In this scenario, The Party is trying to convince the local Baron Von Zitrone that his daughter Delilah is a witch. Curious townsfolk and the dimwitted firebrand of a preacher Friar Schmuck have gathered to hear the decision of the baron's court.
GM: So you are accusing his own daughter of being a witch. He will be both a hostile and biased judge.
Kim (Thaugo): I want to point out I am hiding in the woods and not showing up as it would hurt your cause.
Julia (Brother Cadmus): Fear not, for I shall ignore our association with you during this trial as befits my hypocritic oath.
Chuck (Abraham): So do we all just rush in and go at once or is there some formality here?
GM: Both. The breaching the formality would give the Baron an excuse to eject you for contempt of the court the next round, but you can still do whatever it is you are going to do for the round at least. It would be like interfering in a duel.
Tom (Jack): I am the lawyer on our side then right (turning to the table) I have the Advocate power and the higher presence
Julia (Brother Cadmus): I think I have the most useful skills for a witch trial, do we only have one lawyer?
GM: For this region's laws? Yes, that just means only one person makes an appeal each round though. Though all rules can be broken. So you should all roll initiative.
Initiative results in the Baron being on 1, Jack on 2, Abraham on 4, Cletus on 5, Delilah on 6 and Brother Cadmus on 7.
GM: The Baron begins with an appeal against Jack "How dare you, a low born, accuse my lineage of such depravity!", assuming no interruptions? No, that is at least an 11.
Tom (Jack): At least?
GM: Positions of Authority, how much respect are you giving his office? +3 is normally what is due to judge or noble, though you reminded me. His chair is on a platform looking down on you, so a +2 high ground bonus. So 13 at least.
Tom (Jack): You mean 11 at least right, because you already forgot to add that bonus this time? And I'll let it be 14, give the judge his due.
Julia (Brother Cadmus): No I'LL give the judge his due and interject to be the target on your behalf. My initiative is too high to be counter-interrupted.
Tom (Jack): Why?
Julia (Brother Cadmus): One person makes appeals without upsetting the decorum of the court, so I'll take the defense for you and you can appeal twice or make a statement.
GM: True, but remember. Just like you can't stab a flying dragon with dagger if he's out of reach, you have to actually have something where this is plausible.
Julia (Brother Cadmus): "I Object! We are all equal in the eyes of the divine!" , I figure as a religious monk this gives me the credibility to make this kind of statement. So I get a 13. That is a hit not critical.
GM: He scores 3 influence towards discrediting, after adding his upper class noble background. He's basically acknowledging what you said but rationalizing that even if true you are just a stupid peasant.
Tom (Jack): Hrm, should I go right for the judge or try to disable Delilah's credibility?
Chuck (Abraham): She hasn't gone yet, so you might want to force her to defend. The Baron has already spent his actions.
Tom (Jack): I point my finger at her and declare "Will you not confess now and spare your father the indignity of hearing the sordid details?". I figure I should use the simple ammo first. I calmly get a 14.
GM: How much of a bonus do you want to give her due to her station?
Tom (Jack): ooh, she probably has levels. I think I can't be more than +1, that is like some respect right? Its not totally disrespectful?
GM: Correct, so the Baron snaps "Refer to her as Lady in the future or I will have you removed". Meanwhile she attempts to just ignore you by appearing aloof to her father, scoring..
Tom (Jack): Wait! I am turning that into a power attack
GM: What?
Tom (Jack): Sorry, a statement.
GM: Ah, either way, she is "on-edge" now, but scores an 18.
Julia (Brother Cadmus): Now she will launch her appeal, who is it against?
GM: She turns to the Baron "Father don't listen to these scoundrels, they hate our family because they are envious of our noble station!", scoring more than enough to get a critical success and scoring 8 influence.
Julia (Brother Cadmus): What? The Baron isn't defending?
Guy (Cletus): Oh crap, he's biased! We forgot we have to defend him!
GM: Yep, and now he's got 8 influence built up from her, going to be a tough fight. Next rounds.
The initiative results are Baron 4, Delilah 1, Brother Cadmus 2, Jack 5, Cletus 3, and Abraham 8.
GM: Ok so Delilah, we'll she's going to just turn to her father and please "Father you know me, you know I would never do any of these things!" getting 11.
Tom (Jack): I have Advocate, so I will interject for free to take the defense "without even hearing any evidence?" oh and then add "my lady?" for her +3 ... and I get
GM: Interrupted, as the Baron says "Let her finish!" as an appeal to discredit Jack. Anyone interrupting that? No. Ok, he gets a 15 if you are still giving +3.
Tom (Jack): I get a 13, against that. So hit.
GM: That is a total of 8 influence.
Tom (Jack): I spend luck, and then defend against Delilah, and get a 1 because I started rolling. I get evasive for a reroll "the evidence needs to be viewed". And I get a second 1, for fucks sake.
Chuck (Abraham): So did you just accidentally misused air quotes around the word "evidence" or something"?
GM: She scores 20 influence.
Tom (Jack): Well, your illustrious bard just got discredited from speaking during the trial. This should end well.
GM: Well for Delilah's second action since she didn't have to defend herself she is going to interrupt everyone on lower initiative and say "Father you have seen me at church every Sunday!"
Chuck (Abraham): I interrupt point at her "During the day! But I saw you the night before frolicking in the woods next to the cemetery!", taking the role of a witness
Tom (Jack): Right, even though my words are meaningless I still add the flourish of adding "See! A Witness!"
