[Contest]Grand Melee

PC Contestants
Darron Greyjoy
Baelon
Loreia
Jon Templeton
Alfred Haigh
Jorah Holt
Benedict Marsten
Kevan
Davain Bartheld
Aerion Storm
Ereth Redwain

Rules & Prizes
Contestants are split into 6 groups, drawn randomly (for purposes of OOC speed).
The winner of each of these six matches goes on to the final, wins a set of Superior Plate and 75GD.

The winner of the final wins 100GD, first pick of the collection of Superior Quality weapons, and +1 TP.
The next last to be knocked out gets second pick and 50GD
The third gets third pick and 25GD
The fourth gets fourth pick and 15GD
The fifth gets fifth pick and 10GD
The first knocked out gets what weapon's left.

Superior Weapons Available
Longsword
Bastard sword
Greatsword
Battleaxe
Mace
Dagger

The Groups
TBA. Again, need NPC list. Coming soon!

Okay, there's three rounds of this. Are you a PC? Congratulations, you passed round 1. However, maybe not without incident.

Roll Fighting (whatever specialty is relevant for you) TN18.
If you pass, you're fine. Bumps and scrapes, nothing more.
If you fail, take a point of fatigue.
If you crit fail, take an injury.

Regardless, you're through to the second round. In this round, there are six groups. These are random, and came out with:

Actually, you know what, I have 1 group with 3 PCs, and 1 with 1. Let me just fudge it a bit, so we have 2 in each of 5 groups. ...Done! Metagaming ahoy.

Group 1:
Darron Greyjoy (PC)
Ser Harrold Darke
Loreia (PC)
Ser Gareth Royce
Lord Forrest Frey
Ser Myles Blackwood

Group 2:
Ser Bryndon Hightower
Ser Lorent Marbrand
Jorah Holt (PC)
Kevan (PC)
Ser Medrick Manderly
Lord Owen Fossoway

Group 3:
Prince Aemond Targaryen
Ser Willis Fell
Aerion Storm (PC)
Benedict Marsten (PC)
Ser Florian Greysteel
Ser James Darry

Group 4: (I think this is entirely NPCs)
Ser Gwayne Hightower
Ser Jaime Mallister
Ser Dermot Tully
Ser Steffon Darklyn
Lord Tomas Coldbrook
Lord Jason Lannister

Group 5:
Ereth Redwain (PC)
Ser Eoric Tully
Baelon (PC)
Ser Adrian Redfort
Ser Glendon Goode
Lord Lymond Mallister

Group 6:
Jon Templeton (PC)
Davain Bartheld (PC)
Ser Warrick Wheaton
Ser Torrhen Manderly
Ser Wyll Bracken
Ser Abel Redwyne

I would like five volunteers (Reader can determine the result of Group 4 by fiat as far as I'm concerned) to run all of the NPCs in a particular group (not one you have a PC in, obviously). NPCs roll for round 1 fatigue/injury as well. Stats are forthcoming.

Round one fighting check (just to get it out of the way):
Grand Melee, Fighting (long blades), diff 18: 6d6k5 13
Fighting reroll, Blood of Andals (rerolling 1): 1d6 4

Oof, so that's a 16 even after the Blood of Andals reroll.  Thanks, Orokos.  I'm gonna...go ahead and use Blood of Andals to get my daily +2, I think.  If not, I'm taking a -1 on everything (so I kind of "break even" after just two rolls, right?).  So, yeah.  We'll make that an 18 on principle, just to not start a fight scene with a penalty.

EDIT: Adding +1B after the fact: +1B to fight: 1d6 6

So that's enough to make up for the crummy base roll, and with my BoA reroll (but not BoA +2 daily, that will still be available), I'm in the clear. That was harder than it should have been.

Grand Melee Fighting (axes) TN18: 9d6k5 27
Round one fighting passed

I can run NPCs in one of groups if that suits You. Group 1, 2 or 6 would be best for me. I don't want Prince Aemond and Ser Eoric Tully under my command for various reasons.

Err, actually, how abstracted is this handwavy Fighting roll for round one? Does a weapon's training requirement apply? If not I should have another +1B.

Aerion Storm wrote:Err, actually, how abstracted is this handwavy Fighting roll for round one?  Does a weapon's training requirement apply?  If not I should have another +1B.

Good question! Given that the weapons with training bonuses tend to have advantages to offset that, I'm going to say that one cancels out the other, so no Training penalty for the roll.

Ser Walton Dulver wrote:I can run NPCs in one of groups if that suits You. Group 1, 2 or 6 would be best for me. I don't want Prince Aemond and Ser Eoric Tully under my command for various reasons.

Thank you, and noted.

Okay. With that level of abstraction letting me use both of my specialty dice, I would've had a decent enough roll to make it without triggering BoA's daily. Whew!

I can take a group of NCs. 6 would probably be best, but 1 might be ok. 3 in a tight pinch, but I'd prefer not.

