<< ust to get some different viewpoints on how people would handle
this:
The party (5 people on horses) encounter a group of 20 Impala riders, a combat ensues in the form of the party trying to drive off the Impala, and the Impala trying to harrass the horse riders.>>
My own house rules for such an encounter would be (assuming I ran it as an extended contest) to run it as 5 Heroes vs one or two groups of impala, giving each group a bonus based on the number of members (similar to community support, but I made up my own table). [A group of twenty would give a +18 bonus, a group of 10 would give a +14 bonus, a group of 4 would give a +8bonus. (a group of 100 would give +30, a group of 2 +2]. I would either use Range as an AP bonus at 1AP per 5 yards to the party using range to their advantage (the impalas, javelin 20yrds range - +4AP each) or as an edge against short range abilities (^4).
So, for one big group of 20 identical Impala (ranged combat 20) starting the contest as one "entity" with ranged combat=18W with (38+4)*20 AP=840AP.
Or perhaps two groups: one tough group of five veterans(ranged combat 5W) starting the contest with 5W+8=13W ranged combat and (33+4)*5 AP= 185AP; one group of 15 young braves (ranged combat 17) starting the contest with 17+18=15W ranged combat and (35+4)*15 AP= 585AP
<< The Impalas want to skirmish, use javelins and remain at distance
till the party are weakened.>>
The impalas can use their riding ability against the Heroes to keep their distance. The Heroes are unlikely to have an ability to effectively resist the Impala "keep out of range" action. I would always have the impala inflict wounds rather than AP loss when using ranged combat to result in lots of pincushioned Heroes, ie that are weakened enogh that they can close for the kill.
Wearing my Glorantha-anorak I would note that javelin using impala would be unusual and that composite bows make them even more deadly.
Keith Nellist
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