he's no longer surrounded" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 1 4 | 5 + 1 = 6 inky says, "I guess I had better spend a fate point here, so we will say that his barbarian heritage lets him move nimbly over the rocks" inky says, "but it's still a partial success, so he takes a cut on one arm (the one without the chain) in the process, for one point of damage" inky says, "I guess he has a total of three stress boxes and three consequences, and is now down to two boxes" inky says, "anyway, Conan manages to make it to a position with his back against a boulder, and suddenly lunges out with his stolen shortsword against one of the bandits" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 5 6 | 11 + 2 = 13 inky says, "well, I guess I will spend a fate point to unlock advance successes with weapons as part of Cimmerian Barbarian, because of course they are deadly" inky says, "which apparently means that he slashes out with his sword, kills one man and sends him crashing into another, and kills the third man before the second can recover" inky says, "nice work, Conan" inky says, "the third man turns to run, and Conan leaps for him" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 4 1 | 5 + 1 = 6 inky says, "oh c'mon Conan" inky says, "Conan grabs onto the man, but he wriggles free, leaving Conan holding nothing but a torn cloak" inky says, "Conan does a quick mental tally -- a dozen to start, two killed in ambush, two more killed with the sword, eight remain" inky says, "not good odds, but Conan will go down fighting" inky says, "but they don't come for him -- scrambling onto a rock, he sees the bandits gathering to the crest of the hill at their leader's call" inky says, "the leader calls out something -- the words are cold in Conan's ears, though he cannot make them out -- blood spatters on marble -- and the statue comes hideously to life" inky says, "gems glowing it swells to perhaps twice Conan's height, the figure of a graceful young woman rendered less graceful by its gigantitude, and crashes down the hill towards him" inky says, "as it approaches, he hurls a rock, which it bats away" [Setting the zoned flag.] inky says, "the GM emulator is on-point as always, saying that as Conan attacks the statue it rebuffs him each time, knocking away his attacks without damaging its flawless marble skin, and the one time its blow connects on him, the kick sends him hurtling back, bruised, against a rock (and down 2 stress boxes)" inky says, "the pouch of coins flies from him and scatters over the ground" inky says, "clearly he has to change his strategy, but how" inky says, "(and soon)" inky says, "finally, he decides to leap onto its back" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 2 4 | 6 + 1 = 7 inky says, "he gets there, but it's a precarious position -- he can only hold it for a little while" inky says, "meanwhile, the statue shakes itself, trying to dislodge him" inky says, "this leap has, however, put him in range of one of the jewels, which he attempts to prise out with the blade of his dagger" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 3 6 | 9 + 2 = 11 inky says, "it flies free, and for the first time, Conan feels the statue shudder!" inky asks, "but can he get the others dislodged before he is dislodged from the statue's back?" inky asks, "seems like endurance, don't you think?" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 6 6 | 12 + 1 = 13 inky says, "Conan holds on for grim life as perhaps is actually the case, and one gem after another comes free; when the last one falls, the statue freezes in place, and Conan drops his aching body to the ground" inky asks, "but what of the bandits?" inky says, "Conan turns to them and roars defiance -- "your magic tricks and toys are useless against a Cimmerian barbarian! now fight me like men!"" inky says, "I'm going to spend a fate point to unlock something on Adventurer, Conqueror, King -- after winning a fight, Conan can roll Brawn to intimidate onlookers or remaining foes" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 6 5 | 11 + 2 = 13 inky says, "two bandits flee at Conan's cry, but with a cry of "we outnumber him six to one, you fools!", the leader manages to keep five at his side" inky says, "Conan cares not, and charges, swinging his shortsword" inky says, "hmm" inky says, "but I guess smart money is on tactics when against six foes, so he is actually doing this to make them off-balance, not to attack as such" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 2 5 | 7 + 2 = 9 inky says, "hmm, I wonder if the maneuver rules are too harsh or if you should get a bonus when maneuvering or something" inky says, "though arguably Conan should just unlock something that gives a +1 when maneuvering" inky says, "ok, let us say he does that and thus gets a success, keeping them stumbling" inky says, "he follows this up with an attack!" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 3 6 | 9 + 2 = 11 inky says, "combined with his action from before, Conan slays two of his foes before they can regain proper footing. "four left," he notes." inky says, "but now they're on him, and he has to ward himself with a ring of steel" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 6 6 | 12 + 2 = 14 inky says, "dang" inky says, "hmm" inky says, "I guess that means that of the four who come in to attack him, only three back off in time from his defense" inky says, "and now it's his turn to go on the offensive -- he picks up a boulder larger than any man should be able to lift" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 1 1 | 2 + = 2 inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 3 5 | 8 + 2 = 10 inky says, "and with a crash, sends it into one of the men, crushing him" inky says, "two remain" inky says, "they come at Conan, spreading out so he can only attack one at once" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 3 4 | 7 + 2 = 9 inky says, "one man gets through with a single cut, which he shrugs off (using his last stress box)" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 2 6 | 8 + 2 = 10 inky says, "the second-to-last falls, and only the leader remains" inky says, "discarding all caution, the leader starts to chant a magic spell" inky says, "Conan lets the chain fly" inky rolls 2 6-sided dice: 1 5 | 6 + 2 = 8 inky says, "and I guess I can spend the last fate point here" inky says, "the chain snaps out, wrapping around the man's throat, cutting off the words of magic" inky says, "Conan yanks, and the bandit leader's neck snaps" inky says, "so it ends" inky says, "Conan binds his wounds, walks back to look at the statue" inky says, "it stands there just as it did before, but as for the gems? they have turned to poisonous snakes, and slithered off into the grass" inky says, "in later years this hill will be known as Poison Hill, and avoided by the people of the city" inky says, "Conan laughs; to live is enough, and the contents of the bandits' purses will pay for his meal tonight" inky says, "THE END" inky says, "anyway, I guess the moral here is Conan is lucky on his rolls" inky says, "I'm not sure if maneuvers should have a base +1 or not" inky says, "it seems like maybe they should" inky says, "but it's a little niggly as a rule" inky says, "also, it is obvious in retrospect, but the difficulty of a fight seems to beheavily related to how often the enemies get to attack, whether it's every round or what" inky says, "ok, that's all" inky disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again.