GM: Well Tom, you don't get an appeal but Abraham does. What is your total?
Chuck (Abraham): I am calm, so not great, but she isn't defending herself so that is still a critical. And I turn it into a statement.
GM: Ok, lets see if you can knock her out before she convinces her father.
Chuck (Abraham): I get a d4 for my int, but because I was mentioning frolicking in the woods and at the cemetery I'd like to tie in "Funeral Rites" and "Folk Religion" as skills. If so that brings me up to 12, otherwise 8.
GM: She spends her luck, and is partially discredited but is not knocked out. She launches her appeal, and rolls a 1. She suffers a repeating d4 influence, suffering.. 7! she discredits herself. He seems to harden a bit, trying to think to himself how many times she was already at church when he arrived in the morning. Did she just get up early was was she up all night?
Guy (Cletus): So we win right?
GM: He is still hostile and will try to discredit you all to result in a hung case.
Guy (Cletus): And no way we are beating that +5 bonus for high ground and his station without our bard. Time to shine and let it ride on a single roll baby. I take my action to make a statement "Hey bud, this is about more than your daughter. This is about stopping evil". I roll and get a 14. I do not give him his +3. Also this is a second appeal this round, but I don't care.
GM: He rolls a 15 and screams "UNACCEPTABLE! GUARDS! ONE THOUSAND YEARS IN THE DUNGEON!" while pointing at you.
Guy (Cletus): That did not go as I hoped. It's OVER.
Kim (Thaugo): Did you say Ogre! I have a +9 sword against ogres!
GM: YOU'RE NOT THERE YOU ARE GETTING DRUNK!
Julia (Brother Cadmus): Cool, also nope, because I have a plan. I launch an appeal
GM: Oh another out of turn rush on the baron?
Julia (Brother Cadmus): Nope, I turn to face the crowd and single out Friar Schmuck, "Suffer not the witch to live but burn her in holy fire lest you yourself be cast into the pit of fire! You must perform the witchtests and convince your lord!", this is a statement.
GM: He isn't the judge
Julia (Brother Cadmus): I know, but I want to convince him to help us convince the Baron, to join our side as a ringer.
GM: Uh.. roll it I guess?
Julia (Brother Cadmus): 12, so I fate that and get an 18!
GM: He gets a 12, and tries to be evasive by looking away and saying "this is the baron's decision", which is a 13. Still a critical hit.
Julia (Brother Cadmus): So max influence doubled is the three successes, with +1 for bless and tying in Witchcraft, Scriptures, Arson, Religious Rites, and Intimidation. That jumps me to 24.
GM: Well he is convinced by your argument, you see in his face that he recognizes this trial as a sham. The baron though is motioning his guards to escort you to the dungeon as well. Initiative.
The GM looks through the Cliche Catalogue chapter, Friar Schmuck didn't have stats assigned, so the GM makes him a level 1 Preacher.
The initiative count is Baron 2, Abraham 8, Friar Schmuck 1.
GM: The Baron points at Friar Schmuck, you stay out of this! launching an appeal of 16.
Julia (Brother Cadmus): Chuck, you should guard him, or interject or whatever. I am hoping he has Orator.
Chuck (Abraham): I interject "Your power only covers the temporal, not the spiritual my lord." I get a 12, but I am not concerned.
GM: He scores 6 influence.
Chuck (Abraham): I spend luck.
GM: Well he does have orator, do you want to control him Julia?
Julia (Friar Schmuck): Friends, Countrymen, Lend me your ears! It is obvious she has had the opportunity to have ensorcelled her father! perhaps even made him purchase her expensive tomes of magic! I rolled a 16 and turn it into a statement. Not sure what his bonus is, does he get a +1 for ceremonial clothing because of his friar robes?
GM: Sure, he also has a +3 presence, so that is 20 total. The Baron gets a 12, or 15.. what is the presence bonus for authority he is giving him? I guess it doesn't matter with this score. So a max damage crit there is 16
Guy (Cletus): Max Influence, not damage
GM: Whatever, so that 16 is going to convince him. But he is going to choose Stubborn Refusal and exclaim "No! I won't believe it! It can't be true!"
Julia (Friar Schmuck): Ok, but do his guards and the crowd believe it? Its everyone who can hear, not just the judge. He can stubbornly refuse, but they all think she's a witch right?
The GM rolls for the mob of peasants and the guards, they both fail and suffer critical hits too.
GM: Ya, I guess they are kind of eye-balling each other about what to do here. One of the guards places his hand on the agitated baron "My liege, she was seen in the woods... perhaps she was ensorcelled"
Julia (?): I will suggest we must conduct a witchtest!
GM: Which you?
Julia (Brother Cadmus): Oh, Cadmus sorry. I will suggest this is the only way to know for certain and put his mind at ease.
GM: Well, he had stubborn refusal.. but he also sees the potentially angry mob and this his own men might turn on him. Seeing on how he knows deep down she is guilty, he tearfully turns from his daughter and motions to the guards as she is dragged away screaming.
Tom (Jack): Given how we aren't actually sure we saw her in the woods, I really hope she is the mysterious Witch of the Elven Star. If this test shows she's innocent we are going to be hung from the neck.
Julia (Brother Cadmus): That is the best part, the test is horseshit so she's just guilty!
Kim (Thaugo): Ok, but we do need to find the real witch later though, because I want her grimoire.