"Well hello there, Mr. Orc! Welcome back, I guess it must be fight night. I had nearly forgot!" Halfroc laughs heartily to himself, wispy smoke coming out of his mouth as he waves his lit pipe carelessly about. Seeing that Syd is all business, Halfroc swiftly slides an empty shot glass across the bartop to his left hand, grabbing the glowglass bottle as the shot glass is in motion. The shot glass clinks against Halfroc's pipe in that left hand, which causes a few lit embers to spill out. They narrowly miss the shot glass and land harmlessly on the bar. He proceeds to pour the glowing liquid and then slides the shot glass over to Syd.
After downing the shot, Syd's skin once again begins to exude a soft, sickly, green light, which will last for the next 3 hours.
"Glad to hear you've got a few fights in ya. As a matter of fact, I do have a special request! That blue dragonborn you dispatched in your first fight last week, Semil, member of the town guard. Apparently he thinks the fates were lined up against him last week, so he's gone off and made some kind of tribute to Tymora at her Temple. Says that will tip the scales in his favour. He thought the line about scales was really clever, being a dragonborn, you know. I think he's a bit daft, but maybe you can knock some sense into him, if you're up for it, that is."
Halfroc shrugs to himself, thinking that this seems like a good a time as any to get tonight's festivities started. He slips from behind the bar, shoving and winding his way through the crowd of talls until he reaches the edge of the pit. A couple of the staff, anticipating Halfroc's arrival, quickly scoop him up, then lower him down far enough that he can safely jump in. Halfroc makes a well-rehearsed, graceful roll into the center of the pit, where he leaps to his feet. While taking care to avoid Syd's calisthenics and pantomimed strikes, he raises his arms toward the ceiling. The crowd roars in approval, ready to lose themselves and their coin in a frenzy of alcohol, violence, and financial risk. After a solid ten count, Halfroc drops his arms and the crowd falls silent.
"Thank you, thank you, fine ladies and gentlemen, my great friends one and all, faithful patrons of the Greasy Weasel. It sounds to me like you are ready for the next weekly installment of the finest spectacle in all of Haven, presented to you by yours truly and the most proficient martial combatants from all the realms!" The crowd goes wild again, until Halfroc takes another drag off his pipe and lets out an impressively large smoke ring. How he keeps that thing lit during his acrobatic entrance is a source of much speculation amongst the patrons. "All right, since it seems like one of last week's debutants is extremely eager to get back in action, we will kick things off without further ado. Our first bout this evening will feature a rematch, round two of what will surely go down as one of the most talked about fight series this city has ever seen. First, as I'm sure you've all deduced, we have this daunting fellow, holder of a fine 2-1 record after his debut last week, he's mean and green, the master of mash and the sultan of smash, Mr. Syd the Orc! Syd will be squaring off against one of our crowd favourites, always a servant of the people, part-time keeper of the peace, part-time pit fighting masochist, full-time extreme machine, the blue bomber, Semil! Give it up everybody, let them feel the love!"
As Halfroc finishes, the crowd once again lets loose in a mighty roar and across the pit, Semil, the muscular blue dragonborn, leaps down, does the classic superhero landing and then stands, making himself look as imposing as possible. It's a difficult task to accomplish while standing across the pit from an orc, but he sure as hell is giving it his all. Semil smiles at Syd, then opens his hand to reveal a glint of silver, which he tosses to the middle of the ring. He looks toward the ceiling expectantly, raises his fingers to his lips, and closes his eyes briefly. Evidently satisfied by the ritual, a toothy smile crosses his reptilian face. He extends his hand for the traditional pre-fight shake.
(Just a reminder that combat is to be unarmed, with no magic or magical abilities - e.g. breath weapons - allowed per the pit rules. Feel free to RP whatever you like, of course. Semil wears light leather armour, which is the max that is allowed in the pit, so AC 12 w/his DEX. Sometimes it's good to be a barbarian!)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Halfroc hardly has a chance to respond before Syd plunges into battle, but he raises his hand and quietly calls out, "Sure, sure, next round!", while thinking to himself that he needs to find a sterner challenge, lest he lose more coin.
The dragonborn is staggered by the force of the orc's head ramming into his own. After regaining his footing, Semil grits his teeth and wipes the rivulet of blood from his forehead. He then feints with a left jab and follows with a measured right cross, aiming up in an attempt to catch Syd on the chin, and a headbutt of his own. Although he is slightly off balance following a bad miss with the headbutt, he manages to connect with a swipe of his tail on the way to the ground for minimal impact.
