[Let's Play] The Legends of Skyfall: Monsters of the Marsh

[JourneymanN00b]

I also vote to climb.

[Beroli]

You decide to climb the ledge towards the caves. It is quite narrow, never more than a foot wide but takes you safely to a point about twenty feet below the nearest cave mouth before petering out.

There seem to be adequate hand and foot holds on this last stretch, but as you reach up to begin, a shadow falls over you and there is a harsh, almost human scream, as a large Eagle stoops on you, attacking with beak and talons.

Its Expertise is 10 and its Vitality 4 and it does 2 Points of Damage. In view of the precarious situation you are in, you will need to cross 1 Fortune Point off your Character Sheet every time (if any) you fail to hit the Eagle; in order not to plunge from your perch. If you fall, you will take 5 damage when you hit the water below. Fortune will not help you avoid this, as it can turn a hit into a miss but cannot turn a miss into a hit.

Pausing for votes on Fortune policy for this fight. Without the fall risk, I would follow "don't vote on it until 12 Vitality" from the Giant Beaver fight, but here I need to know how much Fortune you are willing to spend to avoid falling, including whether you wish to simply immediately fall into the water to avoid spending any.

Name: Andrew Bond
Sex: Male
Expertise: 12
Vitality: 20/20
Fortune: 9
Equipment: Sword, dagger, fifty feet of rope, some torches, flint, steel, tinderbox, 3 doses Potion of Healing (+8 Vitality).
Provisions: 8 days
Travel time so far: 1 day, 5 hours
Deaths: Captured as a slave and worked to death, stabbed with a poisoned dagger, drowned when a dam collapsed

[deaddmwalking]

Can you help me understand our odds of hitting with the Expertise difference?

I'm leaning toward fighting until we win, spending Fortune to stay in the fight no matter what.

[Beroli]

Each round, you'll effectively generate a number from 12 to 16; the eagle will generate a number from 10 to 14. If the eagle's number is 10 or 11, or if your number is 15 or 16, you're safe and the eagle will take 2 damage (no real point spending Fortune to do damage here, as exactly two hits will kill it either way). If your number is 12 or 13, it's possible for the eagle to win the round by getting a higher number. If your number is 14, the eagle can't win the round, but if it also gets a 14 you'll still need to spend one Fortune or fall.

[deaddmwalking]

So every number is equally likely (20%).

If the Eagle rolls a 14, there's still a 40% chance we win (getting a 15 or 16). If the eagle gets a 10 or 11 (40% of the time) we're guaranteed to win.

There are 25 possible states. Only 6 of them involve a loss. With a 19/25 chance of winning (76%) I'm fine with staying in the fight until we win.

[JourneymanN00b]

I will go with deaddmwalking's plan to stay in the fight until our hero wins.

[Beroli]

Round 1: Andrew rolls a 13, Eagle rolls a 14. Andrew takes 2 Damage and must spend 1 Fortune to not fall.
Round 2: Andrew rolls a 13, Eagle rolls a 12. Eagle takes 2 Damage.
Round 3: Andrew rolls a 14, Eagle rolls an 11. Eagle takes 2 Damage. Eagle is dead.

There is a faint splash from below as the body of the eagle plunges into the water. You breathe deeply and may pause to drink a Potion if you wish. Gain 1 Fortune Point. Then you clamber carefully upwards until you are able to get an arm over the lip of the cave mouth and pull yourself over to comparative safety.

Crouching in the cave entrance, you are conscious of a strong animal scent wafting out. You pause dubiously - the Eagle you just killed was your first experience with such creatures - nonetheless this scent seems stronger than you would have expected from an eagle's eyrie. Indeed it smells more like a stable than anything else.

Go into the cave?
Go back down?
Climb up to the next cave above?

