Friday, June 11, 2010

A MERP RPG session heading for a TPK

The party have entered an underground Orc infested dungeon like affair.

Two orcs escaped from the first combat, running down a corridor. One nipped into a side room, The other ran to the end and opened the door. the door led to a cafeteria and 6 more Orcs were muching their chow in there.

The Orc that opened the door turned and guarded it waiting for back up from his pals. The party first nipped into the side room which turned out to be the armoury and put an arrow or two through the orc who was himself grabbing a bow and some arrows.

Then they decided to deal with the other Orc, as they emerged into the corridor they found that he was standing his ground but a table had been turned on its side and pushed across the doorway and a bunch of Orcs were behind it waving nothing bigger than cutlery ( they had been eating ).

The partys sniper ( Elf with +71 Missile ) planned to start picking them off and pulled out his bow and commenced to fumble it dropping it. Then the tank came running down the corridor ( Fighter with +43 1 Handed Edged ) and he too fumbled, badly, and ended up rolling a D crush crit which broke his leg giving him a -40 to activity! We ruled that he'd tripped over the elfs bow as he ran forward.

The partys scout and wizard came rushing foward to protect the fallen warrior. The Orc tried to kill the fallen man with a big swing but HE fumbled! The sword went flying! I gave it a 30% chance of the sword flying over the barricade to the Orcs with the cutlery, and it did!

The Orc threw itself onto the warrior in a grapple attack.

The partys scout jumped into the grapple and managed to pull the Orc off the fighter in a full nelson. The sniper and Wizard put an arrow each into it.

At this point the Orcs behind the barricade boosted the Orc with the newly aquired sword over the obstruction in a flying attack. He crashed into the floor and was pin cushioned with arrows before he could rise.

A few more arrors went over the table thinning the Orc heard before the Scout could stand no more of this waiting. He decided to jump the Barricade and get into combat, but rolled poorly, ending up only halfway over the barricade! The Orcs immediately all fell on him, opening him up with thier knives.

And there we ended it. Scout dead, tank immobile ( with -40 he couldn't even move! ) four angry Orcs a few feet away, and only a weak Wizard and the Sniper left on their feet.

A fun time all round and proof that the crit and fumble systems of MERP can make for great game play :)