As everyone takes a break munching on their stash of personal goodies. The Storyteller is out of chocolate so he is eating peanut butter with a spoon. We all take a healthy dose of carbs but the Storyteller takes a lethal dose of peanut butter. He treats it like candy. He is a combat storyteller, he's stories maybe flimsy, it's like going to point A to point B where all the good fights are going to be. But how he does the combat in any game is something I look forward to.

"Alright, everyone ready to start the next round with the ambushers?" queries the Storyteller.

We all make our 'yes man' signal, then the Storyteller regales us "as you all stare at Blazing Glory's amazing recovery and you own lack of lucky chances, you all give him the dreaded 'just you wait' glare before rushing towards your next actions. The ambushers are nocking new arrows to their bows, allowing them one last chance to shoot before you close to melee range. Goldbranch and Shadow, let's see your luck in healing potions."

I gather my dice for a test and sigh in disappointment "my strength five potion gives me two successes."

Shadow then test his dice and twitches before uttering "no crits, and three successes."

I watch the Storyteller double check his notes and replies with "as this the disgusting fluid enters your body, you feel some of your wounds recover and your back up to Hurt status Goldbranch." Then looks at Shadow and responds with "you resist the urged to gag and spit out the offending fluid and swallow it down. Your only respite is that your normal wounds heal and you back to Scratched status. You both resist the temptation to run back to your dropped packs where you left your wineskins to wash the filth from your mouths."

The Storyteller shakes his head and continues with our story "as one the archers launch their wings of death, their only fear filled action was to rid the other side of their wizard. As you feel happy about your luck at healing yourself, you pause when you notice all three archers aim at you and let fly." Then rolling three sets of dice and announces "Crooked Mouth botches with two successes, Mohawk Dude arrow hits for two successes and Weasel Face gets a critical hit but no other successes. How are you going to resolve these hits?"

It's Blazing Glory's replies "I will try to dodge Mohawk Dude's arrow" and promptly slams his cup on the table and dejectedly states "crit cancel by a botch and only one success."

The Storyteller claps his hand appreciatively and gathers his dice for some more testing and the results are "Crooked Mouth causes three damage before his bowstring snaps from being burned earlier, Mohawk Dude gains a crit and two levels of damage while Weasel Face end up with one point of damage which you can ignore with your armor. Make your soak tests for the other two."

Blazing Glory grunts as it's his turn to test his luck and announces "one success and three successes."

The Storyteller sums it up as "one normal damage and one critical damage which put you back to Injured status. So let's see how this will play out" while tapping a his chin with his right index finger in though before finalizing with "as three of you pick yourselves off the ground and drink healing potions before charging the archers. You see your team's wizard which you were so jelly of so earlier get knock back on his ass as two arrows happily celebrate their life's ambition to hit their target by quivering excitedly in Blazing Glory's flesh. You all smirk at the wizard's plight and charge the archers who drop their bows and draw weapons to meet you with their own charge. Mohawk Dude charges Johnbedamage and Weasel face charges Shadow. Crooked Mouth seeing those two select their targets selects the only one left and charges Goldbranch."

The Storyteller rolls his dice then looks at me and glorifies "Goldbranch, you see Crooked Mouth charge in a little low but aims a stabs high. You guess he is trying for your throat and need to block this or you just can go in for a hit for an hit?"

"I'll go hit for a hit and stab him in the throat too" I quickly replied.

"It was a faint, he ducks under your blade and steps into your personal space and grabs your left ankle and raises it up high to back under while pushing your left leg over him for protection and to keep you off balance. As he spins under your leg he brings his sword around slash at your expose inner right thigh for two crits and one success to hit with a combat trick!" replied the Storyteller.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

I blink at him for a bit I quickly reply a possible counter "I'll jump up to dodge and try to jump over his crouched body and try to stab him in the back." Then I rolled my dice and hope for some crits to counter with and gave a half response "one crit and two successes."

