Nikink/IKMatch7

This is a layout stolen from TrialBySchmendrick to facilitate an On-line Match in ImmortalKombat.

Trial started: Friday, April 23, 2010 7:29AM PDT
Trial completed: {date}

Contestants

Twice Clashing Lightning - Dawn Caste - Arms of the Unconquered Sun Style

The Horror Under Lock and Key - Slayer Caste - Infernal Monster Style

1. Full Essence 5 builds allowed (Yay Essence 5 Debut!)

2. Full Artifacts allowed.

Blank Tick Template

Flavor text describing the events, stunts, etc.

Mechanics of one fighter

Mechanics of another fighter. If a fighter makes an attack, use the attack steps. Second Edition, for example, would be:

1. Attack specifics, including charm use.
   1. Additional details, like countercharms
   2. Or other responses to the attack made during this step
2. Defense declaration
3. Attack roll
4. Attack reroll
5. External penalties
6. Defense reroll
7. Base damage
8. Soak
9. Counterattacks
10. Result

Arena + Setup

The southern slopes of Mount Metagalapa. The mountain rises to the north and the peak can be glimpsed through the white halo of cloud. To the south the smoke from a village can be seen before the precipitous fall away to the scavenger lands below. The ground is moderately inclined and strewn with outcroppings of rock and low copses of trees. Around the village is scattered small plots of land to grow their meagre harvests. To the north west of the mountain is the capital with its eyries and valleys. To the north east lies a ravine and rushing stream. A light breeze swirls around the mountain from the north carrying the faint cries of the famous Metagalapan hawks.

On this wind blasted wasteland appears a large, brutish man wearing nothing but purple silk pants. Those with keen hearing can detect the faint sound of a ticking clock emanating from his muscular chest. He grunts and wipes his mop of black, dirty hair out of his eyes.

Some 29 yards away appears a Southern man dressed in loose fitting white desert robes, open in the front with thin gold embroidery along the edges of the fabric. Compact and slender, he is dwarfed by the other man's size, but his pale blue eyes flash with impending violence and show only a firm resolution.

Transcript

Tick -1

Join Battle: Twice Clashing Lightning (TCL) A pitiful 3 successes.

Join Battle: The Horror Under Lock and Key (HULK) a remarkable 7 successes + 1 auto for Joy in Violence Approach and Wind-Born Stride x1

Tick 0

The purple panted man locks eyes with the stranger and roars a challenge, dropping into a low, uneasy crouch and edging forward. The roar is carried on the breeze to the nearby village where a baby starts crying and an old man dies with a terrified look on his face.

With a derisive smile that lasts for but a second and contains not a hint of humor, the white robed man speaks: "So you're the brute everyone is talking about. I can only hope you are as incompetent as you look."

HULK enters Guard Action Speed 3 DV-0 and starts Moving towards TCL.

TCL begins circling to his (TCL's) right, trying to maintain their distance.

1. Attack specifics, including charm use.
   1. Additional details, like countercharms
   2. Or other responses to the attack made during this step
2. Defense declaration
3. Attack roll
4. Attack reroll
5. External penalties
6. Defense reroll
7. Base damage
8. Soak
9. Counterattacks
10. Result

Distance: 29 - 5 + 5 = 29 yards

Tick 1

Distance: 29 - 5 + 5 = 29 yards

Tick 2

Distance: 29 - 5 + 5 = 29 yards

Tick 3

"Fight me you coward. You are scared, yes?" rumbles the large man jumping to the top of a boulder and then back down, continuing his inexorable approach. "I will end you quickly if you fight with honor. To run like a coward just makes me... angry."

HULK continues his wary Guard Action Speed 3 DV-0 and keeps Moving towards TCL.

Distance: 29 - 5 + 5 = 29 yards (assuming TCL keeps backing away...)

Tick 4

Turning on point and hopping up onto a tree limb, TCL stops moving. "Ending quickly is far too poor an assessment of your skills. I wish to see your conviction to this path of destruction you walk."

If HULK keeps advancing, 29 - 5 yards = 24 yards.

Tick 5

"So, let us show off our Exalted martial prowess so that we may better understand each other. Let me see your form, the culmination of your essence as a Martial Artist. Here is mine." Crouching low on the branch, TCL leans forward, his eye's flashing eagerly, anticipating his opponents actions as the golden sun of Dawn wakes on his brow. A brief glow of light is seen from under the filmy swathing covering his arms, flowing with the colors of jade.

