We had been walking down the road in the *Far Wild* for about a day when I saw them. Ratmen with crude staves topped by dull stones. I wasn't fearful but I was anxious. A lot of our party strategy revolved around battlefield control and physical barriers plus short range control. The Arcanist whipped her head around as words started to float through the trees and she was scared. Nobles spent more time in dungeons where you knew the rules than out in the *Wild* where anything could happen. Many of them dealt poorly with surprise. The rest of the party noticed her reaction and became tense. If we tried to track around them we'd be taking more risks and wasting time. This was perhaps the first time the danger of adventuring became real for them.

Ratling Pyromancer lvl3*4 Ratling Mage Lord level 4*1 Ratling Spear Chaff lvl2*8 HP 150 HP 300 HP 225 MP 250 MP 500 MP 125 MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 10m/s Firebolt 25 dmg 20m 10mana 1s Force Missile 35 dmg 15m 10 mana 1s Thrust 25 dmg 1s Fireblast 60 dmg 20m 20mana 2s Thunderbolt 50 dmg 25m 1s stun 25 mana 1s Heavy Stab 40 dmg 25 mana 1s Fireball 50 dmg 20m 5m AoE 50 mana 3s Tremor Spike 80 dmg 20m 2s stun 70 mana 2s Double Thrust 70 dmg 50 mana 2s

This was an incredibly risky situation compared to previous battles. Our frontline couldn't just charge in because they'd be picked off 1 by 1. Even with our improved gear. Luckily we did have some range advantages on them. And buffs. We started to turn to gain some distance but they heard us. We were only 35m away.

Chronomancer Arcanist Miamist Eruptor Cleanser Shieldmaiden Treant Crusher Health 78 Health 103 Health 78 Health 78 Health 78 Health 120 Health 126 Health 204 Mana 315/352 +8/s Mana 406 +10/s Mana 348 +8/s Mana 348 +8s Mana 319/352 +8s Mana 174 +4/s Mana 180 +7/s Mana 98 +6/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 10m/s Haste 3s Quicken 0s > > > Remedy 0s > > >>

The 8 Spear Chaff would be charging towards us while the mages optimized their range. Luckily only the Mage Lord had control. Haste on the Crusher would enable her to move at 20m/s, twice the speed of the Chaff. The Chaff started as an 8 man line 5m in front of the mages. A heavily buffed Crusher could annihilate the pyromancers fairly quickly. Especially with buffs to keep her safe. While she was in danger from the mages her ABS PHYS was easily enough with Absorb to shrug off the spear strikes. I started off with Quicken as always. I had about 11 rounds of Quicken/Haste before I was low on mana. The Treant and the Shieldmaiden simple walked forward 5m. The Arcanist did as well. She could now hit the Spear Chaff. Another 5 meters would put her Jolt and Shock in ranged of their mages. The Crusher walked forward 10m. She was not quite in range of the Mage Lord's Thunderbolt. 5m too far. The Miasmist walked forward. Like the Arcanist she was 30 and 35 meters from their front and back line. The Eruptor came forward as well. The Cleanser had no need to get into range. She cast Remedy on the Crusher to boost her hp/s recovery by 5.

The Chaff closed 10m. They were now 15m out from the Crusher, 20 from the Treant and Shieldmaiden and 25 out from our damage casters.

Chronomancer Arcanist Miamist Eruptor Cleanser Shieldmaiden Treant Crusher Health 78 Health 103 Health 78 Health 78 Health 78 Health 120 Health 126 Health 204 Mana 286/352 +8/s Mana 406 +10/s Mana 348 +8/s Mana 348 +8s Mana 285/352 +8s Mana 124/174 +4/s Mana 100 +7/s Mana 98 +6/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 10m/s Haste 2s Haste 3s Accelerate 0s > > > Revitalize 1s Absorb 1s Forest Heart 1s >>

The Crusher close another 10m. She was 20m from their backline and 5m from their Chaff. The Treant cast Forest Heart. The Shieldmaiden cast Absorb on herself, the Treant, and the Crusher, as well as the Arcanist. It would take effect next turn. I Hasted the Crusher for next turn. The Arcanist moved another 5m forward. She was now 30m from the enemy backline. She could now spam Jolt to shut down their mages. The other 2 damage mages followed suit. Although they could only hit the enemy with Mana Bolt. The Cleanser cast Revitalize on the Crusher.

