DiscoDude: ---BEGIN SESSION---
DiscoDude: Session logging commenced
GM: You emerge from under a portcullis into darkness. The floor isn't quite hard, like it's been covered in sports mats.
"Ladies and germs, I hope you're ready for Round 1," chimes Malta Matinee from an unknown direction.
Suddenly, a large spotlight illuminates a large arena of padded walls and foam pillars. The vague crowd seated around and above you is going wild. As the gate slams shut behind you, you notice its twin down at the other end of a long (and open) central path.
Miri: Miri waves vaguely at the crowd, keeping an eye out for whatever adversary is prepared for them.
Cecil: Cecil cracks her knuckles some, "This should be easy enough, right? Straight forward and padded floors? Guess I can knock 'em around some." She turns to Miri and the bot, "Y'all ready to see me smash some faces?"
Miri: "Soon as we see some faces," Miri says, wary of the lack of obvious opponent in play.
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "Speculation: The seeming ease of our task is a façade."
Miri: "No shit, Sherlock."
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "Inquiry: unknown referent."
Cecil: "No idea who Sherlock is either." Cecil adds in with the bot.
GM: 30 Seconds until the match begins.
"Ohhhhhh, that is music to my ears!" There are several screens lining the railing of the "audience" stands; they all light up in unison to reveal "Bobby G." aka Robensa Grandvise, gamer extraordinaire. "I'll admit this is a little different from my usual RoFL matches, but that's what makes this interesting!"
Miri: Miri adjusts her collar self-consciously. It's not like telling them the name the translator rendered as "Sherlock" would alleviate their confusion.
Miri: "...RoFL?"
Cecil: "Well that one's obvious, that's rolling on the floor laughing."
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "Hypothesis: title of a sport."
GM: "Ruckus of Forever Legends," Bobby deadpans, slipping naturally into 'um, actually' mode. "Only the biggest MOBA of our era... My era, anyway!"
"That's right," chimes the absent announcer, "it's Arena Bout! In this fan-favorite challenge, the Dreamland Boss takes control of several opponents for our challengers to fight in a no-holds-barred brawl with advancement to the next stage on the line!"
"Heh... Well, I suppose a game by any other name is just as sweet in my own personal paradise!"
Cecil: Cecil pauses, "Wait, no, never mind, was thinking about compacts and slang." She shrugs off the embarrassment some and folds her arms, waiting for some challengers to beat the snot out of.
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: The automaton steps out into the arena, cautionsly scanning the area. "Searching for threats...."
Miri: "A...MOBA." Miri scowls. "I was kind of hoping for something a bit more...twitch."
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((I thought Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas did require twitch-reaction gameplay?))
GM: 10 seconds until the match begins.
"Remember, Bobby, use your points to select your units!" You can't see Malta, but for some reason you get the impression of him impatiently gesturing to a watch he doesn't have. "Use 'em or lose 'em!"
"Yeah yeah! I already made my choice."
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: As the automaton continues until they reach the center, then takes a guard stance; head still slowing turning 360-degrees repeatedly. "Searching for threats...."
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "Searching for threats...."
Miri: "Lemme know when you find one, buddy."
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "Searching for threats...."
Cecil: "I'm about to become a threat if you don't stop saying that every 5 seconds..."
GM: The portcullis at the other end rises, and three figures run through.
"My blood yearns...!" A Warg Vanguard is first, dragging a wicked club (or maybe a scythe) behind him with one hand, and a tower shield in the other; he's a wall of fur and teeth and muscle that's barely contained by the mass of strapped-on armor plates.
"Ready to serve..." An Elf Assassin darts out from behind the mountainous wolf and into the padded maze on the left side of the arena; from what little you glimpsed, she was showing an awful lot of skin...
"By the light of Kama-Vitri, I will protect and heal you!!!" A shrill voice is the first thing you notice about the Elf Healer, though Bobby doesn't seem to want to move her out from behind the lumbering guard.
The sharpest among you may have noticed that none of their mouths opened as they said these things while making generic-looking poses.
Cecil: "...I'll take the big guy, somebody else should take the healer, and Assassin? Uhhh, guess keep an eye out?" Cecil smiles as she looks forward with trembling anticipation.
Miri: "They're...video game characters," Miri mutters.
GM: ;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾, a laser shoots out from a central foam tower, stopping you short.
"Ooh, I see you went with a trap option, G.!"
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "THREATS DETECTED!", the automaton blares like a siren.
GM: "But of course! I'm not sure why a MOBA wouldn't have towers to begin with."
Miri: Miri leaps back when the foam tower shoots a very real laser beam!
GM: "Hey, it's your words, not mine, G."
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "Error! Mobility impaired!"