Semil - attack vs. Syd: 13, damage (unarmed strike): 5 Extra Attack - attack vs. Syd: 9, damage (unarmed strike): 5 Bonus Action - attack vs. Syd: 13, damage (unarmed strike): 1
From the ground, Semil moves to rise to his feet, saying as he does, "You move well for a big man, I'll grant you that... Who taught an orc to fight like that?"
(Didn't mention that Semil is a 7th level Fighter, hence the extra attack. I'm thinking of equalizing Syd's and Semil's HP at 40 for the combat, roughly the midpoint of your respective HPs, if that sounds fair. Otherwise, Syd has advantages in AC, STR and DEX. Basically, still feeling this process out, so happy for feedback ;-)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(Well, if I can beat a 7th level fighter, that ought to do wonders for my reputation! I'm game for the equal hp levels)
Syd manages to dodge the headbutt and the crossing blow, Semil's tail catches him for a stinging blow on the back of his right knee. Syd winces, less from the pain and more from the realization that this dragonborn's quickness and ability to score multiple hits in the time it takes Syd to swing once puts him at a disadvantage.
"My uncles hired a grumpy old dwarf warrior to teach me a thing or two when I was a youngling," he replies, "and some of it's just in the blood, ya know?" Syd ponders briefly unleashing his inner battle rage, but decides to remain in control for one more pass.
Just as Semil rises, Syd attempts to grab the dragonborn's shoulders and drive his knee into the pit of his opponent's stomach.
Unarmed Attack: 9 Damage: 6
Unfortunately, the fighter twists out of his grasp before the blow can connect.
Ula Raethran, a short half-elf with tanned skin, lands with an inelegant thump in the middle of the street, having seemingly appeared out of thin air. They scramble to their feet with a groan, absently brushing their hands off on dirty leather pants before stopping and staring at the buildings around them.
“This…isn’t my ship…”
Ula spins in a frantic circle, hoping that maybe that stupid wizard had just misjudged the distance by a few yards, that the docks are just down the street, but no. This isn’t even the same city they were in just moments ago. There isn’t so much as a rowboat in sight, let alone The Grandmistress.
Ula chews nervously at one of the complicated braids that keeps their long brown hair pulled back and out of their face. They hear shouts and cheering coming from within a nearby building, and look up to see a sign for what appears to be a tavern - The Greasy Weasel.
“That’s as good a place as any to start, I suppose,” Ula mutters as they push open the door and step inside. "Hopefully someone in here can tell me where I've ended up."
(ooc - I'm *totally* new to play-by-post, so if I'm doing anything wrong please let me know!)
A wood-elf dressed in simple peasant robes is enjoying watching the fight from his vantage point standing on a barstool. As he sees the newcomer out of the corner of his eye, he turns to look at them, and smiles and hops lightly to the floor. "Greetings," he says in Common, with a smile. "You have that 'lost' look about you. Do I surmise correctly that you are recently arrived in our town? I am Hurren Oakthorn, at your service." He bows and awaits the tanned half-elf's reply.
Ula smiles and bows in return, although they continue looking distractedly around the interior of the tavern even as they address Hurren Oakthorn. "Ula Raethran, first mate of The Grandmistress. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm sure, although you have indeed surmised correctly that I am both lost and...very new in town."
Ula is briefly distracted by the sounds of the fight taking place in the pit. They enjoy a good brawl as much as the next person, both watching and participating. But they quickly return their attention to the wood elf in front of them."Tell me, Hurren, is it a common occurrence for people to sort of just...show up here? For that matter, where is here? I'm supposed to be on my ship right now, but that's clearly not the case."
(Well, if I can beat a 7th level fighter, that ought to do wonders for my reputation! I'm game for the equal hp levels)
Syd manages to dodge the headbutt and the crossing blow, Semil's tail catches him for a stinging blow on the back of his right knee. Syd winces, less from the pain and more from the realization that this dragonborn's quickness and ability to score multiple hits in the time it takes Syd to swing once puts him at a disadvantage.
"My uncles hired a grumpy old dwarf warrior to teach me a thing or two when I was a youngling," he replies, "and some of it's just in the blood, ya know?" Syd ponders briefly unleashing his inner battle rage, but decides to remain in control for one more pass.
Just as Semil rises, Syd attempts to grab the dragonborn's shoulders and drive his knee into the pit of his opponent's stomach.
Unarmed Attack: 9 Damage: 6
Unfortunately, the fighter twists out of his grasp before the blow can connect.