Actually... Davain hasn't posted in quite a while - anyone heard from him recently?

Melee prelim fighting: 8d6k6 22 passed with no penalties.

As this will be my first Melee do you fight until you yield, gain a wound, or... other?

Roll incoming.

1st Rd Grand Melee: 6d6k5 25

I didn't roll enough dice. Didn't matter.

Well, it's not a fight to the death.
Assuming the same setup as Riverrun, taking a wound means you are 'defeated' for purposes of the melee, but anyone taking an injury can yield without being seen as cowardly. Of course, remember that injuries and wounds are always voluntary, you can choose to be defeated rather than take them; in this context it would be reasonably safe (though someone could opt for death or maiming or some such, but it would come with serious ramifications for being excessively brutal - this is sport, not war).

Attacking after taking a wound would probably be seen as dishonorable, just like attacking after yielding...
good thing for Darron that Berserker is optional.

1 Round Grand Melee: 6d6k4 16

I guess I start with 1 fatigue, and the also the underdog of the fighters present lol

Yeah, you can choose whether or not to take that Free Attack.

First round
Coldbrook grand melee - Round 1 Fighting (bastard sword): 6d6k4 20
Pass. Ready for Group 1 with no penalties incurred.

Baelon Drakeson wrote:
good thing for Darron that Berserker is optional.

I wonder if the attack from berserker is at the same time as their wound to possible take both of us out.

Great, a kingsguard in my group and one I like as well  
No wait 2 kingsguards... at least there is one I dont like ;-)

Melee: 7d6k5 27

Can probably run a group, should not be 6 on account of Tullison PC being in it.

Baelon Drakeson wrote:I can take a group of NCs. 6 would probably be best, but 1 might be ok. 3 in a tight pinch, but I'd prefer not.

Theomore Tullison wrote:Can probably run a group, should not be 6 on account of Tullison PC being in it.

Thank you both, and your conditions are helpfully coordinated. With you two and Ser Walton, we only need two more volunteers, assuming we can get the conditions to match up. (I would try and run one myself, but I frankly don't have the time, or the experience to do a good job.)

melee prelims: 6d6k5+1 16 - starting with a point of fatigue

cannot roll decent to save my life at the moment

Darron Greyjoy wrote:I wonder if the attack from berserker is at the same time as their wound to possible take both of us out.

I think it being a "retributive" strike makes the most sense - flying into a berserk rage at your attacker - which means it would have to come after the strike. As always, its Reader's call, though.

Kevan Lyras wrote:Great, a kingsguard in my group and one I like as well  
No wait 2 kingsguards... at least there is one I dont like ;-)

There are 4 at the tourney, and at least 3 or so (canon) future kings/queensguard. Lots of tough combatants in this one, though I suspect that the most dangerous combatants are still other PCs.

Daveth Coldbrook wrote:Thank you

No problem. I like to help, and I'm good at crunchy stuff.

Appropriate for someone with frothing mouth to get in one more swing with the axe before finally calling it quits IMO. May consider being chivalrous if it's a PC one is up against, but NPC's should be fair game I say.

I never said it wasn't appropriate to the character... just that it would probably carry social consequences. That and the internal struggle to keep the rage in check can be a fun narrative, too. Regardless, the way the benefit is worded, the attack is optional.

With that, Darron gets to decide what kind of story his character is telling. I for one get a Jekyll/Hyde vibe from him - calm and cultured at times but wild and dangerous at others. The question is whether his Jekyll can control his Hyde, or is it a pure, uncontrollable reflex? Both can be interesting stories.

Coldbrook melee fighting test TN 18: 7d6k5 17 -1 fatigue

There goes my odds. I am beginning to feel I have spread Ben to thin.

And looks like Davain will be a little fatigued from round 1.

Grand melee round 1: 5d6k4 14

Also are these NPCs able to take injuries and wounds, or do I need to go buy a longsword to replace my greatsword?

Well, that was a bad roll... 7d6k5 is still respectable; especially as you have other benefits and such to back it up that don't show up in this test. -1 fatigue isn't a terrible limitation, either. a small penalty, but not insurmountable.

Actually, should superior weaponry be factored in? That would edge Ben into the clear.

I know the feeling though - I had originally intended Baelon to be melee-focused character (as my last was a primarily a jouster), but I haven't improved it since Story 1. Even his armor upgrade was paid for by Story 1 earnings. The price of success, really - become a lord and suddenly you are expected to be able to act lordly and such - which means paying for a higher Status and such than we would otherwise have. It's not all bad, but yeah, I feel a bit spread thin, too.

Davain Bartheld wrote:Also are these NPCs able to take injuries and wounds, or do I need to go buy a longsword to replace my greatsword?

Welcome back. I believe that they are all at least secondaries, so they should be able to take injuries. Some are definitely primaries (such as Prince Aemond), but I doubt they all are.

Of course, a solid hit on someone low in health might force a defeat, too - having a non-vicious option might not be a bad idea.