Re: How to deal with an Uz mob

From: theunspokenword <hia15_at_...>
Date: Fri, 03 May 2002 14:40:26 -0000


Hi Guy,

I certainly feel that in most cases the hero is far more important than his grunt followers (especially appropriate a term for an uz band!), just as HW de-emphasises the weapon used compared with the abilities of the wielder.

Personally, I'd agree with the notion of abstracting this as a relationship with a single, multi-member 'follower': say, Command Mahout Mob 17 (Mahout Mob insect cavalry 2w). OK, in a direct combat, then your unit only seems to give you 22 AP in this example, but I would interpret this as in real hero-vs-hero stuff. In the films, grunts may throw the odd spear or toss you a new weapon when yours breaks, but basically they are out of shot while the camera lingers on you and your foe. In Mass Combat, you'd use their and your AP together. Of course, I see no harm in allowing you to order your troops to attach one foe (the scenes in the films where the hero is overwhelmed by a tidal wave of mooks?). Attempts to resist would face a multiple target penalty, at the very least. Indeed, a vicious Narrator could rule than in such cases a lone enemy without Mass Combat or some other directly relevant skill must resist with CC or the like at an improv penalty. So, Big Vingkotling might be able to tan your hide in single combat, pitting his Close Combat 5w against your 17, but instead you sic your boys onto him, and he is facing Mob 2w with his CC 19 (5w with a -6 penalty). That'll learn 'im!

Sure, 4 followers give you a lot more obvious and immediate support, but your mob is, I would say, more easy to expand. I'd rule that you can build up your mob with HP like a skill (ie, +1/HP), and success in battle, good PR, etc would get you directed HP reflecting the drift in of new warriors eager to follow such a noted leader as well as the increasing skill and cohesion of your troops. Indeed, I'd be prepared to see Wealth burned to boost this, too.

So, at the start your 4 followers give you a much greater boost. But, in the long run a successful leader will start building up a formidable mob. Like communal 'animal packs', this mob will ignore multiple target penalties. It can also augment in all sorts of ways, from boosting Intimidate (I tend not to argue with anyone who has a private army) even to Wealth (Macchiavelli said that gold will not always get you good soldiers, but good soldiers can always get you gold. Or lead, I suppose). When you turn your mob into a heroband, having 28 rather than 8 members will also be a bonus, even though most will be sub-heroic. And as supporters when you and your named henchuz go heroquesting. Numbers count in all sorts of ways but - and this is, I'd say, a definite feature of the game - not as the deciding matter in formal, 'heroic' combat.

Building up a mighty army is a long-term character goal, not an initial feature!

Hope this helps,

Mark

Mark Galeotti

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