Syd's current hp (39/40)
"In the blood, eh, let's see if we can take a closer look at that!", Semil chortles as he somehow evades Syd's attack. He whirls around and launches another series of blows against the off-balance orc.
Semil - attack vs. Syd: 15, damage (unarmed strike): 5 Extra Attack - attack vs. Syd: 26, damage (unarmed strike): 10 Bonus Action - attack vs. Syd: 13, damage (unarmed strike): 1
The first attempt, a kick to the knee, is deflected by Syd, but it leaves him open to a crushing elbow to the gut. The third strike, a swing with the tail, fails to make contact as Syd staggers out of range. The crowd roars in approval at these first exchanges and you hear Halfroc hooting in delight at the skill and spectacle.
Ula smiles and bows in return, although they continue looking distractedly around the interior of the tavern even as they address Hurren Oakthorn. "Ula Raethran, first mate of The Grandmistress. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm sure, although you have indeed surmised correctly that I am both lost and...very new in town."
Ula is briefly distracted by the sounds of the fight taking place in the pit. They enjoy a good brawl as much as the next person, both watching and participating. But they quickly return their attention to the wood elf in front of them."Tell me, Hurren, is it a common occurrence for people to sort of just...show up here? For that matter, where is here? I'm supposed to be on my ship right now, but that's clearly not the case."
(Welcome to Haven! You probably know this already, but don't feel obliged to remain in the Greasy Weasel. Feel free to wander around the city, anywhere you like, or stick around and jump in the pits if want. The barkeep is a halfling named Halfroc. @rob88scps2, the other DMs, and I will pick up the thread wherever you wish to travel.)
Syd felt a little cocky after the first round, but the second was a disaster. Not only did he fail to land his attack, he also got the wind knocked out of him. Hanging on to the side of the pit, he shakes his head, trying to clear away the little stars floating around. He closes his eyes tight for half a second, and when he opens them again, the carefree joking look has disappeared, replaced by a bestial thirst for mayhem. (BA rage). With a snarl, he leaps forward, his ham-fist hurtling towards Semil's jaw.
Unarmed Attack: 22 Damage: 6 +2 rage damage.
Syd HP (29/40)
my understanding is that unarmed strikes do count for rage bonus even though they are not melee weapons. See here.
Ula smiles and bows in return, although they continue looking distractedly around the interior of the tavern even as they address Hurren Oakthorn. "Ula Raethran, first mate of The Grandmistress. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm sure, although you have indeed surmised correctly that I am both lost and...very new in town."
Ula is briefly distracted by the sounds of the fight taking place in the pit. They enjoy a good brawl as much as the next person, both watching and participating. But they quickly return their attention to the wood elf in front of them."Tell me, Hurren, is it a common occurrence for people to sort of just...show up here? For that matter, where is here? I'm supposed to be on my ship right now, but that's clearly not the case."
Hurren smiles, "Well, it's not uncommon. I am a relative newcomer myself, but many of the other townsfolk originated elsewhere and arrived here by accident. This planet and this town in particular seems to be located near some sort of cosmic nexus, and portals to various locations in the multiverse appear and disappear not infrequently. Many of the recently arrived actually describe being compelled to come here as if some divine or infernal force were at work, bringing chosen individuals to our little corner of reality. It's all very complicated and there are several of the old-timers around that can give you more details of the town's history, and how these unstable portals came to be, and why they are not currently under control."
The elf gives Ula a sympathetic look, and continues in the Common tongue, "Unfortunately, to my knowledge, no one in town currently has the knowledge on how to create or control portals to send people back to their places of origin. Many citizens have been stranded here for months or years. I wish I had better news for you on that front."
He then switches to Elvish, and adds:
"Luckily those of us with fey ancestry can afford to wait a long time until the problem is solved. In the meantime, Haven is full of intrigue, adventure, and opportunity. Whether you wish to enrich yourself, explore, become a scholar, or learn to manipulate the power of the Weave, it can all be found here, in our little 'Village at the End of the Universe.'"
Syd felt a little cocky after the first round, but the second was a disaster. Not only did he fail to land his attack, he also got the wind knocked out of him. Hanging on to the side of the pit, he shakes his head, trying to clear away the little stars floating around. He closes his eyes tight for half a second, and when he opens them again, the carefree joking look has disappeared, replaced by a bestial thirst for mayhem. (BA rage). With a snarl, he leaps forward, his ham-fist hurtling towards Semil's jaw.
Unarmed Attack: 22 Damage: 6 +2 rage damage.
Syd HP (29/40)
my understanding is that unarmed strikes do count for rage bonus even though they are not melee weapons. See here.
