Wulf
> Personally I will always use Ranks, it seems inconceivable to me that
> unarmed combat does no more damage/AP loss than a poleax...
It's not always damage -- after all, the unarmed guy doesn't have to haul around a heavy sword and shield, he can feint and make you work and tire yourself out.
James
> This is a common combat situation in past games of mine, how do I handle
> this in HW?
>
> Players get charged by enemy.
> Combat starts with players throwing a javelin (or firing a ruddy great
> crossbow).
> Enemies close for hack'n'slash.
>
> Usually there is only one 'round' of missile combat before the close combat.
The basic intent here (fight) suggests a single contest.
We usually have the missile guys start an extended contest with their missiles, and then *if* they get into hand-to-hand, reset their AP totals to their Close Combat. (This was a rule in earlier drafts. The intent was that running out of missile AP because you dropped your bow shouldn't affect your ability to fight in a melee.)
Also, the situation is usually different, in that the players are being harassed by missile fire from people who have no intent of closing. Having a high Close Combat ability shouldn't help the archers shoot longer.
Our overall conclusion: contests involving lots and lots of archery are as boring in HW as they are in RuneQuest, and should be avoided if possible.
David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_...>
Glorantha/HW/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html>
Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein
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