TCL Adopts Rising Sun Form. (5m Peripheral, Simple, Spd 5, DV -1)

"There is no... understanding! There. Is. Only. Rage!" His eyes become two blazing green wells of hatred, like windows to Malfeas. His anima flares like a bonfire of vitriolic flame as he grows to many times his previous size. His skin turns coarse and unhealthy like the streets of his patron. The rocks beneath the Slayer's feet shatter as he thrusts himself high into the air and begins to laugh. Hysterical. Maniacal. His laughter booms across the mountain like the gates of hell opening and he lands about Twice Clashing Lightning with a thunderous impact that shakes the mountain to its core. Again and again...

Nice description. 2 Dice.

HULK drops the Guard action, activates his combo: Joyous Rage Abandonment... By Rage Recast, By Pain Reforged, By Agony Empowered, Retribution Will Follow, Joyful Cessation of Restraint (5 attacks with auto knockdown, +2 attacks if victim prone on 5th attack) and Leaping Smash Technique with Shock and Awe Slam on each attack (+6m/attack), option of Who Strikes the Wind? for 3m. Total = 2w+34m(+12m)(+3m/dodge). Reflexive leap of up to 30 yards before each attack.

Punch: Spd- 5, Acc- 11, Dmg- 10+4(BRR)+2(LST)=16B, Def- +2, Rate- 3

Kick: Spd- 5, Acc- 10, Dmg- 19B, Def- -2 , Rate- 2

Current: Wp: 10-2, Motes: Personal 25, Peripheral 49-34(-12 maybe)(-3+ maybe), Committed: 8+1(RWF)

HULK Health: \/-0/-0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/-4/-4/-4/Incap/Dying

Soak: 16B/16L/0A Hardness: 11B/0L/0A

DDV: 8, PDV: Arms 6 Legs 4 (+2 Anima)

Speed 5, DV -1

"As I thought, nothing more than a brute with more enlightenment than sense." TCL shifts almost imperceptibly in his stance, clearing his mind and readying his body for action. As the thunderous blows rain about him, he moves like a leaf blown by the wind, a brilliant corona of light tracing the afterimages of each of his steps, his hands barely brushing against the beast's, sliding a hairs breadth out of the raging monstrosity's reach. A tall, serene crane leaps into existence out of his fading steps, mirroring them and striding just a heartbeat behind. Amidst the violence, the man is a singular point of calm reasoning, stepping lightly down the branches of the tree to the ground, each foothold fracturing into a thousand pieces behind him under his foe's assault."

TCL spends 1 Peripheral mote on Heaven and Earth Stairway, switching to Sleeping Sun Form, adding TCL's Essence to his DV's (5), and prepares to use Second Martial Arts Excellency through Martial Arts Essence Flow. (Spending 10m P on the first one causes my anima to go iconic, and grants me a +2dv bonus vs Everyone, with the improved Dawn anima ability granted by Shedding Infinite Radiance).

Defenses!

Current: Wp: 8, Motes: Personal 13(13), Peripheral 47(48), Committed: 10 Personal + 5 Peripheral (Form)

TCL Health:-0/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incap/Dying

All Forms Soak:</b> B/L/A 16/18/13 Hardness: 3/3/0

DDV: 14, PDV: Arms 17 Legs 16

PDV w/ 2 die stunt: 10 (Dex 5 + MA 5 + 3 Spec +7 Acc = 20/2 = 10) + 2 stunt + 5 Sleeping Sun Form + 2 Dawn Anima Improved = 19

Speed 5, DV -1

1. HULK leaps up and comes crashing down with a punch like a goremaul. Easily closes the distance with a 30 yard leap. Leaping Smash Technique+Shock and Awe Smash grant +2 damage and -HULKs MA(5) from TCLs DVs. First of 5 (or 7) attacks. Auto Knockdown on each attack. Each blow will be attempting to drive TCL to the edge of the mountain too. :)
   1. Perfect Dodge available if HULK needs it
   2. Or other responses to the attack made during this step
2. TCL is going to Parry HULK's attacks. Using MA Essence Flow 2nd Excellency. 10m first attack. That makes my DV vs this attack 23. -5 due to that charm that I had to look up on the internet and is not actually in a book... 18