Semil lets his guard down for a moment, surprised at the effect of his own strike. This brief moment of pride ends abruptly as he realizes the new danger he faces, with Syd's fury awoken. "The good news is that I must have legitimately hurt you, the bad news is that... UGH!" Semil's untimely, self-referential commentary is cut off as Syd's fist smashes into his face. Shaken back to full battle readiness by the blow, Semil thinks it might be better to avoid any wrestling maneuvers for the time being. He scuttles back a few paces, before lunging forward with a jab, hook, left, right combo, followed by another trademark tail swat.
Semil - attack vs. Syd: 9, damage (unarmed strike): 5 Extra Attack - attack vs. Syd: 22, damage (unarmed strike): 5 Bonus Action - attack vs. Syd: 26, damage (unarmed strike): 2
The jab lands flush, but the right hook is intercepted by Syd, who manages to injure the arm on its wild follow-through. Tangled up in this exchange, Semil's tail just manages to slap Syd's leg, but it's unclear if even the successful strikes did any real damage to Syd. Semil, while still on his feet, is clearly going to need to perform flawlessly to maintain any advantage against this gigantic fighting machine!
(Semil - 26 HP)
Yeah, you're good. I think that the tweet and the bit on PHB 195 (Instead of using a weapon to make a melee weapon attack, you can use an unarmed strike...) has got you covered. Carry on w/the beating! ;-)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(So with rage resistance to bludgeoning, I round the 5 down to 2, and the 1 to... 0?)
The orcseems unphased by the blue dragonborn's attack, his beady eyes glowing like burning coals, staring at his opponent unblinking. He charges again and attempts to stomp on the instep of Semil's right foot.
Unarmed Attack: 9 Damage: 6 +2 rage damage.
However, the fighter is too quick for him and pulls back in time.
Ula frowns for a moment, contemplating what Hurren has told them about Haven, before shrugging and saying, "Well, I suppose I was due for a change of scenery anyway. And I do like the sound of 'intrigue, adventure, and opportunity'. I suppose I'll start by finding a place to stay tonight--"After inspecting their coin purse, Ula amends, "A cheap place to stay tonight. And then I'll work my way up to some exploration and adventure. It looks like they may have rooms here, so I'll speak to the proprietor about that. But do you have any recommendations for where someone who's very new in town could look for work? Any kind of work, really. I'm not in a position to be picky." Ula then smiles at Hurren, feeling genuinely grateful for his friendliness and assistance in an otherwise very confusing situation, and thanks him in Elvish.
"Well, Ula, the Weasel is definitely cheap, but not the most fragrant source of accommodations. Regular paying work is somewhat hard to come by, but you look like the adventuring sort anyhow, so I suspect you wouldn't be interested in menial tasks. The best source for your line of work is the town bulletin board, where notices are often posted for openings in the town guard, expeditions to keep the town safe from marauders, etc. Although it's been a couple of weeks since I saw anything posted there. There is also the Exploration House, where they sometimes hire folk to map the other parts of this world. And of course, in this fine establishment, those who excel in unarmed combat can win the occasional purse, and everyone else can gamble on the outcomes."
Hurren adds, "There are also unsavory elements here, and around town, so of course, keep your eyes open and your guard up. The town guard is more concerned with external threats than in policing every dark alley."
(So with rage resistance to bludgeoning, I round the 5 down to 2, and the 1 to... 0?)
The orc seems unphased by the blue dragonborn's attack, his beady eyes glowing like burning coals, staring at his opponent unblinking. He charges again and attempts to stomp on the instep of Semil's right foot.
Unarmed Attack: 9 Damage: 6 +2 rage damage.
However, the fighter is too quick for him and pulls back in time.
Syd hp (26/40)
(Yup, should be 2 and 0 w/the resistance, so I think Syd's at 27?)
There is a rising cry from the crowd as they see the Semil falter, but it falls again as Syd is unable to capitalize on his next attack. They sense that they're in the crucial moments of the bout, as Semil's fortunes teeter on the verge of collapse following the injury to his arm. Semil pivots away from Syd's charge, while continuing to face him. As Syd's large frame roars past, Semil attempts a kick to the back of his knee, followed by a jumping punch with his good left arm to the back and a tail slap.
Semil - attack vs. Syd: 17, damage (unarmed strike): 5 Extra Attack - attack vs. Syd: 20, damage (unarmed strike): 5 Bonus Action - attack vs. Syd: 26, damage (unarmed strike): 2
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Sydshrugs off the annoyance of the tail slap, and seems to barely notice the blow to his back. He leaps toward the dragonborn, attempting to clap his two hands together on either side of his head.
