Mark -
thanks, that's good advice and makes sense both in terms of rules &
believability.
just to make sure i understand this right, instead of
Mass Combat 17 (Uz Gang, Insect Cavalry)
Mahout Mob 2W
on my sheet, i get
Mass Combat 17 (Uz Gang, Mahout Mob Insect Cavalry 2W)
instead, and start a contest with 39AP?
and in a simple contest the 2W Mob can augment my Mass Combat?
cheers
guy
> 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