Moldvay Musings XI: Initiative

In a recent game, the PCs had a wilderness encounter with a nest of four giant scorpions. Fortunately for the characters, they were mounted and were able to turn things into a running battle where they literally ran the monsters  in circles as they peppered them with arrows. The monsters could catch up with the PCs each round, but not also attack.

By the end,the fight had become a simple matter of tedious attrition. After the session, I thought about it and how it might have been handled differently. Not to punish the players for using tactics, but to keep it more exciting. (Though honestly, they should have just run away). I chided myself a little for not applying circumstantial modifiers for things like terrain slowing them or giving cover from missile fire to the monsters (they were in a relatively dense forest). The main thing I found though was something in the rules as written that I have always been aware of, but seem to have difficulty remembering for reasons uncertain: In BX, initiative is supposed to be re-rolled every round.

At some point in our group’s history with various editions and systems, we’ve fallen out of that habit and simply rolled for initiative at the start of an encounter. We use individual initiative as opposed to group, so at first I was thinking it was just a good way to reduce excess die rolling, but it turns out that rolling every round matters more than I first realized.

For example, in the above circumstances the kiting players wouldn’t have been able to rely on going first each round (they’d rolled well) to evade the monsters again & again. One low initiative and the scorpions would do their thing. This ties into the rules for Defensive Movement, i.e. Fighting Withdrawal and Retreat (B24). To use these types of movement, one must declare intent to do so before rolling the round’s initiative. This increases the risks, but does keep things fresher. Keep in mind the rule applies to monsters as well as PCs.

The other circumstance where an action is “pre-declared” in BX is spell casting. This one always catches me out because the rule is listed in Cook, not Moldvay. A character wishing to cast a spell that round must A) say so, and B) declare which spell before the initiative order is rolled. Again, upping the tension in the fight. I usually haven’t applied this rule in the past because I felt like it weakened already fragile spellcasters, but I am considering reintroducing it.

For a more detailed discussion on some of these and other mechanics, I highly recommend reading the “An Interpretation of Basic D&D” post over at the Basic Dungeons and Dragons blog.

RMA: Manticore

vb Wyrde over on the MeWe OSR group asked about who had used or encountered these critters in their games and I realized I had never done a Random Monster Assessment on them.

These creatures appear in Cook Expert. This makes sense as they would be a handful for Basic level PCs and they are more suited to wilderness encounters (they do appear on the random monsters for dungeon levels 8+). They are on the flyer table for Mountain and Desert terrain, which also makes sense given their origin in persian mythology. 

Manticore (from Cook)

AC: 4

HD: 6+1

Move: 120' (40'), Fly 180' (60')

Att: 2 claws/1bite or spikes

Dmg: 1d4/1d4/2d8 or special

No. App: 1d2 (1d4)

Save: F6

Morale: 9

Treasure: D

AL: C

So stat-wise, the manticore is pretty tough, but not unstoppable. Its AC is so-so for a 6 hit die creature. It has poor morale, too. What makes this fella formidable is a combination of factors. This makes a little work for the DM to keep them all in mind, but the result can be a pretty memorable encounter.

1. It can fly. I know that's hardly unique, but it does add a wrinkle to facing one (or more) of them. 
2. It has ranged and melee attacks. In both cases it is potentially striking multiple times per round. 
3. The melee attacks (claws/bite) are not automatic kills, but if all three hit a single target, you're looking at up to 16 points of damage per round. A perfectly respectable number.
4. The spike attack is nasty. Granted the manticore only has four of them before his tail is empty, but each round that it uses it can mean up to 36 points of damage dealt out. And this is a ranged attack. 
5. "The manticore's favorite food is man." (X35) These things seek out people and eat them. They are not just dangerous, they actively hunt humans. Their chaotic alignment also points to them not feeling too terrible about it either.
6. "They will frequently track parties with humans, ambushing with spike attacks when the party stops to rest." It's interesting to note that it specifically says "with humans." One reading of that could be distinguishing them from demihumans. So a party with a mix of races could see the humans specifically targeted. 
7. As a 6+ HD monster, it is capable of flying off carrying a man. Or, say, flying up 100' or so and dropping him on some rocks. 

Treasure Type D is pretty respectable, so I could see PC parties being foolish and greedy enough to seek out a manticore lair for the loot. Perhaps in a desert, where the creature(s) have made a den in an old pyramid tomb full of the gold of a lost king?

If I was a player facing such an encounter, I would work hard to find a way to ground it (perhaps a Web spell?) then close to melee so it couldn't shoot me with those 6 x 1d6 spikes. 

RSA: Silence 15' Radius

Would you believe a FIVE foot radius?

One of the big benefits of clerical magic is the ability to change out spells each day. This gives the cleric some nice flexibility in their magic as well as allowing the player to try out different spells more easily than with an elf or magic-user character. As a result, I think I would have seen even less of this spell in use if it had been an "arcane" offering instead of divine; even though it is only 2nd level. If I had to guess, Bless and Hold Person are probably most people's go-to 2nd level clerical spells. While I have seen Silence used, it's not really that common.

Silence, 15' Radius (Cleric 2)
Range: 180'
Duration: 12 Turns

I always used to think of this spell as something the caster would use on themselves or their own party to aid in stealth as opposed to offensively against someone. While both applications are valid, the description focuses more on the latter.

Briefly put, the spell renders anyone or anything inside the area of effect silent. Spells can't be cast, giving verbal orders or conversing normally is impossible and so forth. The effect is normally stationary as well, though it can be cast on an individual so it will move with them. This can be resisted with a saving throw, but even if the target succeeds, the spell will still take effect in stationary form.

For a second level spell, the thing has pretty decent range and duration. Enough so that I could see it being used tactically in a battlefield situation. Not just to mute enemy mages, but to silence a commander trying to order his troops' movements.

Using it to make your party sneakier has the advantage that those inside the effect can still hear what's going on outside the spell's area. DMs would be wise to limit table chatter or players' ability to act upon others' suggestions while the spell is running. If you use command words for certain magical items, it can further limit their options.

Another use for the spell could be for traps or ambushes. Dropping the spell ahead of time in a likely spot, or targeting the PC mage, or a permanent spell effect along a stretch of corridor  could make the party very vulnerable in certain situations.