Unarmed Attack: 13 Damage: 6 +2 rage damage.
As Semildodges out of the way, Sydroars in frustration at his failure to connect.
"Well, Ula, the Weasel is definitely cheap, but not the most fragrant source of accommodations. Regular paying work is somewhat hard to come by, but you look like the adventuring sort anyhow, so I suspect you wouldn't be interested in menial tasks. The best source for your line of work is the town bulletin board, where notices are often posted for openings in the town guard, expeditions to keep the town safe from marauders, etc. Although it's been a couple of weeks since I saw anything posted there. There is also the Exploration House, where they sometimes hire folk to map the other parts of this world. And of course, in this fine establishment, those who excel in unarmed combat can win the occasional purse, and everyone else can gamble on the outcomes."
Hurren adds, "There are also unsavory elements here, and around town, so of course, keep your eyes open and your guard up. The town guard is more concerned with external threats than in policing every dark alley."
Ula laughs and shakes their head. "I've spent the last 10 years sharing quarters with various crews on various seafaring vessels -- I long ago gave up my need for 'fragrant' accommodations. I think the Weasel will suit me fine, at least until I have a little more coin in my pocket. But thank you for the warnings, and the information. I think I'll check out the Exploration House tomorrow, see if they have any work for me."
Ula thanks Hurren once again, and extends a hand to shake. Assuming Hurren points them in the right direction, they then approach the owner of the Greasy Weasel (Halfroc, I think?) to enquire about a room for the night.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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"Well hello there, Mr. Orc! Welcome back, I guess it must be fight night. I had nearly forgot!" Halfroc laughs heartily to himself, wispy smoke coming out of his mouth as he waves his lit pipe carelessly about. Seeing that Syd is all business, Halfroc swiftly slides an empty shot glass across the bartop to his left hand, grabbing the glowglass bottle as the shot glass is in motion. The shot glass clinks against Halfroc's pipe in that left hand, which causes a few lit embers to spill out. They narrowly miss the shot glass and land harmlessly on the bar. He proceeds to pour the glowing liquid and then slides the shot glass over to Syd.
After downing the shot, Syd's skin once again begins to exude a soft, sickly, green light, which will last for the next 3 hours.
"Glad to hear you've got a few fights in ya. As a matter of fact, I do have a special request! That blue dragonborn you dispatched in your first fight last week, Semil, member of the town guard. Apparently he thinks the fates were lined up against him last week, so he's gone off and made some kind of tribute to Tymora at her Temple. Says that will tip the scales in his favour. He thought the line about scales was really clever, being a dragonborn, you know. I think he's a bit daft, but maybe you can knock some sense into him, if you're up for it, that is."
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A disturbing smile spreads across Syd's visage. "It would be my pleasure." He strides to the ring, and does a few jumps and air-punches to loosen up.
Halfroc shrugs to himself, thinking that this seems like a good a time as any to get tonight's festivities started. He slips from behind the bar, shoving and winding his way through the crowd of talls until he reaches the edge of the pit. A couple of the staff, anticipating Halfroc's arrival, quickly scoop him up, then lower him down far enough that he can safely jump in. Halfroc makes a well-rehearsed, graceful roll into the center of the pit, where he leaps to his feet. While taking care to avoid Syd's calisthenics and pantomimed strikes, he raises his arms toward the ceiling. The crowd roars in approval, ready to lose themselves and their coin in a frenzy of alcohol, violence, and financial risk. After a solid ten count, Halfroc drops his arms and the crowd falls silent.
"Thank you, thank you, fine ladies and gentlemen, my great friends one and all, faithful patrons of the Greasy Weasel. It sounds to me like you are ready for the next weekly installment of the finest spectacle in all of Haven, presented to you by yours truly and the most proficient martial combatants from all the realms!" The crowd goes wild again, until Halfroc takes another drag off his pipe and lets out an impressively large smoke ring. How he keeps that thing lit during his acrobatic entrance is a source of much speculation amongst the patrons. "All right, since it seems like one of last week's debutants is extremely eager to get back in action, we will kick things off without further ado. Our first bout this evening will feature a rematch, round two of what will surely go down as one of the most talked about fight series this city has ever seen. First, as I'm sure you've all deduced, we have this daunting fellow, holder of a fine 2-1 record after his debut last week, he's mean and green, the master of mash and the sultan of smash, Mr. Syd the Orc! Syd will be squaring off against one of our crowd favourites, always a servant of the people, part-time keeper of the peace, part-time pit fighting masochist, full-time extreme machine, the blue bomber, Semil! Give it up everybody, let them feel the love!"