The enemy Chaff charged forward 5m to block the Crusher. The 5 not aligned with any of our front line carried forward another 5 for the full 10. Having no choice their mages also moved up 5m.

Chronomancer Arcanist Miamist Eruptor Cleanser Shieldmaiden Treant Crusher Health 78 Health 103 Health 78 Health 78 Health 78 Health 120 Health 126 Health 204 Mana 257/352 +8/s Mana 341 +10/s Mana 348 +8/s Mana 348 +8s Mana 293/352 +8s Mana 128/174 +4/s Mana 107 +7/s Mana 78 +6/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 10m/s Haste 1s Haste 3s 26 PHABS 8s 26 PHABS 8s 26 PHABS 8s Haste 2s Might 10s Alacrity 5s 26 PHABS 8s Accelerate 0s Jolt 0s > > Revitalize 0s Absorb 0s Forest Heart 0s Might 0s Alacrity 0s

I Accelerated the Arcanist for that sweet control advantage. The Crusher spent 60 mana and both actions to cast first Might and then Alacrity. The Cleanser finished Revitalize on the Crusher. The Arcanist cast Jolt on the Mage Lord. Absorb finished. The Treant finished Forest Heart.

3 Chaff cast Double Thrust on the Crusher. They had to because she had 41 physical Absorbtion. Bad luck for them that one would never finish that attacks. 5 Chaff ran forward 10m. The 4 Pyromancers walked forward 5m. The Mage Lord had 2 more seconds of stun. All the pyromancers were now in range of the Crusher with spells.

Chronomancer Arcanist Miamist Eruptor Cleanser Shieldmaiden Treant Crusher Health 78 Health 103 Health 78 Health 78 Health 78 Health 120 Health 126 Health 204 Mana 228/352 +8/s Mana 235/406 +10/s Mana 301/348 +8/s Mana 292/348 +8s Mana 301/352 +8s Mana 132/174 +4/s Mana 114/180 +7/s Mana 4/98 +6/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 10m/s Haste 0s Haste 2s 26 PHABS 7s Haste 3s 26 PHABS 7s 26 PHABS 7s Haste 1s Might 9s Alacrity 4s 26 PHABS 7s Accelerate 0s Jolt/Jolt 0s Mana Bolt 0s Molten Spurt 1s Remedy 0s Shield Bash 0s Bash 0s Pendulum/Pendulum/Basic 0s

Thanks to Revitalize the Crusher had 84 mana out of 98. She attacked with 2 Pendulums for a total of 4 basic strikes. She dealt Brawn/2(10)+Might(10)+Hammer(10)+Bracelet*2(10)+Brutality(7)=47*2*2=94*2=188 damage for 80 mana. She then hit the final time with another basic attack for 47 damage and the Chaff died. Next turn she'd charge the Stunned Mage Lord and the turn after that lock him down with her own Stuns. The Arcanist locked down 2 of the Pyromancers with a double Jolt. I cast Accelerate on the Cleanser. She cast Remedy on the Treant.

The Treant was in range one of the Spear Chaff and stunned it for 1s with Bash dealing Mace(8)+Bash(10)+Brawn/2(9)+Ferocity(14)=41 damage. The Shieldmaiden was similarly near Chaff and she Shieldbashed it for Shield Bash(20)+Brawn(3)=23 damage and 2s of stun. The Miasmist was relatively useless in this battle but she cast a 30m + 3m range Manabolt for 35+4+5=39 damage on the Mage Lord. The Eruptor cast an 89 damage Molten Spurt on the Mage Lord.

2 Chaff dealt 70-41=29 damage to the Crusher for 58 total. 2 Pyromancers took the chance to being Fire Blasts. Luckily the Arcanist would handle that next turn. 2 Chaff were stunned as was the Mage Lord and 2 Pyromancers. 1 and 2 Chaff respectively moved into position around the Treant and the Shieldmaiden.