First Attack

1. Attack roll: 11+2 dice = 5,9,10,3,8, 6,1,4,6,2, 7,5,5 = 5 Successes
2. Attack reroll: -
3. External penalties: DV 18
4. Defense reroll: -
5. Base damage: -
6. Soak: n/a
7. Counterattacks: -
8. Result: Miss

Second Attack

1. Attack roll: 11+2 dice = 9,6,3,4,9, 5,10,9,1,5, 4,4,5 = 5 Successes
2. Attack reroll: -
3. External penalties: DV 13
4. Defense reroll: -
5. Base damage: -
6. Soak: n/a
7. Counterattacks: -
8. Result: Miss

Third Attack

1. Attack roll: 11+2 dice = 5,8,5,5,8, 6,6,9,3,5, 1,10,9 = 6 Successes
2. Attack reroll: -
3. External penalties: DV 12
4. Defense reroll: -
5. Base damage: -
6. Soak: n/a
7. Counterattacks: -
8. Result: Miss

Fourth Attack

1. Attack roll: 11+2 dice = 6,9,3,6,3, 2,6,5,9,1, 9,1,3 = 3 Successes
2. Attack reroll: -
3. External penalties: DV 11
4. Defense reroll: -
5. Base damage: -
6. Soak: n/a
7. Counterattacks:
8. Result: Miss

Fifth Attack (Channel conviction for +5 dice on this one)

1. Attack roll: 11+2+5 dice = 8,6,4,9,8, 1,4,9,5,4, 8,10,1,9,2, 9,4,3 = 9 Successes
2. Attack reroll: -
3. External penalties: DV 10
4. Defense reroll: -
5. Base damage: -
6. Soak: n/a
7. Counterattacks: -
8. Result: Miss

TCL Results (Spent 10+2+2+2+2 motes Peripheral, gained 4 from a successful stunt) -14 motes.

Current: Wp: 8, Motes: Personal 13(13), Peripheral 33(48), Committed: 10 Personal + 5 Peripheral (Form)

TCL Health:-0/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incap/Dying

All Forms Soak:</b> B/L/A 16/18/13 Hardness: 3/3/0

Next Action: Tick 10

HULK Results

Current: Wp: 8, Motes: Personal 25, Peripheral 15, Committed: 8+1(RWF)

HULK Health: \/-0/-0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/-4/-4/-4/Incap/Dying

Soak: 16B/16L/0A Hardness: 11B/0L/0A

DDV: 8, PDV: Arms 6 Legs 4 (+2 Anima)

Next Action: Tick 10

Distance: None.

Tick 6

With an exasperated sigh, the man in white begins to speak slowly as to be better understood. "Still, you show some skill and your Essence is powerful. I entreat you once more, show me the essence of your martial art, and then we will talk with our fists." With this he moves to a short, respectful distance, and takes up a crouched stance, knife edges of his arms crossed in front of his waist.

TCL Moves 5 yards uphill from the HULK.

The viridian giant glares with unmitigated malice at the small Solar. Shards of stone and wood, thrown into the air during the assault, come tumbling through the blazing green bonfire of his aura leaving trails of shadow and embers. He bellows with frustration and easily keeps up with the nimble Twice Clashing Lightning.

HULK Moves 5 yards uphill to stand right over TCL.

Tick 7

As the gold and green lights push against each other, the man in white stands firm, inches from the monster, ready for action but awaiting the monster's response patiently.

With a snarling chuckle the green behemoth spots overly brave, or stupidly foolhardy, incoming hawk-riders flying around the mountain peak to investigate. He grins for a moment and starts walking towards the village.

Distance 7

Tick 8

Following the monster's line of movement with his eyes, the white robed man groans. "Must you waste your time with mortals? All I wanted was to defeat you in glorious combat, and there you go wandering off by yourself. Have you no honor at all? Have you no pride as a martial artist?"

Having said this, TCL moves to a sturdy looking rocky outcropping nearby, the better to preach from. Move 5 yards uphill. Distance 12.

The Infernal keeps walking towards the Village with blazing green malice in his eyes, ignoring the Solar's natterings...

Move 7 yards downhill(ish) Distance 19.

