Games are on Thursday night sometime after 5:30PM at World's Best Comics, 9714 Warwick Blvd Newport News, Virginia 23601.

This week we had two pizzas one for free. I had order a meat-lovers pizza, upon arrival we noticed it peppers and mushrooms on it. The owner made us a new pizza to specification, and let us have the incorrect product for free.

Player's started late waiting for one of them and another said they had to leave early. Which is understandable since this one started a new job and is in training mode for three weeks. Thereafter we will be advised if the Player can continue as it may involve a conflicting shift. We ended up playing only one battle and exploring one room.

++++ START OF SESSION ++++

In any case the players departed the Lamia's quarters from the prior week. They exited a door to the right which turned out to be stairs going up. At the top of the stairs was a landing and a door.

Opening the door, which was unlocked and checked for traps. They found themselves at a hallway and could go right or left. They chose left and went along 70 feet to another door on their right.

The hall continued 30 more feet to a dead end, but they chose to enter this door.

Checking for and again finding no traps and unlocked, they opened it quickly and rushed in surprising four Bugbears in a 20' by 20' room. This was our only combat and the party defeated them with some effort. There was one moment when a player rolled a fumble and ended up trading a coupon with another Player to get out of it. After the Bugbears lost one, their supervisor, the biggest baddest Bugbear you had ever seen (a Greater Bugbear) entered the room from an inner door.

All was going smoothly until this point, when a Player claimed the additional Bugbear could not enter the room because the ten foot square space that the Greater Bugbear was entering was occupied by one of his minions. Bugbears are "Large" (7 feet tall), but I had my doubts because 7 foot height did not seem to me a proportionate 10 foot girth. The Player's counter-argument was that monster's 10 foot square space is occupied by its flailing weaponry.

Time stop ensued while we all looked up the rules. It turns out HackMaster (based on 1st and 2nd Edition AD&D), had nothing on the space occupied by monsters. Save only the number of number of Medium sized (human) creatures can face up to a Large creature. (I'd hate to think what to make of it if the four Bugbears were in a smaller room, say 15' by 15'.)

In any case, in order to save time I compromised, letting the Greater Bugbear wait in the doorway acting stern and shouting why he can't get any good help these days. It turns out his subordinate was slain the next round so it worked out and he could step in.

But as I said, all the Bugbears were defeated anyway.

++++ OUT OF CHEESE ERROR ++++

I posed the above spacing problem to various forums, answers below. On one of the forums I used the subject line: "How Many BugBears Can Dance on the Head of a Pin?"

Answer 1:

Sounds like 3rd edition nonsense. A quick, not in any way thorough, look through the HMv4 PHB, GMG, and CG shows no rules concerning area of occupation. I did expect to see rules for restricted combat but didn't find those either. Maybe they are in a Hackjournal.

Answer 1a:

It's unfortunate we never saw a revised edition of these rules with the HJ info and well, some errata after the populace playtested for them what they obviously never playtested themselves.

Answer 2:

If he's swinging a polearm in a circle, then it would be difficult, but otherwise, 5' for the Bugbear seems okay, especially if the two Bugbears are fighting on the same side. They are also quick and very capable in combat, especially fighting in groups. Probably better side by side in a 10' area than low level Fighters of the Human sort.

Your situation looks like a job for the GMG Table 10A on page 134. p.133 explains circumstances that sound like what you describe. I used that table to much positive effect multiple times in my HM campaigns.

Answer 2a:

[It turns out the Bugbears were using Glaive-Guisarmes (a polearm), making the Player's justification correct, so table 10A would have been harsh.]

Answer 3:

All depends on whether the smoke is going straight up, and there is a
moose at the front door. Otherwise worth a dollar three-eighty. Roll
two dice. Case roll of:
1 : first bugbear dissolves
2 : any character behind 1st bugbear gains three golds
3 : any character to right of 1st bugbear dies
4 : any character to left of 1st bugbear loses 2 weapons
5 : any character behind 2nd bugbear dies
6 : any character to right of 2nd bugbear gains 1 weapon
7 : any character to left of 2nd bugbear can morph to new type
8 : bugbears swap location
9 : 2nd bugbear beheads 1st bugbear
10 : 1st bugbear castrates 2nd bugbear
11 : bugbears get married and occupy same space from now on
12 : rules lawyer dies


Answer 4:

A 10x10 room should fit 2-3 that can fight (DnD 4th edition allows one creature per 5 foot square). Allies can move through occupied spaces with no penalty. But then 4th edition is really a miniatures game


Answer 5:

Dear Tracy

It depends on the color of the bugbear.
Otherwise the answer is "three," "Aquarius," or Mondays only.
I know things like this bug you, but you'll just have to bear it.