As Halfroc finishes, the crowd once again lets loose in a mighty roar and across the pit, Semil, the muscular blue dragonborn, leaps down, does the classic superhero landing and then stands, making himself look as imposing as possible. It's a difficult task to accomplish while standing across the pit from an orc, but he sure as hell is giving it his all. Semil smiles at Syd, then opens his hand to reveal a glint of silver, which he tosses to the middle of the ring. He looks toward the ceiling expectantly, raises his fingers to his lips, and closes his eyes briefly. Evidently satisfied by the ritual, a toothy smile crosses his reptilian face. He extends his hand for the traditional pre-fight shake.
Semil - Initiative 7
(Just a reminder that combat is to be unarmed, with no magic or magical abilities - e.g. breath weapons - allowed per the pit rules. Feel free to RP whatever you like, of course. Semil wears light leather armour, which is the max that is allowed in the pit, so AC 12 w/his DEX. Sometimes it's good to be a barbarian!)
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"Heya, Semil," Syd nods while taking the proffered hand. "Nice teeth. I'll try not to knock any of them out." He grins, softening his words just a bit.
He backs up to his starting position, shifting his weight back and forth from foot to foot, waiting for the bell to signal the start of the fight.
He glances at Halfroc. "Same side bet as last time?"
Initiative 21
Once the bout begins, he lowers his head and rushes at the dragonborn, straightening at the last second to attempt a headbutt on his opponent.
Unarmed Attack: 14 Damage: 6
Halfroc hardly has a chance to respond before Syd plunges into battle, but he raises his hand and quietly calls out, "Sure, sure, next round!", while thinking to himself that he needs to find a sterner challenge, lest he lose more coin.
The dragonborn is staggered by the force of the orc's head ramming into his own. After regaining his footing, Semil grits his teeth and wipes the rivulet of blood from his forehead. He then feints with a left jab and follows with a measured right cross, aiming up in an attempt to catch Syd on the chin, and a headbutt of his own. Although he is slightly off balance following a bad miss with the headbutt, he manages to connect with a swipe of his tail on the way to the ground for minimal impact.
Semil - attack vs. Syd: 13, damage (unarmed strike): 5
Extra Attack - attack vs. Syd: 9, damage (unarmed strike): 5
Bonus Action - attack vs. Syd: 13, damage (unarmed strike): 1
From the ground, Semil moves to rise to his feet, saying as he does, "You move well for a big man, I'll grant you that... Who taught an orc to fight like that?"
(Didn't mention that Semil is a 7th level Fighter, hence the extra attack. I'm thinking of equalizing Syd's and Semil's HP at 40 for the combat, roughly the midpoint of your respective HPs, if that sounds fair. Otherwise, Syd has advantages in AC, STR and DEX. Basically, still feeling this process out, so happy for feedback ;-)
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(Well, if I can beat a 7th level fighter, that ought to do wonders for my reputation! I'm game for the equal hp levels)
Syd manages to dodge the headbutt and the crossing blow, Semil's tail catches him for a stinging blow on the back of his right knee. Syd winces, less from the pain and more from the realization that this dragonborn's quickness and ability to score multiple hits in the time it takes Syd to swing once puts him at a disadvantage.
"My uncles hired a grumpy old dwarf warrior to teach me a thing or two when I was a youngling," he replies, "and some of it's just in the blood, ya know?"
Syd ponders briefly unleashing his inner battle rage, but decides to remain in control for one more pass.
Just as Semil rises, Syd attempts to grab the dragonborn's shoulders and drive his knee into the pit of his opponent's stomach.
Unarmed Attack: 9 Damage: 6
Unfortunately, the fighter twists out of his grasp before the blow can connect.
Syd's current hp (39/40)
Ula Raethran, a short half-elf with tanned skin, lands with an inelegant thump in the middle of the street, having seemingly appeared out of thin air. They scramble to their feet with a groan, absently brushing their hands off on dirty leather pants before stopping and staring at the buildings around them.
“This…isn’t my ship…”
Ula spins in a frantic circle, hoping that maybe that stupid wizard had just misjudged the distance by a few yards, that the docks are just down the street, but no. This isn’t even the same city they were in just moments ago. There isn’t so much as a rowboat in sight, let alone The Grandmistress.
Ula chews nervously at one of the complicated braids that keeps their long brown hair pulled back and out of their face. They hear shouts and cheering coming from within a nearby building, and look up to see a sign for what appears to be a tavern - The Greasy Weasel.