Tick 9

Distance +7 = 26 Yards

Tick 10

Simultaneous Actions! HULK Wits+Awareness 7 declares action first.

The angry green giant keeps walking towards the Village. He warily feels for the tremors rumbling beneath his feet as stone shatters beneath them, watches for treachery from the hated Solar, listens for the approach of the Hawkmen or their weapons and can taste the fear in the air. On the edge of his glorious, radiant, anima bonfire a small copse of low bushes wither and wilt in a bow of sickly respect. He acknowledges their show of respect with a roar and a nod.

HULK Guards and keeps moving towards the Village. Distance +7 Yards.

Thinking to prepare to his utmost level for the task ahead, TCL Dashes back, putting some more distance between them. + 11 yards.

HULK Speed 3 DV -0 TCL Speed 3 DV -2 Total Distance: 44 Yards

Conclusions

A section for what was learned

Home player

1. The format for these 'Kombats' is weighted against Infernals (and in favour of Alchemicals, but that's a different discussion). Other splats get N extra Charms, one of which may be a MA Excellency, but Infernals get shafted by their Excellency requirements and thus if they choose to get an excellency are limited to (N-Ess) other Charms. In normal play this is fine, as each Infernal Excellency covers all Abilities, but in a set up like this, it is a definite hindrance.

2. Fighting someone you can't hit short of stupid mistakes on their behalf is not very fun.

3. Perfected Kata Bracers are too good. Perhaps another match with no artifacts? :) I notice Zero Artifact matches are unpopular (so far at least). Maybe there should be another match-up for 'Equal Artifacts'? So if one person wants PKBs, then the other gets them too... Meh. It's already part of the opening negotiations I suppose. I'd like to see more matches without Artifact variability, basically. "My Kung Fu is UNBEATABLE!, (if I have a butt load of uber magic stuff and my opponent doesn't)" doesn't really help decide who's kung-fu is the greatest. :)

4. I maintain that the ability to Form Switch at the same time as activating the very first Form of the Style is totally broken. Not dissing Sabis here, btw, it was a move perfectly allowable by the rules of the Style as written, and even confirmed as intended to be used in this manner by Holden (the author). But I do think that ability is a broken effect and needs fixing.

5. The rules definitely say a Solar may not add more successes via a Charms than half the Attribute + Ability, so I think the use of MA Essence Flow was incorrect on Tick 5. Only Sidereals get to negate penalties with their excellency before counting towards their dice cap. HULK would not have hit anyway so this is a small point that makes no difference, but I felt it was worth pointing out for future reference.

6. I am disappointed my worthy foe didn't swing a punch! :( HULK can't activate Raging Behemoth Charge until he sees an attack made at him!!! ;)

7. Frankly, a Draw is the best outcome for HULK here. If he could have caught TCL during an action in which TCL had:

A. Used another charm

B. Already switched to a Form that wasn't useful against the HULK attack

and if HULK had enough motes, then just possibly HULK could have pinged TCL to incapacitated with one combo. Trying to arrange this series of very unlikely events could easily have taken a lot longer than the 50 Ticks TCL needed to ping HULK to death.

8. Many props to Sabis for being sporting and a gentleman. :) A pleasure to play against!

Nikink

Couple questions/comments: 2: All the PCB's did in this match up was add 2.5 to my DV, and theoretically they helped make sure I would hit all the time. Their damage addition seems irrelevant (as most exalt on exalt combat comes down to lots of ping anyhow). What part of them seems to be so much better?

4: Form switch on the first activation seems not that broken: I could have activated Sleeping Sun Form to start, the difference is 1 action tick and 1 committed mote. I didn't get to switch for the rest of the game for fear of more combo, but since i was at the die cap already for defense, if I got IMAM up I could have done a lot more. With the one per action limit so you can't use a defensive and offensive one before your opponent gets to act, it seems to be like most other choices: Do I be safe and hang back, or do I go for broke and hope for the best?

5: It's one of those things that needs to be clarified in the rules: If we have an order of modifiers that are applied like so, Does the game look at the total modifiers applied from the start to the finish, or does it look at the modifiers at each step? If it looks from start to finish, I don't get a to add defense. If it looks at each step, I do. Also, I noticed yesterday that the wording in the main book vs the others is different. Main book says "cannot increase by more than", whereas lunars says "may not add more than". If you look at that as a typo in the main book, I'd say your interpretation is more likely the one that's correct.

