On getting mauled in one round

[Evilhalfling]

In a recent 4e game I found myself next to a skeletal bone guardian. Two crits, a 'ghetto' crit, and one-less than crit later,

what is a ghetto crit??

 

[billd91]

Last night:
We were having to fight various dire animals in a series of battles, and we had done pretty well, planning and executing smart strategies and tactics. But when a pair of dire lions came at us, I made a terrible tactical blunder. I stepped out into an open area right in line for both dire lions to charge and pounce.

Right after that double move, I realized what I had done. “Oh &%&^$#!”

Both dire lions charged and pounced, getting 5 attacks each on me. I was thinking this one, dumb mistake of moving into the open would be the end of my character.

[tangent]Talking about getting mauled in a single round is fun, but I have to ask what your DM was thinking. Personally, I try to run my critters with a modicum of semi-real behavior rather than play them up like chits on the board.

How many lions are going to pounce like crazy right on top of each other without getting into each other's way? I know the rules allow it, but good grief![/tangent]

 

[blargney the second]

what is a ghetto crit??

Rolling max damage on all your dice.

 

[Pickles JG]

[tangent]Talking about getting mauled in a single round is fun, but I have to ask what your DM was thinking. Personally, I try to run my critters with a modicum of semi-real behavior rather than play them up like chits on the board.

How many lions are going to pounce like crazy right on top of each other without getting into each other's way? I know the rules allow it, but good grief![/tangent]

Lions are pack hunters that single out one member of a herd - usually a weak or slow one - and all concntrate on taking that one down. At least the ones I have seen on TV do. Dire lions may be different.
Or put another way you can find a reality argument for just about any in game behaviour.

 

[pawsplay]

what is a ghetto crit??

It's when you roll so high on damage, it makes you feel like disparaging the lifestyle of people from a lower socioeconomic status.

 

[Bullgrit]

[tangent]Talking about getting mauled in a single round is fun, but I have to ask what your DM was thinking. Personally, I try to run my critters with a modicum of semi-real behavior rather than play them up like chits on the board.

How many lions are going to pounce like crazy right on top of each other without getting into each other's way? I know the rules allow it, but good grief![/tangent]

Well, I nor anyone else at the table had any problem with the actions of the lions. I still have no problem with the actions.

Or put another way you can find a reality argument for just about any in game behaviour.

Or put even another way, there is no action a DM can take that someone on some discussion forum can't find fault with.

Many years ago, in my AD&D1 campaign, a pack of wolves were attacking the PCs. I had the wolves run up to the PCs, and as #1, #2, and #3 filled up the area in front of each PC, wolves #4+ circled around to the flanks to attack.

At least one of the Players chided me for having the wolves act like brilliant tacticians by going for flanking. He really rode me about that even after I explained that I was just moving the wolves up to attack, rather than having them all wait in line (the battle was in the wilderness) for their turn to attack. I thought any creature would act like this.

I continued to catch Hell for that "tactic" for months after that fight, until one game session, another Player mentioned he had seen on TV a show about wolves. The show explained that wolves often surround their prey and attack from all sides. In fact, the show said, some general made his officers watch a wolf fight in an arena so they would see how effective the tactic was.

So not only did that Player shut up his whining about the tactic, but the other Players ribbed him for a while about how he was out-done by basic animal tactics.

Bullgrit

 

[Remathilis]

My 18th level rogue was sneaking into a mage's citadel. He was enchanting an evil blade and thus flat-footed and distracted. My rogue snuck in, pulled his longsword & shortsword (elf, the LS was intelligent) and this is how it went down.

Round 1.
ME: Haste (sword power), full attack 5 attacks (3 normal, 1 haste, 1 off hand) all SAs. Missed 2 attacks (rolled very poor) Left the wizard with 4 hp.
HIM: 5 foot step. Polar Ray. Quickened Magic Missile.

Dead Rogue.

The rest of the team had to charge in, fight a few guards (I recall an advanced iron golem), and finish off the wizard (sans the rogue's help) to retrieve his corpse AND destroy the evil sword.