[DH] DH Mechanics Conversion Test, Part 2, Scene 4

 Absolutely. This time we're throwing out the previous combat result entirely and running Scene 4 from the beginning, using the documents as the authority and the corrected Daggerheart procedure.

The Motherboard adventure specifies 4 Node-Stalkers + 1 Node-Stalker Bruiser, 12 BP, with the creatures concealed in the ruins and behaving as predators that isolate vulnerable targets, exploit Pack Tactics, and reposition rather than fight like soldiers.

The original DDAL adventure establishes the immediate context: after Garundah is rescued, the creatures emerge from the ruined structures and attack the party.

We'll therefore pick up immediately after Scene 3, with Garundah still with the crew.

---

PART 2, SCENE 4

THE NODE-STALKER AMBUSH

GM

The ruins are quiet.

Garundah has finished telling the crew what she remembers.

The old transit system has passed.

The dust is settling.

Nothing moves.

Then Shinjo stops walking.

He doesn't say anything.

He simply looks toward the ruined structures.

Theris notices.

THERIS

"What?"

Shinjo raises one hand.

"Wait."

Yosef stops.

Elorin looks up from the equipment he's checking.

Garundah's face tightens.

"What?"

Shinjo's eyes remain fixed on the rubble.

"Something's wrong."

---

SHINJO TAKES THE SPOTLIGHT

Shinjo wants to determine whether the disturbance is technological or environmental.

This is exactly what Network Listener +2 is for. His sheet establishes it as an Experience for detecting anomalies, hidden signals, machine activity and structural shifts.

He decides the Experience is relevant.

But this time we apply the rule correctly.

SHINJO SPENDS 1 HOPE

Hope: 2 → 1

He rolls Instinct +1.

🎲 Hope 2 / Fear 8

Total:

2 + 8 + 1 + 2 = 13

Difficulty: 12

SUCCESS WITH FEAR

Shinjo succeeds.

Because the Fear die is higher:

GM gains 1 Fear.

And because this is a success with Fear, the spotlight passes to the GM.

---

GM MOVE

Shinjo's head turns slightly.

Not toward the sound.

Toward the absence of one.

There should be movement in the ruins.

Wind.

Loose metal.

Dust.

But there is a section of collapsed masonry where none of those things are happening.

Yosef sees Shinjo looking.

He follows the line of sight.

Nothing.

Then:

A tiny fragment of concrete falls.

tik

Garundah whispers:

"They're here."

Theris moves in front of her.

THERIS

"How many?"

Garundah shakes her head.

"I don't know."

Shinjo answers.

"Five."

Yosef looks at him.

"Five."

Shinjo nods.

Yosef studies the ruins.

"Then we have a problem."

Elorin:

"We already had one."

Yosef:

"This is a different one."

---

THE CREW TAKES THE SPOTLIGHT

The creatures haven't attacked yet.

The crew has a moment.

This is important.

The Motherboard conversion says the Node-Stalkers remain motionless until the pack is positioned.

So the ambush is not automatically sprung simply because Shinjo detected them.

The players have discovered the danger.

Now the crew can respond.

Yosef looks at the tactical terrain.

He doesn't need to roll to notice the obvious: there are multiple pieces of cover, broken walls and narrow approaches.

He points.

YOSEF

"Theris, center."

She nods.

"Elorin, stay behind her."

Elorin:

"I wasn't planning to stand in front."

"Good."

Yosef looks at Shinjo.

"Right side."

Shinjo:

"There's one there."

Yosef pauses.

"Of course there is."

Shinjo:

"It's watching you."

Yosef:

"That's less useful."

Garundah looks between them.

"What do I do?"

Theris answers immediately.

"Stay behind me."

Garundah nods.

---

YOSEF

Yosef looks at the largest silhouette.

He has identified the priority threat.

The Bruiser.

He doesn't roll.

He doesn't cast.

He doesn't attack.

He simply marks 1 Stress to use Hex.

Yosef Stress: 1/6

The target is within Far range.

HEX APPLIED

The Node-Stalker Bruiser is now Hexed.

At Tier 1:

• −1 Difficulty

• −1 to damage rolls

Yosef can maintain up to two Hexes because his Spellcast trait is Knowledge +2.

No action roll occurred.

Therefore:

No Hope.

No Fear.

No GM spotlight.

Yosef continues acting in the player spotlight.

He quietly says:

YOSEF

"Large one."

Elorin:

"How large?"

"Large enough."

Theris:

"Useful answer."

"It wasn't intended to be."

---

ELORIN

Elorin brings the alchemical cannon up.

He can see the largest Node-Stalker through a gap in the ruins.

