Zepher

Boomingham grips his sword and waits for the Founders to answer Atramor. Meanwhile he looks at Lady Luck. “Couldn’t have done this earlier when you were handing our asses to us in the garden? I told you things weren’t what they seemed.”

I didn’t feel like engaging in whatever this debate was! But I will say that as a previous QM, QM gets final say on how the story goes! Sometimes people have the mind set of “oh the QM is being ‘rigid’ and not letting me do what I want,” without recognizing that demanding to be given infinite choices is equally as rigid (and worse story telling to boot). Anyway that’s what I felt like offering after skimming the last few pages. Also Asphalt do hope you’re alright! Stay safe!

“Enough chatter. Even if they were the real founders it wouldn’t matter. They’re intention May be noble but it’s not right. We cut them down.” OoC: We’ll be fine as long as we don’t get all KO’d. The stronger heroes should congregate in the harbor and the weaker ones work together to clear the walls. We have so many resources, we can keep each other up.

“M’lady, what would you call it if foreigners arrived in a city, toppled the leadership, imposed martial law, and planned the execute their political rivals, all the while claiming they know what’s best for the city. If that’s not an Invasion I don’t know what is.”

“What, we’re suddenly against massacres? Don’t get all sanctimonious with me. I know who you are. Didn’t you get your name for massacring green skins? What makes you think one group of massacrers-” he stumbles over the word, unsure if it’s real or not- “are any better for the city than another. One group of heroes- the “original” heroes- are any better than the modern heroes? Truth is we live in this city. It’s moved on since you were around. Being the six jackasses who happened to survive an assault a hundred something years ago doesn’t give you any ability to govern. You’re not even the real six jackasses. Just some demonic mirrors. Best thing to do would be to go wander into the sea. Except you.” He points to Lady Luck. “You and I are finishing what we started.”

Boomingham glances over his shoulder as the false founders stroll onto the battle field. He catches Torald’s stunned silence, and ignores whatever the Hel the fake Dragon is rambling about. “Hold the line here. I’ve got unfinished business in the harbor.” He faces Eric and jerks his head at Lady Luck. “Thinking you’ll want another crack at her?” Boomingham and Eric leap down into the harbor.

OoC: I’m open to either strategy, but we should make sure we either use the curing song and don’t waste turns on remedies, or vice versa! IC: “Hoke, know you can’t see it, but looks like Karie is gonna be taking care of that blindness for you.” >Torc vs. Cannon C (Breath)Boomingham vs. Bosun Novice A (Scupperer) >Skrall vs. Cannon C (Greatsword) >Karie sings Serene Etude >Hoke vs. Bosun Novice B >Eric vs. Cannon C (Twin Biter, Spread) >Nerwen heals most wounded or vs. Cannon C (Mourningstar)

OoC: Note - if Karie isn’t going to play Rapid March I can only target one enemy. Hoke should go after her so he doesn’t waste a remedy and can target someone so we don’t get rammed with free hits.

Now that we're in different areas, you can also run the "battles" separately. Just run harbor and then post. Then run inner wall and post. Then outer wall and post. I used to do that with big battles back in the day. This is a good point, and is something that I also have thought of a remedy to in my noodling about a different system. Since battles are the way we gain experience, easy battles seem like free experience. My suggestion would be to leave it up to the QM to divide the Quest into "chapters", and for successfully completing a chapter to be what grants someone experience. Allows for easy battles and also for quests that have stretches of role-play with no battles what-so-ever. Also again stops power creep by potentially slowing down the speed at which people gain xp.

Boomingham watches as his entire party is blinded by smoke. He shakes his head. "In case you're wondering what it looks like... not good. Karie, I think a rapid march is in order? And Hoke, don't know if you were planning on looping back or not but I'm thinking we might need you to stick with us." Boomingham attacks Freedom Sailor Bosun Novice A and B with Scupperer. Eric drinks a remedy (I assume he's blinded even though it's not noted - he doesn't have an immunity) and attacks Cannon C with Twin biter.

“Outer wall,” says Boomingham as Karie climbs aboard. “Dyric can look after Kiray.” He quietly hopes its true, especially as he views their doubly blinded pilots. “We need to concentrate fire once we get there. A weakened cannon is just as powerful as a strong one.” Once Torc drops them at the Outer Wall Boomingham and Eric both attack Cannon C.

Yeah I’ve been toying with different fixes to this system as far as leveling goes and sketching out a system a new that still employs just d6 but (Sandy and WBD forgive me for giving a post-mordem before we’re done) the choice of with each level up you can give +1 to either power, health, defense, or ether. That way people could customize any class they chose to umptimize different paths with each class, but there would still be advantages to each class. Also would allow new players to plug in without people being wildly overpowered, just longer players being slightly more powerful. Mostly just making up a new class system based on my experience with what this incredible game has taught me. Wondering if anyone has played the Banner Saga?

