Graham Robinson wrote:
> I've not seen this in practice, but it is possible. I'm seeing
characters bordering on W3, but then my players won't put up
anything unrelated. Even that I find a bit worrying. The game is
getting to the high end of where I'm comfortable running, and it
feels like it has only just started.
I'm sure you know a lot of these Graham, but as a general aid to
people, here are some tricks I am picking up running PCs with higher
skills than joe clan average (caveat: I've only recently started to
face the W2 level). A lot of these apply to players taking on tougher
NPCs too.
- Multiple attackers. Don't group the opponents. Those cumalitive -3
modifiers sure add up. Make sure the guys in front, without a good
penalty, bid low, defending while their buddies inflict the damage,
so it makes it harder to power up on transfers from them. The guys in
the back probably want to big bid, going for the backstab, before our
hero is standing knee deep in you. Protected by followers from the
multiple attackers rule? Ambush them when they are not.
- If you can, start the contest so that you force them to defend
with one of those other skills. Off the top of my head example: if I
use a terror attack to scare you - you are going to be defending with
your brave, not your close combat.
- Put them in situations where they can see the virtues of having
put up other skills. Darkness is a good one (see The Rising Dark) -
Close Combat no better than your Acute Hearing -3.
- Be Gloranthan. If someone is tough then his opponents power up
with ritual magic beforehand, so they can stand toe-to-toe with them.
This works for players too by the way. One way to use this is too add
a time factor to episodes. The longer it takes you to get through
obstacles A-D the more power ups your opponent will have readied by E.
- Interaction level. One thing we follow is this: as your abiliites
rise, so does your position within the community and the kind of
enemies you generate. There are enemy hero bands out there too,
powering up for the Hero Wars.
Anybody else got any to share?
Ian Cooper