8: Same to you. Regardless of not getting to punch you, it was good fun. =)

Couple answers:

2. +2.5DV and +5 accuracy (+ other benefits) is a permanent saving of 5m on every attack and defence at least. Giving a lot of leeway to put those motes elsewhere, or alternatively into attack/defence to truly guarantee success. This is on every action. Plus other the other benefits I'm not taking into consideration. All for a paltry 8 motes is it? I do feel they are too good, for Artifact 4 at least. Note that I have no problem with TCL or any other character having them if they can get them (they're not Void Avatar Prana broken, or the like). But I do think they skew results heavily towards those that have them. If this Kombat goes for long enough to have enough results I may be convinced otherwise. :)

On the topic of PKB, while they only added 2 to TCL's parry DV that is a 25% increase on what it was without them (before other bonuses)even if you count it as the last 2 added, i.e. from 17 -> 19 it's still an 11.7% increase which is far from insignificant. The real problem I see with them is they way in which they stack with other weapons, a +5 acc +5dmg +5 def weapon with another bonus is perfectly reasonable, the balance comes in only being able to use one weapon, these act like a second weapon that stacks with another one. Using these and say a moonsilver serpent-sting staff gives a defence bonus of +11! In a game were we are essentially capped at a base dice pool of 13 (5 Ability + 5 Attribute + 3 spec) this is a huge bonus.

4 My problem with the First Form activation brokenness is that it prevents any weakness during that activation. The Style gives a defence for every keyword in the game (+ other benefits per Form). So when a practitioner says I activate a Form for 5m Speed 5, no opponent actually knows what Form is being activated until they attack, and then it's guaranteed to be the Form most effective against them (or beneficial to the martial artist as the case may be). It's a quantum uncertainty effect that plays on the players, not just the characters. Effectively it says "I don't need to tell you what Form I'm activating until you do something I don't like". Every other Style in the game gives that window of vulnerability during the Form activation, and for good reason - Form effects are generally pretty good buffs - and Forms are not combo-able. This style says on the first Form activation you do effectively have a combo (in as much as you get more than one charm to use - you aren't locked into the one) and it doesn't even cost a willpower.

Note, I'm not against the switching on any other action, as per what HaES states. It's just this initial activation. Have I made myself clear, here or just waffled on and muddied things? (I tend to waffle!)

You're clear. =) But not all the defenses will protect you effectively at the same time... For instance, I wanted to use Shining Sun form to ignore your knockback/knockdown effects. I was FORCED to use Sleeping Sun because I would be crushed if I did not. While in that form, i could not use my fast movement or clinch enhancing or piercing. While i can change effects often, in the end it comes down to an Either/Or kinda deal. I can EITHER be immune to 1 of 4 keywords, OR do x or y or z. If i wanted to be immune to KB/KD/Sickness, do extra damage, or copy other forms, or move fast, or..... etc. So yes, powerful in it's versatilty, but you don't get to just pick and choose. Also, the whole window of vulnerability is not that big, considering when you enact any form you immediately reap all the benefits, AotUC just gives you more versatility in that choice (of what you happen to be strong/weak against). OTOH it also means that there's 3 dead charms in the tree on every fight. Solars do have an advantage in being able to do non-charm excellencies to protect themselves while doing Form assumption. -Sabis

But you do get to pick and choose during that initial activation. You have no weaknessess for that period because your opponent does not know what form you are actually using until they try to attack - it's a bluff against the player which goes against the system's ostensible "Charm Transparency" goals. An enemy would need to cover three keyworded attacks in order to threaten. The first KW Attack is stumped by your initial declaration of "I activate Form A" rendering you immune, so your enemy then has to decide which of the last two KW Attacks to try, and it doesn't matter which one is chosen because you can immediately say "I swap to Form B as a matter of fact" and get immunity again. Thus it's the 3rd KW attack that has any chance of threatening you at all. And this swap is for a single Mote. nikink

5. It probably helps (and hinders) that I've been playing Exalted since 1st Ed first came out. But I also asked this on the WW Forums and got unanimous confirmation. The only splat who can add more than their cap is Sids, and they can only add enough extra to cancel wound penalties if they are anything like 1st Ed. :)

The dice cap issue largely stems out of inconsistent wording between book, and poor wording in the main book. 'Cannot increase' certainly sounds like you work out your potential total pool using the charm, then apply all the modifiers, and finally buy back up to your the potential total. In 1st eddition it certainly didn't work that way, and my understanding of second eddition is that you can only add half you dice cap in successes to your DV.

