Question about Simple Contests

From: sarah.newton5_at_... <sarah.newton_at_...>
Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2010 17:28:25 -0000


Hi everyone,

Just today I've got hold of the HQ2 rules and am reading through. I previously played Hero Wars and HQ1, but it's been a few years since I've run a game. I'm trying to understand the way Simple Contests are intended to work in HQ2.

Let's take a physical conflict. Abner the Assassin is trying to assassinate Bert the Burglar. Assuming this is a Simple Contest, how many "exchanges" do I run? Is it simply one roll for Abner (conflict goal: assassinate Bert)? If so, do I also define a goal for Bert (conflict goal: run away!) and derive a defense ability from that? So, we have Abner rolling to assassinate, and Bert rolling to run away. Is that it?

If so, what does it mean if Abner suffers a Major or Complete Defeat? I take it he's not injured, as Bert isn't fighting back - he's just running away.

OK; next example. A conflict between a warrior and a wizard. Simple contest. The goals are "Defeat the wizard with my weapons" and "Defeat the warrior with my magic".

Is this still a single exchange? Is there any sense of an "active ability" and a "resistance" here, or are we simply rolling a Weapons ability and a Magic ability, and assuming that the warrior is simultaneously attacking and defending against magic with his Weapons ability, and the wizard likewise with Magic? Or do we have *two* exchanges, one where the wizard has to use an *appropriate* ability to defend against Weapons (like Dodge), and the warrior likewise against Magic (like Magic Resistance).

I'm guessing in all cases a Simple Contest is just a single die roll; however, if two PCs were squaring up, like the Warrior and Wizard above, I'm interested what abilities they would use in that single die roll.

Hope that makes sense!

Cheers,

Sarah

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