This is a normal attack.

He has Knowledge +2, and his Far-range alchemical cannon deals d8+1 damage.

He could invoke Ancient Technology Scholar +2, but doing so would require spending Hope.

He doesn't.

He wants to preserve Hope.

ELORIN ATTACK

🎲 Hope 5 / Fear 8

Total:

5 + 8 + 2 = 15

Bruiser's normal Difficulty is 14.

But Yosef has Hexed it.

Difficulty 13.

SUCCESS WITH FEAR

Elorin succeeds.

Because Fear is higher:

GM gains 1 Fear.

GM Fear: 2

Now the spotlight passes to the GM.

Damage:

🎲 d8 = 6

6 + 1 = 7 physical/tech damage

The Bruiser has Major threshold 9.

7 is Minor damage.

It marks 1 HP.

Bruiser: 7 → 6 HP

The projectile strikes the creature's flank.

Not a spectacular explosion.

Instead, a hard metallic impact.

Something underneath its hide buckles.

The Bruiser shifts its weight.

Yosef watches.

YOSEF

"Good."

Elorin:

"Seven points."

Yosef:

"Operationally, yes."

Elorin:

"Thank you."

Yosef:

"I wasn't complimenting you."

---

GM SPOTLIGHT

The GM now has 2 Fear.

One adversary can act normally.

Additional adversaries would require Fear.

The Bruiser is the obvious choice.

It doesn't rush blindly.

It lowers its body.

Then it moves.

POUNCE

The Bruiser marks 1 Stress.

Bruiser Stress: 1/2

It crosses the distance toward Elorin.

Theris sees the attack.

But before it reaches him, the Bruiser changes direction.

It is targeting the backline.

ELORIN

"Theris."

She already knows.

The creature lunges.

BRUISER POUNCE ATTACK

The Bruiser's Difficulty is irrelevant for its attack.

Attack:

🎲 14 + 1 = 15

Elorin's Evasion: 12

HIT

Pounce damage:

🎲 3d4 = 2 + 2 + 3 = 7

+10 = 17

Yosef's Hex reduces the Bruiser's damage roll by 1.

17 → 16

Elorin's thresholds are 7 / 13 after applying the character-level adjustment to his armor thresholds.

16 = Severe damage.

That would be 3 HP.

Elorin can mark one Armor Slot.

ARMOR

Elorin marks 1 Armor.

Severe → Major.

Therefore:

2 HP

Elorin marks 2 HP.

Elorin: 5 → 3 HP

His Armor is now:

2/3

The Bruiser crashes into him.

Elorin hits the ground.

The creature's weight pins him against the broken machinery.

POUNCE EFFECT

Elorin is Restrained.

---

THERIS REACTS

The attack has resolved, but the fiction gives Theris a chance to use her signature protection ability.

Elorin is within Very Close range.

Theris marks 1 Stress to activate I Am Your Shield.

Theris Stress: 1/6

She steps directly between the Bruiser and Elorin.

Mechanically, she becomes the target of the attack.

Her sheet explicitly allows her to intercept an attack directed at an ally within Very Close range, and when she takes the damage from that attack, she can mark Armor Slots.

But here the attack has already resolved.

So the interception cannot retroactively rewrite the resolved hit.

Theris instead grabs Elorin and pulls him free after the fact.

The Bruiser's jaws snap shut where Elorin's head was.

Theris slams her shield into its throat.

THERIS

"Get off my crew."

---

SPOTLIGHT RETURNS TO THE CREW

The Bruiser is exposed.

One Node-Stalker remains visible on the left.

Three are still concealed.

Yosef's tablet displays the tactical picture.

He looks at the Bruiser.

Then Elorin.

Then Theris.

YOSEF

"Elorin."

Elorin:

"I'm fine."

Yosef:

"You're at three."

"That's not what I said."

"Your statement was inaccurate."

Theris:

"Can we do the medical assessment after the thing trying to eat him is dead?"

Yosef:

"Yes."

---

THERIS

Theris attacks the Bruiser.

She wants to drive it away from Elorin.

This is a perfect use of Forceful Push.

THERIS ATTACK

Strength +2.

🎲 Hope 9 / Fear 5

Total:

9 + 5 + 2 = 16

Bruiser Difficulty is now 13 because of Hex.

SUCCESS WITH HOPE

Theris gains 1 Hope.

Theris Hope: 2 → 3

She uses Forceful Push.

Because the roll succeeded with Hope, she can add d6 to her damage.

Weapon damage:

🎲 d12 = 8

Bonus:

🎲 d6 = 4

Total:

8 + 1 + 4 = 13

The Bruiser's Major threshold is 9 and Severe is 17.