GM: (Er, I sorta meant "it shoots a deadly laser at you, but you avoid it due to this one only being in flavor.")
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Also, wasn't aware there was a tower in the exact center; that changes how I would have played earlier.))
GM: (Eh, I'm not tracking exact positioning here. It doesn't really matter as long as you're aware there are towers.)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((That could have been more clearly communicated; I was waiting for you to give the mechanics to that action.))
GM: (Sorry.)
GM: Finally, smaller doors on both sides of each gate open up, and two different colors of Ineffectual Minions pour out. The ones on your side seem to mostly ignore you.
Let the match begin!
(So, are we beginning the Conflict now?)
Cecil: (( Sure ))
GM: (Cecil has highest QUICK; start us off!)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Yeah; given Always Watching, its safe to assume 0083-X goes first.))
"Assessment: minor damage, proceeding with assault." The automaton charges the healer, intending to squash them between their shield and the portcullis.
((Forcefully attack the ELF PRINCESS.))
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: !f 2
DiscoDude: ;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾ rolled 4dF+2 for 2 [4dF = [+][-][ ][ ]]
GM: (Er, are you invoking that aspect to go first?)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Stunt.))
GM: (Ah.)
GM: (That makes you tied with Cecil... and you do have higher FLASHY, huh.)
GM: (Alright, start us off.)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((I need the princess's defend roll.))
GM: The warg vanguard doesn't budge from his position between you and the princess!
(Remind me how defending for another works?)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((It needs a dedicated stunt. The example in Fate System Toolkit allows an aspect invoke to redirect, but the new defend roll uses Average (+1) instead of their usual.))
GM: (Oh... Huh.)
GM: (Well, this should be funny!)
GM: !f 2 (SHIELD MAGIC)
DiscoDude: GM rolled 4dF+2 for 2 [4dF = [ ][+][-][ ]]
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Tie: boost for the attacker.))
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: The Elf's barrier bubble stops them from getting pinned, but now 0083-X has gotten Up Close and Personal.
GM: "Whoa!" Bobby's taken aback by how you blast right on by the warg.
"Kama-Vitri, protect me!!!"
He just barely manages to burn a shield spell in time to stop you from gibbing the cute elf entirely.
"Hey, this isn't like RoFL at all!"
"No-one ever said it was, Bobby~!"
(Name/describe your boost.)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Already gave it.))
GM: (Right; I was slow on the draw.)
GM: (Who does the initiative go to?)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Passing it to Cecil.))
Cecil: Cecil grits her teeth as the bot decided to run off before her. She bolts past the tower and attempts to land a devastating punch to the Warg. "Try and upstage me! I'll show you!"
Cecil: (( Quick'll be fine for this? ))
GM: (To get at him before he can properly turn his attention? Sure!)
Cecil: !f 3
DiscoDude: Cecil rolled 4dF+3 for 1 [4dF = [-][-][+][-]]
GM: !f 2 (BLOCKING)
DiscoDude: GM rolled 4dF+2 for 4 [4dF = [-][+][+][+]]
Cecil: (( Yup, I'm gonna reroll for that. ))
GM: (Invoking which aspect?)
Cecil: (( gonna use High Speed Bruiser ))
GM: (Makes sense. XD)
Cecil: !f 3
DiscoDude: Cecil rolled 4dF+3 for 4 [4dF = [+][+][ ][-]]
GM: (A tie instead of an enemy SWS is a good improvement!)
Cecil: (( I'll settle with a tie for this one. I guess I get a Boost? ))
GM: (Yeah, describe it!)
Cecil: Cecil lands a punch on the shield and leaves it Cracked. She huffs, not fully satisfied with just leaving it like that, but oh well.
GM: (Know that this'll be a fleeting boost; I suppose I can justify that in that you often can't permanently damage character models. XD)
Cecil: (( yeee ))
GM: (Who's next?)
Cecil: (( the Warg :3c ))
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((That, and/or after the boost expires, the warg compensates for the crack instead of repairing it.))
GM: "Alright, so the tank didn't do so great as a tank; maybe I just need to pop some skills!"
"My blood howls!" screams the vanguard (while a howling sound effect plays over it) as a wave of red energy blasts outward!
(Attempting to create an advantage by drawing aggro!)
GM: !f (VIDEO GAME MECHANICS???)
DiscoDude: GM rolled 4dF for 1 [4dF = [ ][ ][ ][+]]
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((I think this makes sense as an opposed roll.))
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: !f 3 (Carefully defend)
DiscoDude: ;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾ rolled 4dF+3 for 4 [4dF = [ ][-][+][+]]
GM: (Then it's against... you, super fighting robot.)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((I was thinking each would roll separately for a personal instance, but sure.))