"So the one crit got through" acknowledges the Storyteller then continues with "seeing you try to give a decent counter upset his plans a little so he changes it to using your leg as a handle and your body as a hammer and slams you into the ground instead" then promptly drops a handful of dice and continues with "for one crit and two successes to damage" then he glances at me with a raise eyebrow.

Taking the hint, I collect my toughness dice and roll with "two successes" then sigh in displeasure.

"You take that critical damage and now down to Injured status" tosses the Storyteller with a mocking grin.

"Yeah, yeah" I replied and thought 'he taking it out on me for the wise crack of a trashy hit' so I replied back with a fake smile.

"Lot's of crits to deal with..." mutters the Storyteller in posed form "like a beautiful choreograph fight scene. The two of you are in peak dazzling form and both exchange moves in a blink of an eye. Each striving to out do the other until the moment you stab down with blade, when a sudden an irresistible force pulls you away. You feel the tip of your blade glance off his armor unable to exert any force to the blow because at that moment your entire body was jerked away. As you realize your fate, you prepare yourself for the shock." BOOM! came from his slap on the table. You hear a bone break, or was that several? The shock of being slammed into the ground has scrambled your brains at the moment. You definitely heard it sloshing around in your skull a moment ago. You can't help but groan 'ahhhhhhh' for longer than you care to admit."

Then he glancing at Johnbedamage and slowing says "John be damage, as your eyes twitch at seeing your team leader man-handled so thoroughly over your opponent's left shoulder. This gives Mohawk Dude a reason at strike at your slight distraction." Rolling his test the Storyteller continues with "three successes to hit" then looks expectantly to him.

Johnbedamage nods, rolls his dice and voices his attempt "I pulled him into a trap with one crit and two successes to dodge. My counter attack was three successes to hit."

The Storyteller drops some dice and announces "two successes to dodge," and throws the story back.

Johnbedamage then does a quick calculation and drops his dice and informs us with "three successes to damage."

The Storyteller nods his acceptance to the new data and rolls a test of dice, then after a bit supplies "the result of a twitch, the baited Mohawk Dude faithful provides his response and swings his double bladed monsterous battle axe to cut you in twain. You expertly dodge a inch away from that massive axe and quickly dash in to deliver your counter blow. You land a blow across the gut and feel your blade sink in a bit before stopping.

You frown from the unexpected shallow cut as you race pass him and feel your arm tug backwards a bit as it your sword get's wrench free. The only thought that races across your mind at the moment was 'damn, that's some tough armor!' This then followed by a smile and your greedy nature answers back with 'I want that armor!' You lick your lips in anticipation for your soon to be fulfilled desire and quickly turn around for another exchange with glint filled eyes."

He then passes the story with the drop of his dice and a glance at Shadow "Weasel face is a simple person without any preamble attempt to cut you down as soon as you come within range with four successes to hit."

Shadow in finally in the mood show his own style and sends his dice rolling, then another test before stringing in with "I bring my arm up high while keeping the my sword tip low as I move to my right to help offset the force of the blow. As soon I feel the swords strike I shove his blade away, the grinding of the two blades last but a moment as I disengage and bring the tip my sword up high. As I continue to quick step to my right to flank Weasel Face, I slash his side with a crit and one success."

The Storyteller drops his dice for the soak test and announces "two successes to dodge," then looks expectantly at Shadow.

Dropping his prepared dice, Shadow supplies "four successes."

The Storyteller his accepts this information with a roll of his dice and with a bit of thought continues with this "as you fluidly bring your sword up and slashed downwards in effortless single move. You feel your sword bit into his side and feel it slice though a rib bone before bouncing off another. You nearly lose the grip of sword trying to recovering your sword as it grind out of his heavy armor. A good solid hit that cause two levels of damage to Weasel Face. He swing his blade wildly to form a sword barrier as he backpedals away from you clutching his wounded side while cursing you in a local slang. You can only make out two words 'worm' and 'father', your eyes harden as you make guesses to it's meaning."