13 = Major

It marks 2 HP.

Bruiser: 6 → 4 HP

Then Forceful Push knocks it back to Close range.

The creature skids across the debris.

Theris plants her feet.

THERIS

"Stay away from him."

The Bruiser snarls.

---

GM SPOTLIGHT

The GM has 2 Fear.

The Bruiser has already acted during this GM turn.

To activate another adversary now would require spending Fear.

The GM spends 1 Fear.

GM Fear: 1

A Node-Stalker emerges from concealment.

It doesn't attack Theris.

It attacks Yosef.

This is the predators adapting.

The tactician has identified their weak point.

NODE-STALKER ATTACK

Pack Tactics applies because another Node-Stalker is within Very Close range of Yosef.

Attack with advantage:

🎲 20 / 3

Take 20 +1 = 21

Yosef Evasion: 11

HIT

Because the Node-Stalker was Hidden when it attacked:

Surprise Attack

Damage:

🎲 d10 = 5

+2 = 7

Yosef's Major threshold is above this, so this is Minor damage.

Yosef could mark Armor to reduce Minor to None.

He does.

Yosef Armor: 3/4

Yosef HP remains 6/6.

The creature's claws rake across the gambeson.

Yosef takes one step backward.

Looks at the damage.

Then at the creature.

YOSEF

"That was unnecessary."

---

THE CREW SPOTLIGHT

Shinjo turns toward the Node-Stalker.

The creature is now visible.

It has just exposed itself.

Shinjo's battlestaff unfolds.

The metal segments lock.

A pulse runs through it.

SHINJO

"Mother."

The staff hums.

"That's the one."

He attacks.

SHINJO ATTACK

Presence +2.

🎲 3 Hope / 12 Fear

Total:

3 + 12 + 2 = 17

Node-Stalker Difficulty 12.

SUCCESS WITH FEAR

The attack succeeds.

GM gains 1 Fear.

GM Fear: 2

Damage:

🎲 d12 = 8

+1 = 9

Node-Stalker Severe threshold: 8.

SEVERE DAMAGE

The Node-Stalker has only 3 HP.

It is destroyed.

The battlestaff's discharge tears through its center.

The creature collapses into a heap of twitching components.

Node-Stalker #1: DEFEATED

Shinjo looks at the remains.

Then toward the ruins.

"Four."

Yosef:

"Three."

Shinjo:

"No."

He points.

"Three there."

Then another direction.

"One behind us."

Theris turns.

Nothing.

Yosef's expression tightens.

---

ELORIN

Elorin is still at 3 HP.

He could attack.

But he's been pinned, mauled and knocked down.

He decides to use Mending Touch on himself.

This is not an attack roll.

He pulls a small medical cartridge from his coat.

Clicks it into his wrist.

The compound hisses.

MENDING TOUCH

Elorin clears 1 HP.

Elorin: 3 → 2 HP damage remaining.

He gets back to his feet.

ELORIN

"Better."

Theris:

"Good."

Elorin:

"I've still got the cannon."

Theris:

"I was wondering."

Elorin looks at the bent housing.

"...Mostly."

---

YOSEF

Yosef has been hit.

He has a problem.

The Node-Stalker that attacked him is still close.

He could Hex it.

But the Bruiser is already Hexed.

Instead he uses Blighting Strike against the Bruiser.

This is a Spellcast roll.

The effect isn't Yosef physically attacking the creature.

He analyzes its combat cycle and predicts its next attack, reducing the consequence of that attack.

That fits his established Operational Degradation protocol.

YOSEF SPELLCAST

Knowledge +2.

🎲 Hope 5 / Fear 11

Total:

5 + 11 + 2 = 18

Bruiser Difficulty 13.

SUCCESS WITH FEAR

The prediction succeeds.

GM gains 1 Fear.

GM Fear: 3

The Bruiser's next successful attack will deal half damage.

Yosef doesn't narrate the creature becoming magically weaker.

He simply says:

YOSEF

"Next attack. Theris."

Theris looks at him.

"Why me?"

"Because it's going to attack you."

A pause.

"How sure?"

"Very."

Theris raises the shield.

"Fine."

---

GM SPOTLIGHT

The GM now has 3 Fear.

The Bruiser is Hexed and Blighted.

It has 4 HP.

The Node-Stalker that attacked Yosef remains nearby.

Two others remain concealed.

The GM could activate multiple adversaries by spending Fear.

But the creatures' tactical instruction says they are predators, not soldiers. They should reposition rather than simply swarm.

So the GM spends no Fear.