“That’s as good a place as any to start, I suppose,” Ula mutters as they push open the door and step inside. "Hopefully someone in here can tell me where I've ended up."
(ooc - I'm *totally* new to play-by-post, so if I'm doing anything wrong please let me know!)
A wood-elf dressed in simple peasant robes is enjoying watching the fight from his vantage point standing on a barstool. As he sees the newcomer out of the corner of his eye, he turns to look at them, and smiles and hops lightly to the floor. "Greetings," he says in Common, with a smile. "You have that 'lost' look about you. Do I surmise correctly that you are recently arrived in our town? I am Hurren Oakthorn, at your service." He bows and awaits the tanned half-elf's reply.
Ula smiles and bows in return, although they continue looking distractedly around the interior of the tavern even as they address Hurren Oakthorn. "Ula Raethran, first mate of The Grandmistress. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm sure, although you have indeed surmised correctly that I am both lost and...very new in town."
Ula is briefly distracted by the sounds of the fight taking place in the pit. They enjoy a good brawl as much as the next person, both watching and participating. But they quickly return their attention to the wood elf in front of them. "Tell me, Hurren, is it a common occurrence for people to sort of just...show up here? For that matter, where is here? I'm supposed to be on my ship right now, but that's clearly not the case."
"In the blood, eh, let's see if we can take a closer look at that!", Semil chortles as he somehow evades Syd's attack. He whirls around and launches another series of blows against the off-balance orc.
Semil - attack vs. Syd: 15, damage (unarmed strike): 5
Extra Attack - attack vs. Syd: 26, damage (unarmed strike): 10
Bonus Action - attack vs. Syd: 13, damage (unarmed strike): 1
The first attempt, a kick to the knee, is deflected by Syd, but it leaves him open to a crushing elbow to the gut. The third strike, a swing with the tail, fails to make contact as Syd staggers out of range. The crowd roars in approval at these first exchanges and you hear Halfroc hooting in delight at the skill and spectacle.
(Semil - 34 HP)
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(Welcome to Haven! You probably know this already, but don't feel obliged to remain in the Greasy Weasel. Feel free to wander around the city, anywhere you like, or stick around and jump in the pits if want. The barkeep is a halfling named Halfroc. @rob88scps2, the other DMs, and I will pick up the thread wherever you wish to travel.)
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Syd felt a little cocky after the first round, but the second was a disaster. Not only did he fail to land his attack, he also got the wind knocked out of him. Hanging on to the side of the pit, he shakes his head, trying to clear away the little stars floating around. He closes his eyes tight for half a second, and when he opens them again, the carefree joking look has disappeared, replaced by a bestial thirst for mayhem. (BA rage). With a snarl, he leaps forward, his ham-fist hurtling towards Semil's jaw.
Unarmed Attack: 22 Damage: 6 +2 rage damage.
Syd HP (29/40)
my understanding is that unarmed strikes do count for rage bonus even though they are not melee weapons. See here.
Hurren smiles, "Well, it's not uncommon. I am a relative newcomer myself, but many of the other townsfolk originated elsewhere and arrived here by accident. This planet and this town in particular seems to be located near some sort of cosmic nexus, and portals to various locations in the multiverse appear and disappear not infrequently. Many of the recently arrived actually describe being compelled to come here as if some divine or infernal force were at work, bringing chosen individuals to our little corner of reality. It's all very complicated and there are several of the old-timers around that can give you more details of the town's history, and how these unstable portals came to be, and why they are not currently under control."
The elf gives Ula a sympathetic look, and continues in the Common tongue, "Unfortunately, to my knowledge, no one in town currently has the knowledge on how to create or control portals to send people back to their places of origin. Many citizens have been stranded here for months or years. I wish I had better news for you on that front."
He then switches to Elvish, and adds:
"Luckily those of us with fey ancestry can afford to wait a long time until the problem is solved. In the meantime, Haven is full of intrigue, adventure, and opportunity. Whether you wish to enrich yourself, explore, become a scholar, or learn to manipulate the power of the Weave, it can all be found here, in our little 'Village at the End of the Universe.'"
Semil lets his guard down for a moment, surprised at the effect of his own strike. This brief moment of pride ends abruptly as he realizes the new danger he faces, with Syd's fury awoken. "The good news is that I must have legitimately hurt you, the bad news is that... UGH!" Semil's untimely, self-referential commentary is cut off as Syd's fist smashes into his face. Shaken back to full battle readiness by the blow, Semil thinks it might be better to avoid any wrestling maneuvers for the time being. He scuttles back a few paces, before lunging forward with a jab, hook, left, right combo, followed by another trademark tail swat.
