The press against the opposing army can only extend so far past the Wall. Other forces rally, and battle is rejoined…
PCs may each work to grind down the enemy force, taking one of three options to do so.
For clarity, if you spend Void on this, the enemy does not. Just the same Ring and Skill, please.In the first, they may simply assault the enemy army, making a TN 3 Tactics check to inflict casualties equal to their ranks in Command plus their bonus successes. They do suffer counter-attack, however, repeating the roll and applying similar casualties to the Legion. The Legion earns Momentum equal to the amount by which the casualties the Legion inflicts exceed those it sustains (i.e., the number of successes by which the Legion exceeds the successes of the enemy).
Clarification: If you win this challenge, you get to add momentum equal to your focus to the event.In the second, a PC may make a targeted strike against a prominent member of the opposing force. This is mechanically equivalent to issuing a Challenge (Core 278); the challenge will be accepted by a goblin warrior:
Warrior Goblin
Earth 2 Water 1 Fire 3 Air 2 Void 1
Artisan 0 Marital 3 Scholar 0 Social 2 Trade 1
Endurance 10 Composure 6 Focus 5 Vigilance 2
Advantage: Fearsome Presence (Fire, Social, Interpersonal)
Disadvantage: Quick to Anger (Fire, Social, Interpersonal)
Gear:
Small yari: Range 1, Damage 5, Deadliness 3, Wargear
Small yumi: Range 2-3, Damage 4, Deadliness 3
Gear: Scavenged ashigaru Armor (Physical 3)
If you lose this challenge, your character is killed and unable to further participate in the game.
Owing to Dangerous Terrain (Core 267), PCs take Fatigue equal to the Strife showing on their kept dice. Owing to Obscuring Terrain (Core 267), visibility is limited to Range 2 (TN adjustment is already factored into rolls for this event).In the third, a PC who can perform Invocations may attempt one against the advancing force. Perform the Invocation as normal; success generates Momentum, and inflicts EITHER Attrition OR Panic on the enemy army (as the player chooses), equal to the Rank of the Invocation.
Do note, however, that Spiritual Backlash carries particular dangers within the Shadowlands. In addition to the regular effects of Backlash (Core 190), characters receive a Shadowlands Taint Adversity related to the Ring used to perform the Invocation for every 3 Strife past the Backlash (i.e., 3 Strife causes Backlash, while 6 Strife awards a Shadowlands Taint Adversity). Failing to perform the Invocation also awards a Shadowlands Taint Adversity related to the Ring used with the Invocation.
The kansen do not play fair.
Jade Strike, Essence of Jade, and Tomb of Jade, for obvious reasons, do not incur the particular dangers, although they may still trigger Backlash as normal.
Please note that, due to this being an action of armies, the Invocation does not benefit from bonus successes.
This Stage is successfully completed once the Legion earns 9 Momentum, not cumulative with earlier stages.