Name: Andrew Bond
Sex: Male
Expertise: 12
Vitality: 18/20
Fortune: 9
Equipment: Sword, dagger, fifty feet of rope, some torches, flint, steel, tinderbox, 3 doses Potion of Healing (+8 Vitality).
Provisions: 8 days
Travel time so far: 1 day, 5 hours
Deaths: Captured as a slave and worked to death, stabbed with a poisoned dagger, drowned when a dam collapsed

[Thaluikhain]

Go into cave, look for hippogryff.

[deaddmwalking]

Yes, go into the cave. Surely whatever is in the cave is less dangerous than the eagle we already fought.

[JourneymanN00b]

I also vote to go into the cave.

[Beroli]

The cave mouth is about twelve feet wide at the bottom, curving up to perhaps ten feet high in the centre. You are able to see about twenty feet in, but after that the cave bends round to your right. It seems unlikely that the daylight will reach very far around the bend, and if you have a torch and the means to light it, you do so now. Then you edge warily up to the bend and peer around.

A few feet further, the cave opens out into a chamber some twenty feet across and fifteen feet high. This is the home of a pair of Hippogriffs, and there is a large, rather comfortable nest with three eggs in it.

You have not killed a Hippogriff outside. That is unfortunate for you as it means you are immediately attacked by both of them in quick succession: first the male, then, if you kill him, the female. A Hippogriff has the body and hindlegs of a horse, with the head, forelimbs and wings of a large, fierce bird. Each of them has Expertise 13, Vitality 11 and does 4 Points of Damage with beak and claws.

There will be no chance to drink a Potion until both of them are dead, but you can immediately add 3 Fortune points when each of them dies.

Vote on how to use Fortune.

Name: Andrew Bond
Sex: Male
Expertise: 12
Vitality: 18/20
Fortune: 9
Equipment: Sword, dagger, fifty feet of rope, some torches, flint, steel, tinderbox, 3 doses Potion of Healing (+8 Vitality).
Provisions: 8 days
Travel time so far: 1 day, 5 hours
Deaths: Captured as a slave and worked to death, stabbed with a poisoned dagger, drowned when a dam collapsed

[JourneymanN00b]

Aarrrgh. Our hero is probably dead against facing two higher skilled opponents at once. I will vote to use Fortune each time our hero scores a hit until the Hippogriff reaches 2 Vitality, If our hero reaches 6 Vitality, I vote to use 3 Fortune to reduce the damage of the next blow.

[Thaluikhain]

That sounds reasonable.

[deaddmwalking]

Works for me.

I understand we have no plot armor. I see now that it was a mistake not to have regular armor, either.

[Beroli]

Round 1: Andrew rolls a 13, Male Hippogriff rolls a 13.
Round 2: Andrew rolls a 14, Male Hippogriff rolls a 16. Andrew's Vitality is 14.
Round 3: Andrew rolls a 14, Male Hippogriff rolls a 15. Andrew's Vitality is 10.
Round 4: Andrew rolls a 14, Male Hippogriff rolls a 17. Andrew's Vitality is 6.
Round 5: Andrew rolls a 16, Male Hippogriff rolls a 16.
Round 6: Andrew rolls a 15, Male Hippogriff rolls a 16. Andrew's Vitality is 3, Andrew's Fortune is 8.
Round 7: Andrew rolls a 15, Male Hippogriff rolls a 14. Male Hippogriff's Vitality is 8, Andrew's Fortune is 7.
Round 8: Andrew rolls a 15, Male Hippogriff rolls a 16. Andrew's Vitality is 1, Andrew's Fortune is 5.
Round 9: Andrew rolls a 14, Male Hippogriff rolls a 15. Andrew's Fortune is 1.
Round 10: Andrew rolls a 15, Male Hippogriff rolls a 16. Andrew is dead. Rewinding...

Having defeated the eagle, will you climb up to the second cave you can see above, or return to your canoe and either explore the water here or go elsewhere?

