On Nov 20, 2003, at 9:01 AM, Dougie wrote:
> What I would really have appreciated (not only
> in HQ but HW and published, web or otherwise)
> mateial is advice from scenario writers on
> whether _they_ concieved of a particular scene
> as a simple contest or an extended one. I know
> that when to use each type of contest is a
> personal taste type thing but I would have liked
> some suggestions - paticuly in the main HQ
> rulebook which is supposed to help...
>
> frex - in the first scenario in the book (er..
> rackiing brain to remeber its name) did the
> authers ( Dave Camo and Mark G if I remember
> aright) envisage the Gagarthi ambush as an
> extended conthest or the scene at the rival
> cheifs hall at the end, or both (bearing in mind
> lots of advice on this list and in the book
> about not overdoing extended contests).
"High Pressure Front" - When I first submitted the scenario (which, in a situation similar to Bryan, Mark made *so* much better. I hardly recognized the final version!), I'd really hoped the name would get changed to a better one :-)
When I originally wrote and ran the scenario, the traps leading up to the actual fight (the storm & the pit trap) were ran as simple contests while the rest was run as an extended. That being said, I can easily see it being run as 3 simple contests in succession or an extended contest where the first two rounds involve the traps. The idea behind the way I ran it was that the traps would weaken the heroes before the Gagarthi struck. Originally, there was also a simple contest after the pit of the Gagarthi throwing spears but I think Mark was right to basically rework it so it reads more like the first round of an extended contest.
For the meeting at Engthor's hall, that was intended to be the climax of the scenario and in that sense an extended contest. But really, it depends on the players. Some are few words and all action and so probably wouldn't react well to a debating extended contest while others thrive on that kind of stuff.
Camo
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