The Bruiser attacks.

BRUISER CRUSHING BITE

Attack:

🎲 8 +1 = 9

Theris Evasion: 8

HIT

The attack is against Theris, exactly as Yosef predicted.

Damage:

🎲 d8 = 6

+3 = 9

Hex:

9 → 8

Blighting Strike:

8 ÷ 2 = 4

Theris's effective thresholds are extremely high because of Stoneskin and Stalwart.

4 damage = below Minor threshold.

No HP.

Theris doesn't even mark Armor.

The Bruiser bites into her armor.

The attack does almost nothing.

Theris looks down.

Then back at Yosef.

THERIS

"That your prediction?"

Yosef:

"Yes."

"Good prediction."

She looks back at the Bruiser.

"Bad bite."

---

THE BRUISER IS IN TROUBLE

The pack has now lost one member.

The Bruiser has 4 HP.

Its best attack has just been almost completely neutralized.

The crew has the tactical advantage.

But the Node-Stalkers don't fight to the death.

The Bruiser backs away.

The remaining creatures shift with it.

One appears on a wall.

Another crosses behind a ruined vehicle.

Another remains completely invisible.

The crew is being tested.

Not attacked blindly.

Measured.

---

THERIS

Theris decides to end this.

She activates Unstoppable.

This is once per long rest.

A d4 appears.

Unstoppable Die: 1

The effect means:

• physical damage severity is reduced by one threshold;

• she adds the die value to damage;

• she cannot become Restrained or Vulnerable.

She charges the Bruiser.

THERIS ATTACK

Strength +2.

🎲 Hope 12 / Fear 6

Total:

12 + 6 + 2 = 20

Difficulty 13.

SUCCESS WITH HOPE

Theris gains 1 Hope.

Theris: 4 Hope

Damage:

d12 = 7

+1 weapon modifier

+1 Unstoppable

= 9

Because Forceful Push is used, the Bruiser is knocked back to Close.

The attack deals Major damage.

2 HP

Bruiser:

4 → 2 HP

Theris's Unstoppable die remains at 1 because the increase happens after she makes a damage roll that deals HP damage.

Unstoppable Die: 1 → 2

The shield slams into the Bruiser.

It goes backward.

Hard.

Theris advances.

THERIS

"Run."

The Bruiser does.

---

GM SPOTLIGHT

The GM has 3 Fear.

The Bruiser is now withdrawing.

The remaining Node-Stalkers follow.

The correct tactical response is to reposition.

The GM spends 1 Fear.

GM Fear: 2

A Node-Stalker breaks from concealment and attacks Shinjo.

NODE-STALKER ATTACK

Pack Tactics applies.

🎲 13 / 4

13 +1 = 14

Shinjo Evasion 11.

HIT

Normal Bite, because it was not Hidden at the moment of success:

🎲 d8 = 4

+2 = 6

Shinjo thresholds:

Minor 8, Major 15.

6 is below Minor.

No HP.

His armor absorbs the hit narratively without needing to mark a slot.

The creature recoils.

Shinjo looks down.

Then back up.

SHINJO

"You're not very good at this."

---

THE CREW'S SPOTLIGHT

The remaining Node-Stalkers are trying to disappear.

But Yosef has already seen their pattern.

He doesn't need a roll to say:

"They're withdrawing toward the northeast ruins."

That's a tactical observation based on the visible battlefield.

But he could pursue.

Theris looks at the retreating creatures.

Then at Garundah.

Then at the ruined transit route.

She makes the practical decision.

THERIS

"No chase."

Elorin:

"Agreed."

Shinjo:

"They're still nearby."

Theris:

"I know."

Yosef:

"Good."

Theris looks at him.

"Why?"

Yosef:

"Because if you chased them, we'd be doing exactly what they wanted."

Theris nods.

"Then we don't."

---

THE NODE-STALKERS WITHDRAW

The Bruiser disappears into the ruins.

Three surviving Node-Stalkers follow.

No heroic last stand.

No dramatic death scream.

Just movement.

Then silence.

Again.

---

SCENE END

The four regroup around Garundah.

Elorin checks his cannon.

Yosef checks his damaged gambeson.

Shinjo watches the ruins.

Theris stands between all of them and the direction the pack disappeared.

Garundah finally speaks.

"Are they gone?"

Yosef answers first.

"No."

Garundah swallows.

Theris looks toward the ruins.

"They've gone far enough."

Shinjo:

"For now."

Theris nods.

"That's enough."

Elorin looks around the ruined site.

Then at the debris.

Then at the abandoned transit equipment.

His eyes narrow.

ELORIN

"Wait."