Semil - attack vs. Syd: 9, damage (unarmed strike): 5
Extra Attack - attack vs. Syd: 22, damage (unarmed strike): 5
Bonus Action - attack vs. Syd: 26, damage (unarmed strike): 2
The jab lands flush, but the right hook is intercepted by Syd, who manages to injure the arm on its wild follow-through. Tangled up in this exchange, Semil's tail just manages to slap Syd's leg, but it's unclear if even the successful strikes did any real damage to Syd. Semil, while still on his feet, is clearly going to need to perform flawlessly to maintain any advantage against this gigantic fighting machine!
(Semil - 26 HP)
Yeah, you're good. I think that the tweet and the bit on PHB 195 (Instead of using a weapon to make a melee weapon attack, you can use an unarmed strike...) has got you covered. Carry on w/the beating! ;-)
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(So with rage resistance to bludgeoning, I round the 5 down to 2, and the 1 to... 0?)
The orc seems unphased by the blue dragonborn's attack, his beady eyes glowing like burning coals, staring at his opponent unblinking. He charges again and attempts to stomp on the instep of Semil's right foot.
Unarmed Attack: 9 Damage: 6 +2 rage damage.
However, the fighter is too quick for him and pulls back in time.
Syd hp (26/40)
Ula frowns for a moment, contemplating what Hurren has told them about Haven, before shrugging and saying, "Well, I suppose I was due for a change of scenery anyway. And I do like the sound of 'intrigue, adventure, and opportunity'. I suppose I'll start by finding a place to stay tonight--" After inspecting their coin purse, Ula amends, "A cheap place to stay tonight. And then I'll work my way up to some exploration and adventure. It looks like they may have rooms here, so I'll speak to the proprietor about that. But do you have any recommendations for where someone who's very new in town could look for work? Any kind of work, really. I'm not in a position to be picky." Ula then smiles at Hurren, feeling genuinely grateful for his friendliness and assistance in an otherwise very confusing situation, and thanks him in Elvish.
"Well, Ula, the Weasel is definitely cheap, but not the most fragrant source of accommodations. Regular paying work is somewhat hard to come by, but you look like the adventuring sort anyhow, so I suspect you wouldn't be interested in menial tasks. The best source for your line of work is the town bulletin board, where notices are often posted for openings in the town guard, expeditions to keep the town safe from marauders, etc. Although it's been a couple of weeks since I saw anything posted there. There is also the Exploration House, where they sometimes hire folk to map the other parts of this world. And of course, in this fine establishment, those who excel in unarmed combat can win the occasional purse, and everyone else can gamble on the outcomes."
Hurren adds, "There are also unsavory elements here, and around town, so of course, keep your eyes open and your guard up. The town guard is more concerned with external threats than in policing every dark alley."
(Yup, should be 2 and 0 w/the resistance, so I think Syd's at 27?)
There is a rising cry from the crowd as they see the Semil falter, but it falls again as Syd is unable to capitalize on his next attack. They sense that they're in the crucial moments of the bout, as Semil's fortunes teeter on the verge of collapse following the injury to his arm. Semil pivots away from Syd's charge, while continuing to face him. As Syd's large frame roars past, Semil attempts a kick to the back of his knee, followed by a jumping punch with his good left arm to the back and a tail slap.
Semil - attack vs. Syd: 17, damage (unarmed strike): 5
Extra Attack - attack vs. Syd: 20, damage (unarmed strike): 5
Bonus Action - attack vs. Syd: 26, damage (unarmed strike): 2
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Syd shrugs off the annoyance of the tail slap, and seems to barely notice the blow to his back. He leaps toward the dragonborn, attempting to clap his two hands together on either side of his head.
Unarmed Attack: 13 Damage: 6 +2 rage damage.
As Semil dodges out of the way, Syd roars in frustration at his failure to connect.
Syd HP 25/40
rage round 3 of 10
Ula laughs and shakes their head. "I've spent the last 10 years sharing quarters with various crews on various seafaring vessels -- I long ago gave up my need for 'fragrant' accommodations. I think the Weasel will suit me fine, at least until I have a little more coin in my pocket. But thank you for the warnings, and the information. I think I'll check out the Exploration House tomorrow, see if they have any work for me."
Ula thanks Hurren once again, and extends a hand to shake. Assuming Hurren points them in the right direction, they then approach the owner of the Greasy Weasel (Halfroc, I think?) to enquire about a room for the night.