Extended contests taking too long

From: ian_hammond_cooper <ian_hammond_cooper_at_...>
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2002 13:41:44 -0000

In hw-rules simon hibbs wrote:  

> Actualy that's not how the rules were designed. Robin was pretty
clear that he though people should make their bet, roll the dice to see who won, then describe what happened. He designed the Feng Shui rules the same way.

Not quite - the rules are fairly clear that you describe what you are attempting 'I wack the troll with my club' - but don't get too specific. Then you adjudicate the APs - let's say that is 14 AP - from that. Then you roll and interpret the results - "21 AP, good strike, you force him back, his weapon above his head parrying desperately; he's ready for the killing blow."

Remember AP are positional advantages not necessarily wounds.

If contests are taking too long try one of the following.

1. Use simple contests. If the combat is not dramatically important to the flow of the story then it is not an extended contest. I reckon that in a 4 hour session you want one or at most two extended contests. Think of a movie. The teaser, the midpoint and the finale are extended contests, everything else not. It takes a while to get used to handling combat with a simple contest, but it does work. I have run a session where the combats were simple contests, but the attempt to outwit the enemy with cunning was an extended contest and I think everyone wanted it that way (you can always ask).
2. Use bigger bids. In our games the narrator adjudicates the cost of the bid. The player has a stab, but if the action sounds very risky or not risky enough then you tell the player, who either changes the bid or the action. I have had players describe an attack that sounded so all or nothing I have simply said "Ok, but you will need to bid all of your APs. If you fail you will be on your behind and open for the killing blow"

I agree with Charles here. if you want blow-by-blow wounds, armor etc the use something else like Silhouette rather than shoe-horning it into HW.

One point that maybe ought to be considered is Benedict Adamson's house rule for (group) simple contests. When you have one actor with a number of helpers, we allow those helpers (and the primary) to augment the actor's ability before the contest. We then run the contest with the augmented ability level. It allows magic, strength, followers, and otherwise uninvolved characters etc. to affect the outcome.

Si of I had a warrior with Close Combat 4W, ands two followers with CC 16, they could augment me before the simple contest. Let's say I get +2 from each of them, and I am at +4. If another player had a healer she could describe that character as healing my wounds during the battle and get another chance to augment etc. Let's say she gives me +3. So now I have 4W +7 (from the augments) or 11W as my ability for the contest.

Ian Cooper