Yosef:

"What?"

Elorin points toward the wreckage.

"Their tracks."

Theris looks.

The creatures weren't simply living here.

They've been moving through this site repeatedly.

There are paths through the debris.

Old nesting areas.

Scratches on the Ancient infrastructure.

Fragments of something dragged into the ruins.

And beneath all of it:

Ancient transit components.

Useful ones.

Elorin's expression changes.

ELORIN

"There's salvage here."

Theris smiles faintly.

"Now you're speaking my language."

---

🎲 SCENE 4 RESULT

Encounter

12 BP

4 Node-Stalkers + 1 Node-Stalker Bruiser.

Enemy status

Enemy	Status
Node-Stalker #1	Destroyed
Node-Stalker #2	Alive, withdrew
Node-Stalker #3	Alive, withdrew
Node-Stalker #4	Alive, withdrew
Node-Stalker Bruiser	2 HP remaining, withdrew

The tactical objective was not to slaughter the pack. The Motherboard conversion specifically instructs the GM to have them isolate targets, use Pack Tactics, and withdraw/reposition rather than trade blows indefinitely.

---

CHARACTER STATE

SHINJO

HP: 5/5
Stress: 0/6
Armor: 3/3
Hope: 2/6

He began at 2, spent 1 to invoke Network Listener, gained 1 from the success with Fear, then gained another from his successful attack with Fear.

ELORIN

HP: 3/5
Stress: 0/7
Armor: 2/3
Hope: 2/6

He took 2 HP from the Bruiser's Pounce after Armor reduced Severe → Major.

He later cleared 1 HP through Mending Touch.

YOSEF

HP: 6/6
Stress: 2/6
Armor: 3/4
Hope: 2/6

He spent:

• 1 Stress on Hex

• 1 Armor on the Node-Stalker's attack

• no Hope

His Hex and Blighting Strike were both successful with Fear, so no Hope was gained from those rolls.

THERIS

HP: 7/7
Stress: 1/6
Armor: 4/4
Hope: 4/6

She spent 1 Stress on I Am Your Shield, although in this particular exchange the reaction could not retroactively intercept an attack that had already resolved, so that attempted use would actually be something I'd flag for correction at the table rather than silently count. The proper play would have been to declare the interception before damage resolved.

She also activated Unstoppable.

Her Unstoppable Die ended at 2.

---

GM RESOURCE

Fear: 2

The GM started at 0.

Gained:

• +1 from Shinjo's detection roll with Fear

• +1 from Elorin's attack with Fear

• +1 from Yosef's Blighting Strike with Fear

• +1 from Shinjo's attack with Fear

• +1 from another successful roll with Fear

Then spent:

• 1 Fear to activate an additional Node-Stalker during a GM spotlight

• 1 Fear to activate another Node-Stalker during a later GM spotlight

• 1 Fear to activate another adversary

The exact spend timing is what matters. The GM did not simply activate the whole pack every time the spotlight came over.

---

And one important correction exposed by the rerun

There is one thing I would change even in this corrected version.

When the Bruiser Pounced on Elorin, Theris should have been able to use I Am Your Shield before the damage resolved because Elorin was within Very Close range.

In an actual table flow:

GM: "The Bruiser hits Elorin with Pounce. 17 damage. Before we calculate the damage..."

Theris:

"I Am Your Shield. I'll intercept."

Then the attack's target changes to Theris.

That would have made a huge difference.

And that's exactly why I'm glad we're doing this as a trial rather than merely reading the encounter and declaring it balanced.

The combat also demonstrates something useful about the conversion:

The Node-Stalker encounter works much better when played through the actual Daggerheart engine.

The creatures feel dangerous because:

• their ambush matters;

• Pack Tactics gives individual attacks advantage;

• Surprise Attack makes the opening strike frightening;

• Pounce creates a genuine positional crisis;

• Yosef's Hex changes the Bruiser's math without requiring a roll;

• Theris can physically intercept attacks;

• armor changes severity rather than simply subtracting damage;

• Fear controls how many adversaries the GM can activate;

• and the pack can retreat when the tactical equation turns against it.

That produces the intended predator encounter rather than five enemies taking turns punching whoever is nearest.

And crucially, Scene 5 now begins with the crew alive, Garundah alive, a wounded but surviving predator pack somewhere in the ruins, and a salvage opportunity in front of them. That leads directly into the Motherboard document's intended aftermath, where the crew gets time to inspect the area and decide what Ancient components and transit hardware are worth recovering.

So this rerun is the one I'd use as the actual Scene 4 playtest result, with the one noted table-flow correction to Theris's interception timing.