8. You had plenty of opportunity to punch... Chicken! ;) (Funny enough, if HULK could ever establish a Fear intimacy during the matches, he'd get just that more effective. :) )

-nikink

Away player

Enemies with over 9000 health levels that roll over into agg before actually killing them is super hard to deal with, at the very least overly time consuming.

I need to do better at initiative. Starting off the fight with the slow going made me use WAY too many motes for temporary effects, when i need them for scene long effects.

Switching forms as needed is pretty cool.

I need to have 3 persistent charms up to be truly effective, and while I do that they can get the jump on me. Anyone with a 15-20 Accuracy attack and an urge to spend willpower on valor channels would have finished me right there. (or forced me to spend 30-40 motes to defend myself, which is also not acceptable.) Too bad you can't combo Infinite MA mastery or Form charms with ANYTHING. (It really seems like IMAM should be combo OK or combo basic.)

Arms of the UC style needs to be paired with a Initiative adder, like 1st awareness excellency or some such.

Initial Negotiations

A space for the original conversation that set up the trial. This will probably be the first space filled in on a page, but it placed at the end because it becomes increasingly less relevant as the trial continues. This is where players will talk about which signs to use and so on.

Player Chat

I'll leave environmental description at the start to you, I'm kind of terrible with setting scenes... my players always complain. =( -Sabis

Environment set. :) nikink

IIRC, you can move even before you get to act during a combat, and as such I can move to maintain the distance between us, correct? -Sabis

That's correct to the best of my understanding. :) That's why I didn't go through too many ticks, I thought you might want to keep your distance. :) nikink

I'll show your mine if you show me yours... =) -Sabis

That's rude! I'll tell daddy Malfeas!!! ;) So, I'd say your stunt was worth two dice. This is gonna kill HULK if it doesn't work... he'll have bugger all hope of hitting you once you get the rest of your charms up, so this is his only chance, and it'll damn near bankrupt his motes... c'est la vie. :) nikink

If you didn't see, I awarded 2 Die for your stunt as well. =) -Sabis

Hmmm... I didn't realise you could swap those darn Forms on the same action you activated one. Bugger. Looks like another losing match for HULK then. :) I do know you can't activate your excellency or any other charms this action though, sorry. Unless you somehow got the Form into a combo? And what's the Charm you 'found in the Net', not in a book? :) nikink Ah, Martial Arts Flow = non-charm use of MA Excellency. Hm. The DV boost from th form would count against the dice adder cap wouldn't it? Thus you couldn't use MA Excellency to get any further boost? Which would also mean you don't get the auto Anima effect, you'd have to spend the 5m to activate it. Ah again, you mean Shock and Awe Slam, from the Ink Monkeys as that Charm you had to find on the net. As I wake up, so much becomes clearer... A lot of HULKs Charms come from those Ink Monkeys posts. :)

Yea, took me a while to notice the use of those charms.. spent the better part of 1/2 an hour going "Did he just make these up? Where did they come from?"

So, this doesn't affect the outcome of the attack rolls (as i still parry with each one regardless of MAEF, but i was planning on spending 2 motes on each subsequent attack regardless), but I never hit the die adder cap. My DV starts at 19 with a 2 die stunt (as stunts now add directly to your DV).

5 of that is my Dex 5 MA 5. 5 is my 7 Defense (2 fist, +5 perfected kata bracers) + 3 specialty. 2 From Dawn anima, 2 from stunt, and what brings me up to the cap in the first place, my Form. Then, you attack with your big, nasty attack that reduces my defense by 5. Well, as I can't increase my DV by more than 5 (1/2 my Dex + MA), the game looks and sees what my current charm bonuses are. As far as I see, I don't have any (as they were eaten by your charm). Well, I can then use the 2nd Excellency to raise my pool back up (to the cap on the first blow, and a bit on each following).

