Re: Costly victories

From: Neil Smith <neil_at_...>
Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2001 22:01:12 +0100


Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. All very useful. Some specific comments:

> From: "Tim Ellis" <tim_at_...>
>
> The "Ambush" attacks could go all out to cause wounds rather than
> reduce AP's - each wound is a -1 on subsequent actions - All you need
> to do is ensure they aren't able to heal all their wounds between
> contests!

Great, except that I could see lots of healing going on after each annoyance attack. Perhaps -ive modifers due to interrupted sleep could be used.

He goes on to write:

> Treat each ambush as a "Group Simple Contest" - Players vs Trollkin
>

This is quite a good idea.

> If you want to make the Trollkin tougher in these contests without
> necessarily makijng them ridiculously tough if/when they are fought in
> the final battle then you could always make the contest between the
> pc's assorted combat rolls and the Troll Leaders "Ambush" or "Tactics"
> rather than the Trollkins Attack skills. - This represents that their
> roll is intended to wear the PC's down by attrition rather than take
> them out in a straight fight
>

This is an excellent idea, and I can even fool the players into using their own 'Tactics' abilities, because they _think_ they're trying to guess where the trollkin are.

> From: giangero_at_...
>
> In your example, Trolls are not trying to win but are trying to
> exhauste humans. So they are _not defeated_, probably, in their hit-
> and run tactics. Maybe the humans think to defeat them because they
> go, but given their real purpose they should not, frex, be opposed by
> ranged-combat but by endurance-though-stamina or similar abilities.
>

This is the ideal situation, but I'd like the _players_ to be as unaware of the troll's tactics as the _heroes_ are. As soon as I ask for Endurance ability checks, instead of Combat rolls, the players will know there's something fishy going on.

Of course, if the players can firewall this information totally, then this would be the best solution.

Thanks again to all: if I haven't commented on your suggestion, it's because it was too wonderful to warrant it.

Neil.



Glorantha / Hero Wars:
http://home.freeuk.net/wimp/roleplaying/index.html

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