Post by logan9a on Feb 26, 2017 22:25:58 GMT
Combat - how does it work?
Well, first you roll inititiative, then you do the different phases of the -
No. Fuck that.
Nearly every roleplaying game out there drags out combat. Yes, it is more realistic but I'd rather do story than wargaming - which is what most RPG's are thin covers for.
The GM points at the player and says "You?"
If the player says "uh" or looks confused, generally the GM moves on. Your character spends their time panicing during the round. Perfectly normal, perfectly natural.
[Note - does this discriminate against people who like to ponderously think and come up with ideas slowly? Yes. Combat does too. Those will be the guys standing there with a stupid look on their face getting filled with bullets while everyone diving for cover makes 'loot the dead guy' plans. Generally these kind of people don't last long in my groups.]
If the player asks "How far is it to..." Great - they get to spend their round looking around, trying to figure out where they are and other things in relation to them. Combat rounds are fast.
Answering "Fire pistol at Captain Slash!" (possibly with 'bang bang' noises) while rolling dice is a fast answer.
While in many RPG's you have the time to look around leisurely, maybe go through a list of possible weapons, maybe take out a weapon, examine it, take out poison, maybe apply it to the weapon then put back the poison via, gauge distances, maybe run through some scenarios in your head (ie discuss with the GM) - this is not that game. That is chess for people who kind of like RPG's.
Combat rounds are only a couple seconds long.
If you want to say something, you get three words - choose them wisely. Other characters may or may not hear over explosions, gunfire and the GM yelling. There is no time to discuss plans.
Combat may be entirely over before you have managed to take off your backpack, open it and rummage around inside of it to find an item.
Combat rounds are fast and often deadly. Know what is in your character's hands. If you want to jump and grab the rope with both hands, stuff held in those hands is now lying on the floor where you dropped it.
Free actions: These are actions which don't take up any actions. You can generally do one of these and a normal action within the round.
Examples of free actions: Say your three words for the round, drop (not throw) something. At the GM's discression, perhaps a spot hidden at a negative, etc.
Actions: These are things which take up the entire round. Example: looking around - is the guy you are getting ready to shoot in the doorway your buddy or a bad guy? Taking a weapon out of a holster. Taking the pin out of a grenade. Not throwing it - just removing the pin. Pushing the large red button marked 'self destruct lair'.
RESULTS
Pretty much it is roll the dice. If you hit, roll the damage dice.
Misses may have unexpected consequences, especially if Logan is feeling irritable.
Criticals: Roll damage dice twice for the skill that got you the critical. Example: Martial arts is a weird skill because it gives you an extra die of damage with natural weapons. Fist normally does d3. Hence, a successful martial arts and a successful fist roll gives 2d3 of damage. A critical martial arts ups it to 3d3. A critical in both martial arts and fist skill ups it to 4d3. Note that if you crit your martial arts roll and miss your fist roll, you just look flashy without doing damage. If you crit the martial arts roll and fumble your fist roll, you look flashy but still draw from the dreaded fumble deck. You might end up doing a critical martial arts strike to your buddy's face.
Fumble: You draw from the dread fumble deck.
Note that during combat, there is no need to display superior math skills and tell the GM "I hit by 20!" It does no good. It is simply hit, miss, critical or fumble.
When rolling to hit and damage, speed is the key. If people have to wait for you to figure out if you hit and if so how much damage you did, you are ruining the game for everyone by slowing down combat.
When people are talking and doing the planning that hopefully preceeds combat - THAT may be the time to be slow and thoughful.
NOTE - THERE SHOULD BE OTHER STUFF IN THIS TIRADE BUT NOT SURE WHAT.
Well, first you roll inititiative, then you do the different phases of the -
No. Fuck that.
Nearly every roleplaying game out there drags out combat. Yes, it is more realistic but I'd rather do story than wargaming - which is what most RPG's are thin covers for.
The GM points at the player and says "You?"
If the player says "uh" or looks confused, generally the GM moves on. Your character spends their time panicing during the round. Perfectly normal, perfectly natural.
[Note - does this discriminate against people who like to ponderously think and come up with ideas slowly? Yes. Combat does too. Those will be the guys standing there with a stupid look on their face getting filled with bullets while everyone diving for cover makes 'loot the dead guy' plans. Generally these kind of people don't last long in my groups.]
If the player asks "How far is it to..." Great - they get to spend their round looking around, trying to figure out where they are and other things in relation to them. Combat rounds are fast.
Answering "Fire pistol at Captain Slash!" (possibly with 'bang bang' noises) while rolling dice is a fast answer.
While in many RPG's you have the time to look around leisurely, maybe go through a list of possible weapons, maybe take out a weapon, examine it, take out poison, maybe apply it to the weapon then put back the poison via, gauge distances, maybe run through some scenarios in your head (ie discuss with the GM) - this is not that game. That is chess for people who kind of like RPG's.
Combat rounds are only a couple seconds long.
If you want to say something, you get three words - choose them wisely. Other characters may or may not hear over explosions, gunfire and the GM yelling. There is no time to discuss plans.
Combat may be entirely over before you have managed to take off your backpack, open it and rummage around inside of it to find an item.
Combat rounds are fast and often deadly. Know what is in your character's hands. If you want to jump and grab the rope with both hands, stuff held in those hands is now lying on the floor where you dropped it.
Free actions: These are actions which don't take up any actions. You can generally do one of these and a normal action within the round.
Examples of free actions: Say your three words for the round, drop (not throw) something. At the GM's discression, perhaps a spot hidden at a negative, etc.
Actions: These are things which take up the entire round. Example: looking around - is the guy you are getting ready to shoot in the doorway your buddy or a bad guy? Taking a weapon out of a holster. Taking the pin out of a grenade. Not throwing it - just removing the pin. Pushing the large red button marked 'self destruct lair'.
RESULTS
Pretty much it is roll the dice. If you hit, roll the damage dice.
Misses may have unexpected consequences, especially if Logan is feeling irritable.
Criticals: Roll damage dice twice for the skill that got you the critical. Example: Martial arts is a weird skill because it gives you an extra die of damage with natural weapons. Fist normally does d3. Hence, a successful martial arts and a successful fist roll gives 2d3 of damage. A critical martial arts ups it to 3d3. A critical in both martial arts and fist skill ups it to 4d3. Note that if you crit your martial arts roll and miss your fist roll, you just look flashy without doing damage. If you crit the martial arts roll and fumble your fist roll, you look flashy but still draw from the dreaded fumble deck. You might end up doing a critical martial arts strike to your buddy's face.
Fumble: You draw from the dread fumble deck.
Note that during combat, there is no need to display superior math skills and tell the GM "I hit by 20!" It does no good. It is simply hit, miss, critical or fumble.
When rolling to hit and damage, speed is the key. If people have to wait for you to figure out if you hit and if so how much damage you did, you are ruining the game for everyone by slowing down combat.
When people are talking and doing the planning that hopefully preceeds combat - THAT may be the time to be slow and thoughful.
NOTE - THERE SHOULD BE OTHER STUFF IN THIS TIRADE BUT NOT SURE WHAT.
AND 