Name: Andrew Bond
Sex: Male
Expertise: 12
Vitality: 18/20
Fortune: 9
Equipment: Sword, dagger, fifty feet of rope, some torches, flint, steel, tinderbox, 3 doses Potion of Healing (+8 Vitality).
Provisions: 8 days
Travel time so far: 1 day, 5 hours
Deaths: Captured as a slave and worked to death, stabbed with a poisoned dagger, drowned when a dam collapsed, killed by a hippogriff

[deaddmwalking]

Let's try the OTHER cave, above.

[JourneymanN00b]

Yes, I also vote for the other cave above.

[Beroli]

You successfully clamber another fifty feet to the next cave. Twice you almost slip and send cascades of dirt and pebbles down the cliff face. As you reach the cave you see it is much smaller — you will have to enter on hands and knees.

There is a roar from below and, twisting about, you stare down at a fearsome creature which has emerged from the cave below. It resembles a large horse, but with the head, wings and forelegs of an eagle. You remember having seen a small one in captivity once - it was called a Hippogriff. Now it launches itself from the cave, beating its wings strongly, and circles up towards you.

Stand where you have reasonable footing and fight?
Retreat into the cave behind you on your hands and knees?

Name: Andrew Bond
Sex: Male
Expertise: 12
Vitality: 18/20
Fortune: 9
Equipment: Sword, dagger, fifty feet of rope, some torches, flint, steel, tinderbox, 3 doses Potion of Healing (+8 Vitality).
Provisions: 8 days
Travel time so far: 1 day, 5 hours
Deaths: Captured as a slave and worked to death, stabbed with a poisoned dagger, drowned when a dam collapsed, killed by a hippogriff

[deaddmwalking]

I prefer retreating into the cave and seeing what happens.

[Thaluikhain]

Retreat!

[JourneymanN00b]

I also vote to retreat.

[Beroli]

The cave turns out to be a short tunnel leading into the rock, high enough for you to crawl on hands and knees but much too small to admit so large a creature as a Hippogriff.

After about ten feet the tunnel widens into a small cave about five feet in width, ten feet long but only four feet high. By the left-hand wall there is a large, untidy nest with another Eagle which you guess is probably the female. She screams fiercely at you, but does not leave the nest. From the fainter squeaks beneath her you gather she has young chicks to protect.

There are one or two small fissures in the rock at the far side of the cave, which look too small to provide a route onwards. Those apart, there is nothing else of interest in here unless it is in (or under) the nest.

Attack the Eagle to search the nest?
Try to edge past the nest to examine the fissures?
Wait for the Hippogriff to go away and leave the cave?

Name: Andrew Bond
Sex: Male
Expertise: 12
Vitality: 18/20
Fortune: 9
Equipment: Sword, dagger, fifty feet of rope, some torches, flint, steel, tinderbox, 3 doses Potion of Healing (+8 Vitality).
Provisions: 8 days
Travel time so far: 1 day, 5 hours
Deaths: Captured as a slave and worked to death, stabbed with a poisoned dagger, drowned when a dam collapsed, killed by a hippogriff

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to attack the Eagle to search the nest.

[deaddmwalking]

I'm good with that.

[Beroli]

Warily, you approach the nest, weapon held at the ready. The roof of the cave is too low to allow you to stand, and the best you can manage is to edge forward on your knees.

Not surprisingly the Eagle attacks as you reach the nest. It has Expertise 10 and Vitality 4 and does 3 Points of Damage with beak and claws as the defence of its young lends it added strength.

You, on the other hand, must temporarily fight at 1 less than your normal Expertise owing to the cramped surroundings.

Vote on how to use Fortune here.

Name: Andrew Bond
Sex: Male
Expertise: 12
Vitality: 18/20
Fortune: 9
Equipment: Sword, dagger, fifty feet of rope, some torches, flint, steel, tinderbox, 3 doses Potion of Healing (+8 Vitality).
Provisions: 8 days
Travel time so far: 1 day, 5 hours
Deaths: Captured as a slave and worked to death, stabbed with a poisoned dagger, drowned when a dam collapsed, killed by a hippogriff