Re: My take on Ranged Combat

From: Michael Schwartz <mschwartz_at_...>
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 00 14:12:53 -0400


Stef Mathers wrote:

>I reckon that no character takes anything other minor
>shrug-offable wounds until they get to -ve APs

Except when a character opts to trade a 7 AP loss by his opponent for a -1 wound penalty, as in my example. The main reasons I created the rules from my example were to add to the drama and uncertainty of closing on an enemy with Ranged Combat skill, to allow archers a bit more flexibility in group contests, and to reinforce the tactical predispositions of the various cultures. It also is meant to instill a sense of caution in the player, as even a hero might be brought low by rushing into missile fire.

I could just as easily have ruled that Kallai spends 5 AP and closes on Subotai, but that is a lot less dramatic and a lot less realistic as well. I also could have utilized an abstract range system like that of TSR's SAGA SYSTEM, with Kallai beginning at Far Missile range and having to close two "range bands" to Melee range. That is also a lot less dramatic, and the contest becomes one of Maneuver abilities rather than whether Kallai's fortune holds out as he rushes headlong into Subotai's rain of bowfire.

Just because they are heroes doesn't mean they are indestructible. Beginning characters may aspire to the heroism of a Harrek or Jar-Eel, but it takes a lot of Mastery to walk through missile fire unscathed.



Michael Schwartz mschwartz_at_... Ann Arbor, MI USA

Powered by hypermail