I get the feeling they'd not get along.

So, really getting all my licks in today on combat. Note to self: (i) build the whole dice pool before clicking roll, (ii) be sure to include difficulties of checks.

Caizu - let's make it an average skulduggery with a setback die if you you try to snag the key now. You're currently medium range from the center of the gladiatorial pits if you are to make a break for it.

Rising from the crouch he was smashed down and into, Lang spits blood and a tooth out and onto the sand of the arena, staining some of it dark blue. "You learn to punch from your mother?" he asks in a mocking tone, "Wait, that's hardly fair. I imagine she's a tough old sow, since she gave birth to you ." Launching forward and drawing his right hand back to deliver a tremendous straight punch, Lang throws all of his weight behind the blow.

However the Gammorean is faster than he looks, and the blow sails past the tusked maw of Dabross as he sways out of the way. Unfortunately for both Lang and the hulking green swine, the Mirialan's momentum carries him further into his target, both of them tangling in a mess of limbs, chains and yelling. It was the most ungainly thing Lang had ever done in a fight, but it worked to distract the brute; and the Mirialan hoped Dro-Kar could capitalize on the chaos.

And we have the Kymrel syndrome... Thanks for the boost by the way, sorry I didn't hit!

Punching Dabross with Shock Gloves : 3eA+1eB+2eD+1eS 0 successes, 1 advantage

Maneuver One to stand from prone

Action One to attack Dabross and miss

Using that 1 Advantage and the 1 Threat Dabross generated, can I please add 1 Setback to his next check - or would you prefer a Boost, Dro-Kar?

4/14 Wounds (7 - 3 soak = 4)

2/13 Strain

Alright. I've got a post written, but it's not my turn yet, so if y'all have any problems with the 'escape through the arena' plan, you'd better tell me now.

I think a boost for Dro-Kar might be better. Getting another critical hit with +20% could be nasty... But the one advantage can only be spent to give the next PC taking action a bonus, so that would probably be Caizu.

Shy - you were supposed to go at the end of the last round. Current initiative is PC, PC, PC, NPC, NPC. Dro-Kar and Lang just went, so it's actually your go again (before the pig and the weequay get another shot). So really, you get back to back actions (with a setback die to steal ****** the cylinder on the first action if that's what you choose to do).

Ah! I thought you had meant that I was going at the end of this one! Apologies. I'll get the first of the posts up, and then we can figure what to do from there.

“Yes, your Excellence, I will make sure that the Mirialan is executed regardless of the outcome this evening.”

Caizu bites back a curse. There goes the "waiting until the fight is done" idea. Oh, well. So much for subtlety—time to put on a show.

She brushes past Rija just slightly, apparently to get a better look at the arena. Caizu's hands are quick, and the code cylinder is liberated before the Twi'lek can notice. She lingers for just a moment, and then the chaos begins.

There's a feeling that comes over Caizu in times like these. Not calm, not exactly, but focus. Like everything's about to snap into place.

She runs. It's an all-out sprint; she's only barely avoiding crashing into various of those watching. The noise of the crowd is taking on a rather more confused tone, but Caizu doesn't care. She's in her element now.

Caizu reaches the lip of the arena and launches herself forward. Her landing drops her beside her co-conspirators, and she rolls as she hits the arena floor. She flashes another grin as she stands and dusts herself off. "Mind if I drop in?"

Caizu's turn:

Action: Grab code cylinder

Grabbing the code cylinder : 2eA+1eP+2eD+1eS 1 success

Maneuver: Move to Short range of pit

Maneuver: Engage pit (by jumping in)

Caizu is now at 2/13 strain.

For the "people shooting/whacking her" aspect, she has 1 ranged defense and 1 melee from her holographic outfit (it's distracting, I guess?) and will have 2 melee as soon as she gets out her blade-breaker.

Also, what range band is the gate now at?

Ha ha ha, excellent. Melee defense from the holographic bikini is nice. Reminds me of a (joke) rule from a system I used to play called Bulletproof Nudity. It gave characters increased defense for less clothing.

I think I remember an optional rule like that in one of the GURPS books! Dunno, since I haven't read through GURPS stuff in a while. (It's my family's preferred system, but neither of my parents is currently running a campaign, and I've been running other stuff.)

That reminds me—I should ask my Out of Ashes players if they're okay with me posting the logs on Tumblr or something.

Yeah, it was from some GURPS super-hero book. A cinematic rule, requiring GM approval. I used to play a lot of GURPS back in the day. Now it feels very clunky compared to FFG Star Wars.

Aww. I still love GURPS—but, then, I'm one of those people who will spend hours building a character and enjoy it quite a bit. That might be somewhat why I build so many of my own NPCs, really... stats are fun for me.

Shy - speaking of NPCs, I think it's your turn over on the Session Zero thread

From the dias, the Hutt gangster snarls in reaction to Dro-Kar wounding his favored slave-gladiator. He slams his slimy fist to the arm of his repulsorlift throne in anger as he watches on intently.

