Re: surprise

From: JEFFREY KYER <jeff.kyer_at_...>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 17:53:58 -0000

> On Thu, 30 Nov 2000, Gareth Martin wrote:
>
> >
> > I have just spent last night looking for rules for surprise and
ambushes
> > woihtout success. Are the y missing or am I just stoopid?
> >
>
> Definately not stupid - most of us have sat with the rule book going
"I'm
> sure it was in here somewhere..."

Yes. This is the case. I am not sure, but there might be some info on ambushes in the FAQ.

There IS a section on ambushes in Hound Tower, Scene 2 in which you sneak up on the poor doggy-guys. They can be brutal. If your opponent has no idea what's coming, their resistance is pitiful. Magic resistance is a mere 14 and against weaponsfire its often lower. I think there IS a mention in the regular rules about the target resistance of an unaware opponent (personally, but I put it at 6).

Just remember that ambush rules work both ways -- if your players want something really nasty, remember that you can inflict it right back on them.

to invoke an ambush, I usually use the 'Ambush' skill or stealth against the awareness of the target, modified (as always) by circumstance, magic and flow of play.  

>
> Can't think of any rules off the top of my head. However, there are
two
> obvious options.
>
> 1. The ambushers start a contest of their ambush/close combat/ranged
> combat (as they choose) ability against the opponents avoid
ambush/spot
> hidden/acute hearing, and you then switch to appropriate target
numbers
> after the first round. This will tend to reduce the number of APs
the
> ambushees have, as their avoid ambush skill is likely to be below
their
> combat skill.

Yep. Or you can just say that the first action of the victims is to "stand gaping" or "runaway like anime girls"  

> 2. Run a simple contest of ambush vs. avoid ambush/spot hidden/acute
> hearing/whatever. If the ambushers win the ambushees get a penalty
to
> their initial combat skill - maybe -3 for a marginal, -5 for a minor
and
> -8 for a major victory. Under this I'd be tempted to allow a
complete
> victory mean the loser is defeated before they can take any other
> action.
>
> I think I prefer the second option. Its outcomes should tend to
reflect
> the skill of the ambusher.
>

I agree, but trained troops or quick thinking victims will recover quickly.

Surprise is soemthing that happens in the mind of your opponent (basdly paraphrased Sun Tzu)

Hope this helps?

Jeff