Forum

"So you enter the cave... and there's a Slinker inside. You wade in with your sword, and the cave troll turns to fight back. "

RAW: Round 1. Player rolls their attack dice once. Then the cave-troll Slinker gets two separate rolls attacking you.

But, narratively, the player describes: "the leap Forwards, brandishing the sword and....."

During this Round 1. Is the dice roll of the Player simply the best single stroke made against the troll in 20 to 30 seconds of jockeying? Or the combined effect of several individual stabs, parries, slashes and even the occasional swipe in thin air?

And (my real purpose in this post): if you were the LM describing the Troll's activity - does each dice roll get represented in similar manner? i.e. are there two distinct impacts possible - the best two single thwacks with the Club; or else, amongst the blows tried by the Troll, the damage is caused in the first half of the Round, and then again later in the second half of the Round?

I am just curious how people imagine or describe the 'cut and thrust ' of a Round of Close Combat. And whether a Might = 2 character is QUICKER at landing a blow, or simply MORE EFFECTIVE with each attempt?

(Of course, so far I have not described the Troll to be using its Club in one paw, and its fist in another: in a sort of Double attack. THAT sort of thing could however belong to a Dragon using wings and teeth and claws...)

I'll start by saying that I think both ways are equally valid ways of describing the results of combat.

As for myself I would usually narrate each dice roll as a particularly successful attack (thrust/cut/strike etc.) that happens during the back and forth of combat. For Might 2 adversaries I imagine this happens for different reasons. In the case of a Troll I think it can make 2 rolls/attacks because it's thick hide means it has more opportunity to strike while ignoring the lesser blows that form the narration, plus as the troll is such a powerful foe and has a larger reach the hero is likely more cautious about getting in close for a good strike.

However for a more lithe and slight creature I would narrate it being quick enough to get in 2 rolls during the same time the hero gets one.