simple contest

From: Bruce Ferrie <bruce_at_...>
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 12:07:22 +0100

On Wednesday, October 24, 2001 4:25 AM, David Dunham [SMTP:david_at_...] wrote:
>
> > The simple contest rules are not intended for combat!
>
> Even though in the games I run I wouldn't use them that way, I
> disagree. They are very much for combat IF the combat is not
> dramatically important. In most people's games (and most movies),
> combat is important enough to devote "screen time" to.
>
> But even in some movies, combat is a simple contest. There's a scene
> in _Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter_ where he draws his sword and
> kills someone. One action, too fast to even see. The purpose of the
> scene is to establish that Captain Kronos is a cool dude, not to show
> an exciting fight.

Now that I have a PC in my game with 2 masteries in Close Combat, I never run combats against "generic goons" as extended contests. It's pointless, as they just turn into APs for the hero.

Mostly I just say "you win" (okay, I make the description more exciting than that...), but if I *do* use a Simple Contest for this, I usually hand-wave and assume that any Victory by the PC puts the goon out of action. I don't care whether they're dazed, dead, scared, confused or whatever. They're just not part of the plot any more. Then I can get onto the dramatic Extended Contest of <whatever> against the main villain.

To take another movie example - does anyone care *exactly* how badly injured each one of the dozens of stormtroopers who are blasted in the Star Wars trilogy is? All we need to know is that they're not going to be shooting back at the heroes. Conversely, when Luke fights Darth Vader, it's all shown in loving detail. Because he's more important to the plot.

Regards,

Bruce