[Agon] Minor Foes -- finding the combat sweet spot

[Ben Robbins]

I think Agon needs a middle range of adversaries, something between minions and full NPCs.

Minions can go down very quickly (as they should) but with six wound boxes a full NPC can take a long time. As others have also pointed out, if you run a fight with multiple enemies you are in for a long battle. The game slows _way_ down. It seems difficult to hit that sweet spot of a medium length battle with multiple enemies that is interesting but doesn't drag on.

I haven't tinkered with this much yet, but I'm thinking along the lines of a normal NPC except:

- only three wound boxes (-1 next roll, -1 all rolls, defeated)
- only three divine favor (which could be raised as usual)

The wound boxes are low enough that a hero _could_ one-shot a minor foe (rolling 8 above the defense roll) but it's not as much of a gimme as a minion. It would be a short fight, but there would be some give and take.

The strife cost would be the same as a normal NPC (just as making a minion costs the same as making a full NPC). Since there are fewer wound boxes to fill the heroes will score less Glory for the win so I think it balances. You could just create each additional minor NPC for full Strife cost, or you could add in a "replication" option like with minions -- say half cost for each duplicate after the first, something like that.

I'll probably give this a try in the next game or so. Any initial thoughts?

[John Harper]

Sounds good to me, Ben. Definitely worth trying out.

[Mel White]

I like it. I think I'll borrow this idea as well!
Mel