Dabross howls in pain from the Nikto’s attack, the blade sinking to the handle deep into the alien's abdomen. Blood flows freely from the wound with every beat of the Gamorreans heart, dampening the soil underfoot.

The Gammorean cares little for the Weequay chained to him, only for his own life and acts accordingly. Despite the tangle of chains and bodies, Dabross exerts his will, dragging the Weequay with him to grip one of the two pedestals with both of his massive hands. The Gammorean giant flexes, using every bit of his strength to dislodge the pedestal from the soil. Lifting the giant object far overhead, he flashes a sinister grin at the Nikto, bearing a mass of yellow teeth and tusks. “ Now you die, runt! ”

Dabross brings the bulky pedestal down with extreme force, leveraging the weight of the object in the downswing. A dull, loud thwack sound echoes through the throne room as the pedestal makes solid contact with the Nikto’s shoulder, the sickening sound of plasteel hitting flesh and the crackle of bone. The pedestal shatters on impact leaving shards of plasteel splintered in a small halo at the feet of the combatants. Dro-Kar lets out a low groan from the attack, the force of the swing staggering the Nikto momentarily.

Dabross' turn. As a maneuver, Dabross picks up one of the pedestals. He flips a darkside point to light side (back to 3DS, 2LS) to upgrade his coordination check. Average check + setback from Lang + boost die from ignoring the Weequay (giving the Weequay a setback die on his next action).

Pig picks up an improvised weapon : 1eA+1eP+2eD+1eS+1eB 0 successes, 2 threat

The Gammorean fails anyway (suffering two strain). Feel free to propose what to do with the two threat. As his action, he wields the pedestal as a large improvised weapon (+3 damage, encumbrance 4, cumbersome 4).

Dambross tries to brain Dro Kar : 3eP+1eA+2eD+1eS 3 successes, 2 advantage

Unfortunately he makes solid contact. 4+3+3 = 10 total damage. The two advantages will give a bonus die to the next attack against the Nikto.

The Weequay does his best to keep his balance amidst the ensuing chaos of battle. He manages to keep his feet under him, though stumbling at times as he is dragged by his neck through the arena while Dabross continues his rampage. Obviously trained in unarmed combat, Nirok maintains his low, defensive stance. Noticing an opportunity while the Mirialan’s back is turned to face Dabross, Nirok lashes out with a quick strike towards the ex-lawman’s ribcage. Just as his attack was to aim true, Dabross raised the pedestal high overhead, pulling the durasteel chain taut. The Weequay, fully at the mercy of his much bigger partner, is wrenched from his feet as he falters.

Nirok attempts an attack with the additional setback from Dabross' movements.

Nirok attacks Lang : 2eA+2eD+2eS 1 failure, 4 threat

...which indeed came back to bite him. Let me know how you choose to use the threat. Nirok will use his maneuver to assume a defensive stance (Melee 1 but a setback on his next attack).

Caizu deftly liberates the cylinder code from Rija’s belt and breaks into a sprint. The Chiss, focused, vaults down the tiered bowl towards the gladiatorial pit, taking two and three steps at a time, weaving through the crowded throng of onlookers.

Teemo’s eyes bulge as he suddenly realizes what’s transpiring, forcing him to drop his cigarillo in surprise. He yells after the fleeing Chiss. “ Stop her! Stop her now, you ungrateful pigs! ” His voice rumbles in fury, his fat, slippery fingers pointing down as Caizu continues her dash towards the arena. Two guards flanking the Hutt, one Gammorean and the other Human, give chase down the steps.

As Caizu darts and weaves through the crowd, she bumps into a tall, droid refreshment vendor, handing alcoholic beverages out to one of the arena-side tables. The contact jostles the droid, sending cloudy blue drinks everywhere. A furious Duros stands from his booth, covered in liquid and starts berating the vendor in an unknown language.

The two guards slow at the spectacle, carefully navigating the slick steps coated in the foamy blue drinks. The Gammorean pauses and unholsters his blaster pistol while trying to track the Chiss’ running path. The Human quickly catches up to the other guard, yelling, “ Set for stun, you dolt! Don’t injure our master’s prize! ”

Caizu - go ahead and make an average coordination or athletics check to land safely in the pits. You take 7 points of damage and strain (to be reduced by soak) if you fail, half if you are successful. The two new guardsmen are added to the initiative at the bottom of the order for the next round.

Trok - probably a good time for you to roll initiative as well

Ouch! I think we need to kill Dabross now.

Also, you never did answer my question, was Dro-Kar's armor stripped off him or is he still wearing it?

EDIT: About the threat from Nirok's roll, I think he might be trying a little too hard to attack pulling at the chain. This puts Dabross off-balance, giving him a setback on the next attack (2 threats) and giving the next attack against him a boost (2 threats).

