Fierce Folk

[zedturtle]

So the new Dunlending culture is pretty awesome. As part of a playtest experiment, I've been running a group of high experience (100 XP) heroes against a lesser Balrog. Part of that process has been learning that a group of heroes against any single adversary favours the heroes dramatically (my Balrog tends to get disarmed with a quickness).

But the Balrog packs a wallop... I hit the Dunlending hero, doing 25 damage and Seizing him, doing Savage Assault to do 9 more damage. Both damages were cancelled by Fierce Folk (he's unlikely to care about temporary Shadow, especially in the playtest).

Now, as a second question, I'm pretty sure that he's still Seized, as Fierce Folk cancels the damage, but does not make the attack fail. Does that make sense?

[beckett]

This makes sense to me. The Dunlending would still be seized. Even though his Fierce Folk cancelled the damage, he would still need to break free from being seized.

[zedturtle]

Right. But are there any limits to Fierce Folk? It seems like the Balrog will end up destroying the other heroes and then the Dunlending and the Balrog will sit down and play checkers together, since the Balrog has not chance of hurting the Dunlending and the Dunlending on his own is outmatched by the Balrog.

[beckett]

Right. But are there any limits to Fierce Folk? It seems like the Balrog will end up destroying the other heroes and then the Dunlending and the Balrog will sit down and play checkers together, since the Balrog has not chance of hurting the Dunlending and the Dunlending on his own is outmatched by the Balrog.

If the Dunlending keeps taking Shadow to avoid the Endurance loss he will eventually become Miserable, and might even suffer a bout of madness. If the Balrog just killed the Dunlending's entire company, he would incur even more shadow gain. Witnessing such a harrowing experience and being helpless to prevent it, would weigh heavily upon him. He would probably flee in terror and remorse, as he has no hope of defeating the creature.

I agree, though, constantly shrugging off damage from a Balrog seems odd.

[Corvo]

In theory, yes, the Dunlending is virtually immortal. But the Balrog can get some piercing blow sooner or later, I suppose.
Of course, by the rules, nothing prevents the Dunlending from taking 5 die of armour...

[zedturtle]

In theory, yes, the Dunlending is virtually immortal. But the Balrog can get some piercing blow sooner or later, I suppose.
Of course, by the rules, nothing prevents the Dunlending from taking 5 die of armour...

Yeah, he's got some crazy Rune-scored armour. He'll never die.

[Deadmanwalking]

In actual play a Dunlending's low Endurance and strong incentives to always have a shield make them unlikely to wear heavier armor unless they want to use Fierce Folk multiple times every combat and thus wind up almost continuously Miserable.

But even assuming heavy armor, there's the Miserable thing mentioned previously. Due to low Hope it's not gonna be long before a Dunlending is Miserable and then whenever he rolls an Eye he's gonna have a Bout of Madness. That will, in all likelihood, end the combat, and probably not in his favor.

It's an interesting little balancing act, with Dunlendings well-nigh immortal...if willing to go mad and leave the game in that fashion instead.

[Dunheved]

Nice spot.

If you (the Balrog) wanted to get out of this fix; you need to speak to your lawyer*. Fierce Folk allows a Dunlending to choose to gain 'A POINT OF Shadow' and cancel the Endurance loss. a good lawyer would state that this can only gain ONE point of Shadow, and, when that is taken, the Dunlending cannot repeat the action for a second or further point of Shadow.
In fact a good lawyer might even state that if the Dunlending already has any Shadow points then it cannot be used even once!!

(My Balrog will settle out of court for a pdf copy of Oaths of the Riddermark, mind you)

* I recommend Messrs Grubb, Grubb and Burrowes of Hobbiton: they continue to maintain a claim that Bilbo Baggins Esq is in fact dead despite that annoying fact that he continues to organise big parties and invites them!

[Deadmanwalking]

That...doesn't make sense at all. Almost everything that says you gain Shadow says 'you gain a point'. By that logic, none of those things could ever take you above a single point, which is clearly not how the game works.

And yes, I know that was a joke. I just don't want anyone else missing that fact and getting the rules that wrong in seriousness rather than jest.

[Dunheved]

That...doesn't make sense at all. Almost everything that says you gain Shadow says 'you gain a point'. By that logic, none of those things could ever take you above a single point, which is clearly not how the game works.

And yes, I know that was a joke. I just don't want anyone else missing that fact and getting the rules that wrong in seriousness rather than jest.

Absolutely. I would hope that my comment is seen as nothing more serious than intended.

However, Zedturtle has clearly described how an application of this rule leads to an untenable situation. Zedturtle's example could have been more extreme: the Dunlending could engage the Balrog for such a long time that the rest of the company take an hour's rest and come on again!

My glib answer does disguise one possible clarification for this rule: that a Dunlending might only be able to use this ability ONCE per conflict or per day.


Of course the Balrog itself may have a Dreadful Spell that removes the Dunlending's consciousness so no choice can be made. Coup de Grace at that point I suspect.