Re: Getting injured (etc) multiple times - cumulative wounds

From: Rob <robert_m_davis_at_...>
Date: Fri, 03 Nov 2006 13:19:13 -0000

>
> The other GM in our group tends to prefer serial contests - that
is, if
> you lose a contest, you take the penalty as a generic modifier to
> physical skills, and then - ding! - round two, as it were.
Penalties are
> therefore cumulative, because they pretty much have to be for
those
> particular house rules to make any sense. The players generally
prefer
> this to the method I use, which is pretty much the rulebook one.

Bizarre. I am not a fan of using serial simple contests for combat. I just don't think it works at all. Its against the spirit of the Heroquest rules I believe. I would much rather run an extended contest to be honest, if its crunch I want for that encounter, and just take the consequences.

I only use simple contests when there is at least a mastery advantage in favour of the players and the scene has minor dramatic value. But you know, I rarely ran a combat in Heroquest just for the sake of a combat. There was always some underlying dramatic reason - the final fight, a traitor revealed, or some such. Therefore for those combats an extended one was a natural choice. Each to their own I guess.

Of course if you recieve a minor defeat and hobble along and get into the next encounter then you will be running at the penaly for being hurt (-10% isn't it?)

Regards
Rob