SF Lane 3/4: Lord Baelon Drakeson vs Ser Theomore Tullison

[Baelon Drakeson]

Baelon was not surprised to be facing Ser Theomore in this tourney. No; he was surprised that it wasn't in the final round. Well, that was the nature of competitions - strange events and unexpected newcomers had a way of making the bookmakers wring their hands... but that just made it all more exciting, didn't it?

Well, the stag-sigiled squire would be up against his toughest foe yet this tourney - Ser Florian Greysteel. Baelon hoped he won - he wanted to face the squire himself in the final. If there were a tale to be told other than the surprising emergence of Aerion Storm, it would be of the one who stopped the squires remarkable ascent. His friendship with Ser Eoric had begun in a similar way, and some instinct told him that Aerion would be a good person to have as a friend.

First though, he had to defeat Ser Theomore... both men had honed their jousting skills over the years, but who was better? There was only one way to find out.



[maneuver posted in private forum. As previously discussed, decisions regarding daily benefit use have also been posted.]

[Theomore Tullison]

Theomore had hoped to see Baelon and Aerion to be drawn against each other, truth be told, though Florian would only be marginally less challenging, Aerion was the most skilled of the four remaining, while it was hard to separate the other three, but both he and Baelon shared an unpredictability, a will to win, a certain knack for making fate and fortune bend to one's will, Theomore had been thought it from his old mentor, Prince Daemon, Baelon may very well simply have inherited it from the seed of the same man. Drawing Aerion, more skilled as he might be, would perhaps be preferable. Against uncertainty, limit one's risk, Prince Daemon liked to say. Or do something completely unexpected to throw your foe off balance and force him to react. Theomore did not have something like that in mind right now, so he rides low and trusts his luck.

PR: 22(20)
AR: 10
Health: 9/9
Defensive +2: 9d6k4 22

[Baelon Drakeson]

Baelon opted for the early surprise. "Dragons are bold creatures" he had once been told by a certain Prince. Better to lose in a final than lose in a semi-final for holding back.
There might have been a certain pang of personal aggression, too - Theomore had been a thorn in his side, and now he had the opportunity to put a thorn in Theo's side. Or a least a hard lance hit to his shield; Baelon was not the sort to resort to dishonest means out of a petty desire for retribution. No, he intended to beat Theomore solidly within the rules of fair competition.

---

SF Pass 1 vs Theo, HitS 2, No Rival: 11d6k5+2 30 vs PR 22, 2 Dos 20-10AR = 10 Damage and a TN 12 Ride test

Theo hits Baelon 22 vs 20, 1 DoS, 9(?)-10AR - 0 Damage, TN 9 Ride test
SF P1 Saddle HitS 2: 5d6-2 13 Passed (and a Yahtzee)

Pass 2 Maneuver posted.

[Theomore Tullison]

Hardly surprising, but it still hurt. Though now young Baelon had played his little trick, and Theomore was not beaten yet. Nor was his foe. Whether reeling from the attack or simply having a bit of a rare case of shoddy aiming, Theomore's second lance does not threaten Baelon's seat in the saddle. But with the pairing between Lord Forrest and Ser Jon in mind, that was not likely much of an issue, this match threatened to offer many more passes before it was done.

Takes injury, soldier on.
stay in saddle: 6d6k4-1 16
cyb: 3d6-1 8

PR 22(20)
AR 10
Health 4/9
Defensive +2: 9d6k4-1 16 Oh well.

[Baelon Drakeson]

After the first pass hit, Baelon half expected some sort of retributive strike, and thus opted to play it safe in the second round... perhaps too safe. Like Theomore he shatters his lance but to minimal effect.

---

Pass 2 Charge, Def 2: 10d6k4-2 21 vs PR 22. Oh well indeed.

Pass 3 maneuver posted.

[Theomore Tullison]

Theomore seems to stay in his low stature, choosing caution and patience. Some suggested that he wanted time to regain from the opening blow before perhaps going more aggressive, others wondered if he would stay the course, he certainly had made a habit of it lately.

cyb: 3d6-1 11
PR 22(20)
AR 10
Health 7/9
Defensive +2: 9d6k4-1 20

[Baelon Drakeson]

Baelon deflects the majority of Theomore's strike with his shield, but scores a satisfying hit himself. He seems to have found a good balance between offense and defense - or he has simply been lucky. Luck is a fickle lady, though, and not to be relied upon to see one through a tough competition.

---

Pass 3: Def 1: 10d6k4-1 22 vs PR 22, 1 DoS for 0 damage and a TN9 Ride test.

Theo's 20 is vs PR 21 (Defensive 1), fail, but enough to break the lance, at least.

Pass 4 maneuver posted.

[Theomore Tullison]

Theomore keeps going low, seemingly unfazed, in no hurry to get this done. In the crowds, someone cries out a bet for more lances being needed for this match than between Ser Jon and Lord Forrest.

