RE: Re: simple contests

From: MCGINNESS, Stephen <mcginnesss_at_...>
Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 10:21:10 +0100

> That's not the only reason to use simple contests. You can have
> fairly crucial story points if the scene is not very long, or you
> can't reasonable describe an extended contest. For example, the
> heroes might try to unlock the back door of an inn. This may be
> crucial to their plans of sneaking in (and getting into the inn may
> be crucial for the story), but it's hard to describe ("I wiggle my
> lockpick a little bit, 7 AP" ???). And it's not worth much screen
> time because there are other ways into the inn, and picking a lock
> just isn't as exciting as shinnying up a drainspout.

I take your point, but if you really wanted the breaking and entering to be crucial to your story then surely you should use an extended contest. You might not want to focus on the lockpicking though. The contest would be the heroes vs the security of the house. In the past I have allocated the AP of the house security to the various aspects of the contest (like followers) which disappears as the AP did.

Approach (any watching skills of look-outs, or base 14) First security (e.g. locks, difficulty of lock) Second security (e.g. opening doors or windows without being seen or heard, skills of people within)
Gain target (i.e., get to where you want within the house, more awareness skills)
Exit safely (i.e. get back out, awareness skills then possibly climbing.)

The number of AP is going to be dependent on how challenging the Narrator wants to make it but assuming 50AP then the spread might be

6/14/4/20/6

It would then be easier to narrate the progress as the AP goes down and to decide on relevant skills etc.

Or you could make it a simple contest!! :-)

Obviously if the heroes fail, then dependent on the level of their failure they are faced with opponents in a whole new contest, either sleepy opponents with hastily donned armour and weapons, or well prepared defenders....