Boomingham watches as Tori returns. “Once again,” he grumbles to his crew.

Yeah interesting points. I actually think allowing conditional actions is what harmed the action order most - it took out all the risk. But WBD raises a good point about how battles quickly became about optimizing results v. role playing, which seems like the biggest challenge. It’s tough - online we can’t take turns one at a time a la D&D, so this is a pretty good fix. Like most things it fell apart pretty seriously only once the game got too big, for low levels it works just fine.

Boomingham appraises the archdemon. “Won’t say no to that.” “Exactly my thinking. You’ll burn through ether fast down here, but up there your boost will go a long way.”

OoC: Totally understand! Just saying that as a character, not a player. “Exactly. We take the cannons and everyone else pours off the ship fast as they can. Course we need to clear the air around the ship before we can really do a full charge.” OoC: Also of note - our heaviest hitters aren’t best utilized hacking away at the hatchlings because it doesn’t matter how much damage they take as long as they’re hit. Which is he other rationale for us taking on the wall fast. Wanted to get a medium level group up there and leave folks like Benji/Althior/Pretzel to lead the charge into the habit while the lower level folks clean up the Hatchlings.

OoC: Well, that makes our mission a little more dangerous, but I’m still game for it. Lind, basically just trying to get rid of those canons, and from a PC standpoint that little pier doesn’t look like a good place to charge one by one into our foes. “We can’t all just walk one by one into that mob with canons pummeling is. A small group goes up and takes out the cannons, then we turn the cannons on them. Simple.”

"This is a losing battle." Boominham says surveying the battlefield. "Hoke. Have your dragon, who the Hel knows how you got it- have your dragon drop me, Nerwen, Eric, Skrall, and... Karie to the outer wall. The rest can fight their way through. We'll make a passage for them. Hoke, loop back and help them once you drop us." He looks at Atramor. "Break through." OoC: I'd like to be flown to literally the place on that map where the outer wall is marked. I'm sorry if this is a pain in the behind and am also more than okay with if it fails. If none of those PCs want to come with me, let them say so - also don't know how much a dragon can hold.

Boomingham rather reluctantly swivels away from his cannon and draws his Silver Sabre, attacking Green Drake B from the front row. Eric, meanwhile, finds himself caught under the Red Hatchling Mob B as they plummet from the sky and tries to hack his way out.

The battle system is actually pretty elegant, I would say. It’s the artifact system that made things not work, and how quickly folks leveled up. I have a potential fix I will run one day, either here or just in life .

I don’t know if we’ve settled on starting another game or not, or if it’s time to do a dissection of Heroica, and I know also this has already been said but this is exactly why the game sort of fell apart! I loved QMing but my life does not frequently have 3 hours to spare.

Boomingham gags and burps violently as the dragons descend, further churning up the sea. "Agreed. This isn't the fight. Just a warm up." Turning his cannon on the target Arthur indicated he smiles at the young mage. "You're much more fun when you're barking orders than philsophizing about sparing criminals, you know that?" Boomingham fires on Shadow Drake B. "Once these suckers start to hit the deck I'm going to need someone else to take over this cannon. I'll do better with a sword in my hand."

OoC: hahaha fair enough. Hearing Skuld’s name mentioned Boomingham glances over, shocked to see she is still with them. Somehow he had forgotten to leave her behind in Lady Luck with Scharazade, and now here she is on a dangerous mission, a child and of a dying race too, if memory serves. He meant to allow Wally to stay behind as well. He calls over to Elphaba. “Witch. Make yourself useful. If things go south take Skuld, get on that broom of yours, and get out. Got it?” Turning next to Germ Boomingham shakes his head. “Wally stays away from those cannons. Anyone who can work at a range without them is wasted on them. That being said, Wally, it seems you’d be best used propelling the ship.” Boomingham makes his way over to the cannon Wally intended to take and takes it up instead. “How hard could it be to learn?”

"Show off," grumbles Boomingham as his stomach revolts at the ocean water. OoC: Just generally don't believe in lending items, having been a QM myself and knowing what an absolute nightmare it is rearranging inventories, especially for a group this large. "Not in the least," says Boomingham as he passes the Prayer Beads to Eufluer. "Just don't get used to giving me orders. I know you're an Ambassador, but I'm a King. Twice over." He snorts and winks to show he is joking, even though he only half is.

Boomingham blushes fiercely as Nerwen hugs him. “Who knew you were such a commander? Between you and Atramor yelling out orders you’d think you almost don’t need me here.” Boomingham considers for a moment before stressing: “But only almost.” “It’s too bad we didn’t take Guts’ boat. I wouldn’t mind driving that full force into the fortress and shattering the both of them.” Once all the heroes are on board Boomingham slices the lines tied to the dock. He and Eric then go and raise the anchor. Boomingham immediately turns pale and sweaty as the waves rock the boat.