As per Main book page 124, successes are applied after other bonuses/penalties. (For another example: If have a Dex + Athletics of 10 and the 2nd athletics excelency, and external factors reduce my pool to 0, I can add 20 dice (10 Sux) to my pool(10 to replace my lost normal dice, and 10 to get to the cap), as long as i don't exceed a pool of 20 dice.) -Sabis

O.O Well... wow. :) There ya go! Learning more each day! :) nikink Loving your character, by the way. Tick 6 made me chuckle. :)

Your character makes me groan each time he speaks, but I can't stop grinning as I think of the imagery. =) -Sabis

So, unless anything else happens, we advance to tick 10 with no meaningful movement changes. How do we want to handle simultaneous actions? (that is, as the reaction is more powerful than the action (that is, you turn on a scene long and i launch a combo, or vise verse, the person activating the combo has the advantage) If we both wait, (and take guard actions) we stand there looking at each other ad infinitum until one either activates an attack combo or a defense charm. So, since I got jumped last time, how about you declare first? =) -Sabis

...Did you forfeit the match? *confused* -Sabis

Eh? Where did you get I forfeit from? I probably should since HULK can't win, but winning's not the point, I'm learning a lot about the rules doing this. I know there's a rule for simultaneous actions, we've had to look it up before. I'd need to double check but iirc it is a case of lowest Wit+Awareness declares first, (Probably HULK?), and if it goes into Attack resolution, we both do our step 1's, then both our step 2' etc. nikink

Because in the running totals on the main page it says TCL won already. I thought that was odd, as this didn't seem like the kind of thing where someone would just give up. =) Looking up rules: I know that all actions happen regardless, but this seems like a situation where who declares first is mechanically relevant. PG 141 of the main book says we can either resolve this in random order, or declare from lowest Wits + Awareness to highest (In which case, you declare first). In future bouts, we should decide that ahead of time. =) I'm learning a lot too, it's nice to have a sandbox. =) -Sabis

All this chatting and whatnot per tick is a bit time wasting, what say we declare moves on each tick if they change from the previous one, keep an updated distance tally only, and limit the witty (or mindless as the case may be) banter to Action ticks? I'm gonna get really bored of HULK Walks towards the village" for every tick. :) That way we can maintain the distance record but skip to ticks where we can actually do stuff. Unless you want to award stunt bonuses on non-action ticks? I'm ok with that too - Yu SHan knows HULK needs the essence! ;) nikink PS: Waste of time wiping the scoreboard, like that, you know there's no way HULK can win unless TCL does something remarkably stupid like, I dunno, shedding all artifacts and reflexively discovering the exact time of day for 50 odd ticks in a row... ;)

I don't think it's so cut and dry, considering I've got 50 some odd levels of damage to do.

Difference is, you can hit me. HULK can't hit TCL without some astounding luck on my part and mistakes on your part. :) nikink

Again with the guarding. *sigh* Delay of game foul? =) -Sabis

No foul, still in this. HULK needs TCL to make a mistake, to have a chance of hitting. Happy to declare a draw though...? ;) nikink PS: Do I get any stunt rewards? :)

Hmm. If i get IMM up, I can hit reliably with an average of 11.5 attack successes vs your best DV of 8. Assuming you don't spend time putting up VLE, my 15L punches do an average of 18L-16L soak for 5L ping damage. 40% is 2 average sux per hit, so, it'd take 29 average hits to deal the 58 damage necessary to put you down. All the while, as long as I either used 2nd excellency or Burned into Night combo, I can keep my DV at 17 vs your average attack sux of 6.5. So my victory is likely, but I don't realy wana go through the (minimum) 50 ticks necessary to kill you. So yea, I'd agree to a draw. =) -Sabis

Done. A draw it is. Hmmm... I needed to get motes back, and it's hard to stunt guarding and walking all the time. I also needed to catch you without a charm action, and without a Form Swap available. This was going to be difficult. Astoundingly difficult. nikink

Observer Comments

A space for onlookers to discuss stuff (and players to respond).

Please for the love of god do something. Everytime I come back and see that all thats happened is a bunch of walking I cry to myself and reach for my vodka. (Not overly serious but is kinda getting bored waiting for kick ass kung-fu to break out) - Muzz

Wah Wah Wah! You could always give helpful advice, start cheering for someone, or accept one of the other online challengers in the meantime. ;) nikink