Answer 6:

Large creature would occupy 10x10 (4 5 foot squares). A lot of these is assumed to be the Hard ZoC (can't move through). WotC did some "life sized" DnD monsters a few years ago at genCon, I think the Troll was on a 10 foot wide "base"

Answer 7:

1) the DM's ruling is law

2) it's reasonable that a bugbear can be L in height and take up a 5' square alongside another and if crowded each gets a negative modifier (a compromise)

3) in most rules characters can occupy same space as another under certain criteria (e.g.- one is prone or carried). So too for the monsters. Thus make the ceiling taller and stack the bugbears

4) agree with rules lawyer. Give 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rank bugbears pikes of rules lawyer character slaying.

5)siamese twin bugbear with double attacks

6) 1st bugbear is actually an illusion that deals damage because the player didn't disbelieve. 2nd bugbear steps in and is real. Or is it?


Answer 8:

Bugbears probably have very long arms and would accidently hit each other in a fight standing next to each other. Get two bugbear figures and wrap their near arms around each other. Then they can both still bite, but each fights with just one arm. Better yet, get four figures, mount the second two in back of the first two, and then position one arm low and one arm high on each side. Maybe a fifth one crouching in front.

BT







BBBB

++++ CHARACTER ROSTER ++++

PART 2.

CHARACTERS (New players on top.)
Jacko, an Albino Dork Elf, a Probe (an Infiltrator, Thief subclass).
Blake, a human Creep (an Infiltrator, Thief subclass).
Vixine Numar, a human Sigil (a Chosen One, Cleric subclass).
Aerys, an Elvariel, a Larcenist (Thief class).
Count Elefus, a human Abbot of Heimdall (Cleric class).
Baronet Huang - a Master of the North Wind of the Stone Tiger Order, (Monk class).

NPCs:
Baronetess Honda - a Human Datai Samurai, Steward of Catan (formerly Temple of the Frog)
Gnomex, a Gnome Brother of Geardal Ironhand (Cleric class.)
Sum Dum Gai - Brother of the Winds (Monk, Fighter subclass).
Gangnam Bang Mi - Sister of the Winds (Monk, Fighter subclass).
Sum Ting Wong - SheMale Brother/Sister of the Winds (Monk, fighter subclass).
Tanzen (new) a Fae-Born first level Pinger. (Fist level Invoker, a Magic User subclass).

MISSING or CAPTURED CHARACTERS (PCs or NPCs)
Gargoyle (Elefus henchperson, demoted from Sidekick, out of town on business, acting as courier to BlackMoor).
Numrendir - a human Conjurist (a Conjuror, Magic User subclass) - Gone off to BlackMoor to check his Investment Account.
Junkbot Jackson - a human Tracker/Adept (a Ranger, Fighter subclass and Cleric).
Gerry Castagere, human Fingersmith, (Thief class) and ever loving devotee of Elefus.
Fundisha - a half-Elf Swordsperson/Tout (Fighter and Infiltrator, a Thief subclass).
Sir Weasel, human Guild Soldier, Warlock, & Champion (Thief, Magic User, & Fighter classes) he stayed back in BlackMoor.
- and nine Pilgrim henchmen of various levels. (They wear hoodies.)
Slade Wilson - Dwarven Professional (a Bounty Hunter, Fighter subclass) Left behind at Catan.

BT







BBBB

++++ RECORD KEEPING ++++

PART 3.

This is also posted on two forums, and a blog:
viewforum.php?f=76
http://www.furiouslyeclectic.com/forum/ ... php?fid=13
http://furiouslyeclectic.com/hackmoor/

Added to this entry (below) the map of the Party's latest exploration.

They came up the stairs on the right and went to the room on the left where they fought the Bugbears.