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: The automaton's threat assessment routine is too robust to be fooled by mere display. They know the support needs to drop first or the fight will only drag out.
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: They do turn their head to look at Cecil; "Advice: Focusing fire will hasten an enemy's defeat, starting with the support will hasten the battle overall."
Miri: "Did...did the robot just tell us to focus burn the enemy."
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Boost: Strategy Tip))
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Who's next?))
GM: (I'm shooting the turn over to the Princess, now.)
"Haha, well! That uh... didn't work. But try to focus-burn this!"
"By the light of Kama-Vitri, I heal you!!!" A green particle-effect ring falls around the princess. "By the light of Kama-Vitri, I h- By the light of Kama- By the light of Kama-Vitri, I heal- By the light-!"
(Attempting to create the Self-Heal Spam advantage!)
GM: !f 2 (HEALING)
DiscoDude: GM rolled 4dF+2 for 1 [4dF = [+][-][ ][-]]
GM: (... Can I say the difficulty is Average (+1)?)
Miri: (sure)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((I think that's a little on the cheap side.))
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((You didn't specify a difficulty and there is a default for a reason.))
GM: (I guess you're right; I want you to win, obviously, but I do also want something to go right for your opponent. XD)
GM: (I guess that's what fate points are for.)
GM: (Spending one on The Cutest of All Healers.)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: The automaton's head snaps to the princess. "Observation: Despite enunciation of verbal spell components being Poor (-1), automatic countermagic systems have failed to engage. Hypothesis: lowering the quality lowered detectability."
Miri: "Wait, you're built to detect, uh, magic?" Miri has never encountered actual magic in her life, but she's certainly tangled with celestial entities that could be described as gods, so the concept isn't entirely ridiculous to her.
GM: There's almost a green curtain surrounding the princess as she puts up a Self-Heal Spam [!] to prolong her presence on the battlefield; the shrill and repetitive voice lines are starting to draw some boos from the audience.
GM: (Next up; Miri!)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: The automaton replies to Miri, not realizing the rhetoical nature of the question; "Fact: standard design protocol. Reason: Failure to protect a sacred site from matters arcane or profane would be as great an oversight as failing to protect against the physical."
Miri: "Right, then. Okay." Miri looks around. "Well. We got three enemies and only two are out in the open. And as much sense as focusing down the healer might make...that feels like a problem one of us has got to fix."
Miri: She looks at the [Labyrinth of Foam and Leather] surrounding the arena. "Time to turn the tables a bit, I think."
Miri: (hey quick question: can I define one of my Stunts for this?)
GM: (Sure!)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((I believe that requires spending a fate point, but yes.))
Miri: (i'm thinking Ductwork Diva: +2 to Sneaky when Creating an Advantage involving slipping into tight or narrow spaces.)
Miri: (that sound good?)
GM: (Sure!)
Miri: (do i need to spend a FATE Point for that, or can I define it for free 'cause it's a free slot?)
GM: (I'll need to crack the rulebook open for that. It's Dream Dungeon; let's say it's free.)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((My understanding was that free slots also took a fate point to define mid-session.))
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((i.e. As a cost for not planning ahead.))
Miri: Miri doesn't know where to look for the enemy assassin other than "somewhere in the maze of foam panels" (the..."jungle"?). So she attempts to hide in the maze herself, waiting for her quarry to reveal themselves...
Miri: !f 3 (Sneaky + Ductwork Diva)
DiscoDude: Miri rolled 4dF+3 for 2 [4dF = [ ][-][ ][ ]]
Miri: (good enough to create an advantage with [Labyrinth of Leather and Foam]?)
GM: (Sure!)
Miri: Quick as a cybernetic-augmented whisper, Miri loses herself in the foam maze. Neither her opponents nor her allies can see her now.
Miri: (speaking of which, I think the assassin is the only one who hasn't moved yet?)
GM: (Indeed.)
GM: Meanwhile, Bobby has the assassin try to disappear into the very same!
GM: !f 2 (HIDING)
DiscoDude: GM rolled 4dF+2 for 0 [4dF = [-][ ][ ][-]]
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((nope.jpg))
GM: ... But he gets impatient, performing the tried-and-true "make the character jump a lot while you auto-move in the vain hope that it's somehow faster."
GM: It's almost comical seeing the assassin's head bobbing up and down behind the foam barriers.
Miri: Miri remains hidden, but sees enough to give a "are you fucking serious" look.
GM: (And with that, the turn is over. Honestly, that might be all I have in me tonight.)
Miri: (it's your call; i'm good either way!)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Ditto.))
Cecil: (( that's fine! ))
GM: (Alright; last lines are optional considering the lack of closure for this pause.)
Cecil: (( I'm good ))
Miri: (same)
GM: (Then for now, let us...)
GM: !end
