[HQ Ignorance] Scene 112: The Great Mouth

[Lev Lafayette]

On Mon, 2010-08-23 at 18:23 +0100, Nicolas Hughes wrote:
> > 
> > Aalmon is attacking the Great Maw at 17, sword augment +20, plus Mean
> > Spirit at +3, plus Pyrrhich Victory +20, plus Bear Suffering +3, plus 
> > Flaming Weapon +6 (surely better than +3 from 'Stay Still'!), Cheat
> > Demon +3, plus surprise action bonus of +5 and finally Love Marianne of
> > +3 (which I must include for a perhaps last encounter). This is a total
> > of 17W3! The creature itself comes with Great Bite 20W, plus a
> > situational bonus of +20 (you're *inside* the mouth!), plus Great
> > Strength +10, and grappling Tongue at +6. Very nasty indeed! That's a
> > total of 16W3.
> 
> OK. I thought the sword was a W2 augment (it was in round 2). On the
> other augments I think if he is taking a physical beating here then
> his +3 from Tough With Joy comes into play, that at least turns a
> marginal defeat into a fatally marginal victory.

No, in round 2 I had it at 2W, i.e., +22 rather than +20. I'll give the
extra +2 :) 

(But yes, now you know what the sword is like; an ability of 10W5!)

> Aalmon is then spending as many HP as he can if it gives him a chance
> to win and live.
> 
> If he can only spend one HP on the main action can he spend the other
> on releasing the starfire spirit rather than just augmenting with it,
> +10W will make a lot more difference than +6?

That would mean that you're using Starfire as your primary action and
augmenting with it. I can accept that as well if that's you want to do..
So if you do that the narrative will be..

"Aalmon releases his Starfire spirit, causing his body to glow and
sparkle as he leaped into the creature's maw. The beast swallowed the
courier as he stabbed wildly with with the flaming blade

The mechanics are

Aalmon is attacking the Great Maw at 10W with Starfire Spirit, plus
sword ability and augment at +25, plus Mean Spirit at +3, plus Pyrrhich
Victory +20, plus Bear Suffering +3, plus Flaming Weapon +6 (surely
better than +3 from 'Stay Still'!), Cheat Demon +3, plus surprise action
bonus of +5 and finally Love Marianne of +3 (which I must include for a
perhaps last encounter). This is a total of 10W4!

The creature itself comes with Great Bite 20W, plus a situational bonus
of +20 (you're *inside* the mouth!), plus Great Strength +10, and
grappling Tongue at +6. Very nasty indeed! That's a total of 16W3

19 versus 18 is a failure for both sides, which ends up being a marginal 
success for Aalmon with four masteries rather than three. By spending two HPs
Aalmon can increase the marginal victory to a a major victory and kill the 
Maw whilst receiving an injury... That would be enough for victory...