Dro-Kar tries to move out of the way from the pedastal, but at the last second he sees that if he dives to the right as he intended, he will pull Lang with him and probably doom him. Instead he tries to twist out of the way but takes a solid blow to the left shoulder. He groans in pain but keeps his focus on the massive Gammorean. Go for the kill or it will all be over , he thinks to himself.

The Nikto, a veteran of many close quarters fight, notices how Nirok attempts to keep his balance and punch him, only to be pulled off balance again by his rampaging partner. Seizing the chance he closes the distance with Dabross he goes low, aiming a stab at the pit-fighters heart. Dabross is prepared for him now and manages to block the blow with his forearm, taking only a superficial scratch.

So. Let’s aim twice again (taking 2 strain), this will probably be my last attack if Dabross hits like that again. I’ll also get a boost from the advantages from my last attack, and another from Lang’s attack. And yet another from the threats incurred by Niros. If the GM doesn’t like using those threats in that way, we’ll just ignore the very last boost die. Oh, and since Dabross flipped a DP I’ll flip it right back to upgrade the attack. Gotta make it count…

Die piggy, die! : 2eA+1eP+5eB+2eD+1eS 1 failure, 2 advantage

How? Just hooooow was that even possible. Sigh. I’ll use one advantage to give the next PC to act (Lang most likely) a boost, and one to recover 1 strain.

I thought I had - everyone is stripped of their armor (and is located in the cells, unless you flip the destiny point to put it someplace else).

Check to reduce falling damage : 2eA+2eD 1 success

Woo, managed it! Assuming I round up and soak is applied after damage is halved... 2 damage, 2 strain?

That coulda been bad. Caizu is not the most athletic, that's for sure. *looks wistfully at Enhance*

The way I read the falling rules was halved before soak, so you should be all set. Am I wrong here?

Nope, that's what I was asking. I just needed to know if I'd be taking 2 or 3 strain/wounds.

Re-read the rules. Falling is terrible. I'm revising this to 5/5. Damage taken: 5 less soak less successes. Strain taken: 5 less successes less advantage (no soak applied).

Note, Dro-Kar hasn't reacted to a certain someone dropping by, he's a little busy getting killed to notice a scantily-clad Chiss entering the pit...

Extricating himself from the hideous Gammorean was one thing, but doing so while not dragging Dro-Kar further into the mayhem was another, so Lang doesn't bother. He simply allows the battle to be chaos while doing his best to stay at the center of the storm. Lashing out with both hands, most of the form he has learned from brawls, scraps and outright fights forgotten, the Mirialan tries to make contact with Dabross.

As they step and stumble across the now bloodied arena, Lang sees Dro-Kar go low, and seizes the opportunity. Grabbing the pungent pig by his tusks, Lang snaps his head forward, smashing the hard bone into the soft gristle of the snotty snout before him. A visceral crunch rings out, followed by a large crack as the shock gloves discharge into the swine. Lang grins, hanging onto the tusks and wrenching the Gammorean off balance, exposing his back to the hulking Nikto. Roaring right into Dabross' face, the Mirilan throws his right knee into the large, soft belly that is protruding before him, hoping Dro-Kar will take the open target staggering in front of him.

I think I have rolled the correct dice, but let me know if I made any mistakes!

Wild punches at Dabross (ideally) with Aim and Boost from Dro-Kar : 3eA+2eB+2eD 1 success, 3 advantage

Maneuver One to Aim - adding one Boost
Action One to attack Dabross - 4 strain damage

Using that the first 2 Advantage I would like to trigger Stun - adding 3 more Strain Damage: for a total damage of 7 to Dabross
And using the last 1 Advantage I would love to pass a Boost to the next PC who acts

4/14 Wounds
2/13 Strain

Edit - Yes, Lang is also occupied by the ugly visage he's hanging onto. Sorry to be rude!

Kymrel - I don't know what you did to the dice gods, but perhaps it's time to up your tithe...

Wayward - the dice look correct to me. From how I read "Stun 3" this is applied separately from the overall damage, yes? So it's really four damage (subject to soak) and then three additional stun (which is applied straight to wounds without soak).

I think Caizu is up next here so we can get back on track in the initiative order (am also adding the two quards in the stands at the end of the order so now we're going PC, PC, PC, NPC, NPC, NPC).

Yeah, I have apparently offended the Orokos guys by telling everyone I bought the CEO of Orokos International a bottle of Malt Whiskey. Now the head programmer is pissed because I didn't get him anything. It's a tough life for the PbP player.

You are right about the Stun thing. Assuming the piggy has Soak 4 from his massive Brawn I assume he took no damage from the blow, but 3 from the Stun properties. This would be in addition to the 5 damage from the stabbing (again, assuming his soak is "only" 4) so I think we might not be as close as we'd like to felling the big guy...