P3 SiS: 6d6k4-1 17
P3 cyb: 3d6-1 12
PR 22(20)
AR 10
Health 9/9
Defensive +2: 9d6k4-1 18 shrugs

[Baelon Drakeson]

Baelon returns to the technique he used initially, but Lady Luck dislike being called fickle - even just in thought - and is fickle towards him as a result. Again both knights shatter lances to no effect.

---

Pass 4 Charge vs Theo HitS 2: 10d6k4+2 20 vs 22

[Shall we speed this up, say, 5 at a time, passes 5-9? Maneuver not yet declared.]

[Reader]

cough: https://dragonsdance.rpg-board.net/t3095p625-game-discussion#96659

[Batch rolling for 5-14, or 5-20 if one of you insists on this higher limit]

[Baelon Drakeson]

[OOC I presume we are at least going up to pass 14 if needed - beyond that Baelon will accept whatever resolution Lord Forrest (i.e. Reader) suggests. Maneuvers are posted.]

[Theomore Tullison]

[Reader said go to pass 20 then Forrest calls it, I've determined and declared strategy for all those, including conditions for when to apply benefits, fatigue, maneuver switching up, so could do all in one go.]

[Baelon Drakeson]

I just kept it simple, which probably gives you the edge, but eh, whatever, it's just a tourney. Not that much riding on it. Nothing for Baelon actually, he's already decided to donate any champion purse he wins to provide healthcare and education to the children of Drakesport, so all he stands to win here is Theo's ransom.

Apparently Orokos will only out a certain amount in the BBcode, so might be worth doing it in chunks anyway

DT SF passes 5-14 Def 2: 10d6k4-2 21
DT SF passes 6-20 Def 2: 15#10d6k4-2 19 20 21 12 22 20 22 20 15 19 14... 21 20 16 19
DT SF Saddle 5-12: 8#5d6 26 15 21 11 17 21 21 16
DT SF 13-20 Saddle: 5d6 12 Annoying when I forget the multiple.
DT SF 14-20: 7#5d6 23 18 16 12 17 19 22
Of course I will use Lucky on the first failed Ride test, to be rolled if needed... though unless you happen to hit for 2 DoS on that 11, I'm probably in decent shape without it.
DT SF 5-12 CYB: 8#3d6 10 12 11 14 10 14 13 7
DT SF 13-20 CYB: 8#3d6 15 11 12 11 11 10 11 9

I put that all into a chart, hopefully that will help keep it straight.

Defensive 2 throughout, so PR 22 for all passes.

Pass	| Charge	| Stay in Saddle	| CYB
5	| 21	| 26	| 10
6	| 19	| 15	| 12
7	| 20	| 21	| 11
8	| 21	| 11	| 14
9	| 12	| 17	| 10
10	| 22	| 21	| 14
11	| 20	| 21	| 13
12	| 22	| 16	| 7
13	| 20	| 12	| 15
14	| 15	| 23	| 11
15	| 19	| 18	| 12
16	| 14	| 16	| 11
17	| 21	| 12	| 11
18	| 20	| 17	| 10
19	| 16	| 19	| 11
20	| 19	| 22	| 9

[Theomore Tullison]

I'll run them in three batches at a time.

Charges 5 through 10 (HiS+2, WF on #5): 10d6k5+3 24 5#9d6k5+3 28 30 22 30 27
Adjusting for typo in dice code:
24-24-26-19-25-23
None forcing unhorse
stay in saddle 5 through 10: 6#6d6k4-3 17 18 19 15 15 18
All succeeded.

Charges 11 through 15 (HiS+2): 5#9d6k4+3 24 24 25 21 24
None forcing unhorse
stay in saddle 11 through 15: 5#6d6k4-3 11 14 16 17 13
All succeeded

Charges 16 through 20 (HiS+2): 5#9d6k4+3 26 20 24 16 25
None forcing unhorse
stay in saddle 16 through 20: 5#6d6k4-3 15 16 13 18 18
All succeeded

[Theomore Tullison]

Well...this was going nowhere. Theomore was in more pain, but he had slightly more skill than his opponent to make up for it. Patience wouldn't cut it, though. As much as he could wait for a hundred passes, nobody else would. Instead, the situation called for risk, where he likely would win the long game, someone would call a tie-breaker before the long game was played to conclusion. And that called for a need to force a conclusion by the lance, the sword he didn't much fancy his odds with. If his host opted to do no move to settle it in another way than had been prescribed, then the crowds would, and no crowd would cheer for a knight caring for naught but not being unhorsed, especially against the lord with homefield advantage. It might cost him an outright defeat, but Theomore knew a deal about taking chances, he knew more about tourneys, and he had not forgotten his old tricks of showmanship in the saddle. Mayhaps it would prove fortuitous, perhaps it would prove to be a misstep, either way, there was nothing else to do than to trust his own luck.

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