Chronomancer Arcanist Miamist Eruptor Cleanser Shieldmaiden Treant Crusher Health 78 Health 103 Health 78 Health 78 Health 78 Health 120 Health 126 Health 146/204 Mana 199/352 +8/s Mana 79/406 +10/s Mana 262/348 +8/s Mana 300/348 +8s Mana 272/352 +8s Mana 136/174 +4/s Mana 121/180 +7/s Mana 40/98 +6/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 5m/s MOV 10m/s Haste 3s Haste 1s 26 PHABS 6s Haste 2s 26 PHABS 6s 26 PHABS 6s Haste 0s Might 8s Alacrity 3s 26 PHABS 6s Quicken 0s Jolt/Jolt 0s Mana Bolt 0s Molten Spurt 0s Revitalize 0s Bash 0s Shield Bash 0s

I cast Quicken. The Arcanist double Jolted to stall the casting Pyromancers costing 166 mana. Molten Spurt finished. The Miasmist cast Mana Bolt again. The Treant bashed the same Chaff. The Maiden Shield Bashed a different Chaff of her 3. The Cleanser cast Revitalize for the last time on the Crusher as she moved out of range. Finally the Crusher charged the Mage Lord using her Hasted movement. She had 1 action left from Alacrity which she used to strike with Pulverize dealing 2s of Stun as well as 57 damage. Next turn she could finish it off and maybe a Pyromancer as well. Alternatively should could split attaks to provice stuns on 2 mages.

At this point the fight was functionally over. Although the Arcanist was running short on mana due to lacking Domain cost reductions with enough control deployed over the whole field the enemy had no chance. Of course they never had a chance to win but they could have perhaps picked off a party member which would have been painful if they got a terminating hit in after health was reduced to 0.

That was our first truly dangerous fight where we were complete novices against ranged attacks. I might suggest to the Academy that they do school parties fighting each other as mages or something to give new adventurers more useful experience. Only really high floors of the Academy dungeon had ranged monsters.

After the battle we had a party meeting to figure out what to do if monsters that were truly dangerous had us pinned down. We also discussed if anyone would be willing to take a non-elder spell caster buff Talent. I was considering it myself but I would have liked to do more than cast buffs. I was primarily interested in debuffs and maybe some more control. Sadly Accelerate was so strong. Haste was almost impossible to get outside Chronomancy. One of the Time/Body Aspected Talents did have a lesser version of Quicken, though.

A major issue we had as a party was that if the Crusher charged out to attack an enemy caster she'd drop out of range of domain spells. Even if we could use our very long range attack spells. And she'd be too far for buffs, at least till someone raised a buffing Talent a Phase. The Miasmist really wanted to turtle up and outrange monster casters if possible. Or clear frontline units at least before rushing. We tabled the topic for another day.

The ratling casters had had some decent resources but nothing too spectacular. Still we'd all like to reach tier 2 on bracelets and amulets now that we had our first advancement. Getting our first rings was also an option. The party was quite divided on the value of mana recovery vs raw mana vs spell boosts. My take was a bit influenced by not really having damage spells. Mana recovery was extremely efficient after you reached a certain level of mana pool. Especially if you had good cost reduction as well.

Under our full complement of domains the Cleanser was paying roughly 38 mana to give someone else 40 mana and recovering 8 mana a turn. Additionally spells like Mana Well could boost mana recovery. If only Abluomancy(Light/Dark/Life/Water) had an Earth Aspect we'd really have something. Ideally someone would pick up Hydromancy and Limusomancy as that combination allowed for Refresh to provide an AoE mana boost as a reduced cost.

The next day we set off along the road, it was about our tenth day of a thirty day journey, and the woods around us began to take on a distinctly shadowy and muddy stain. This effect increased as we off to the left. The Arcanist became quite excited as she started to trail off the road. She had the most Perception of anyone in our party. Then she uttered an adventurers favorite word. Dungeon.