[Agon] Multiple Question

[Rinello]

Hi everyone!

When I use javelins, can I make a double attack? I think that if I just use Javelin for the current exchange I can throw one with my right hand and one with my left hand (since I never run out of ammo) .. am I wrong? Can you make and example please?

Can I increase Weapon Dice Size for minions?

Let's say that I create a Minion. A pack of Wolves.
I spend 8 Strife for the first, then, since I want 10 minions, I spend 9 more. Right?
Then I want to create something different: Grey Wolves, with Ambush instead of Extra Offense power of the regular ones, because I want a fight with 10 aggressive Wolves and 6 ambushers, just to make it more complex. I'll spend 8 + 5 strife since this is a "new minion" ?
Am I correct if I say that you pay Highest Hero Name Die Size +2 MAX for the FIRST minion (the Original, the Blueprint) then you can copy it for 1? 

Page 88: you say that GodS descend from Olympus, and that after the GodS have spoken, I should reveal the quest.
This implys that I must reveal 3 QUESTS togather? I prefer to reveal a quest, then put every other quest consequential (and everyone goes: yeah! oh S**t! and so on..) Is this correct?

Secondary objectives are declared by Antagonist. Also the number of Secondary Objectives is made by the Antagonist.
Is this exploitable? I mean, if I want A LOT of strife, I can just add 1 little/silly secondary objective, or add a Secondary Objective that was merged into another one, and have 20 STRIFE! (with 4 heroes) ZOMG!
I'm not saying this is "imba" or something, just asking what's your opinion about this.

Thank you John for this FUN game,
you make our Tuesdays EPIC!

Andrew-

[Mel White]

Hi Andrew,
Let me take a stab at some of these questions. 

When I use javelins, can I make a double attack? I think that if I just use Javelin for the current exchange I can throw one with my right hand and one with my left hand (since I never run out of ammo) .. am I wrong? Can you make and example please?

I believe you can make a double attack with the javelin.  I don't have the book handy, but I think any character with a second weapon in his left hand can make a 'left-handed' attack at a -2 penalty to the roll.     

Can I increase Weapon Dice Size for minions?

On this one I don't think so.  You can buy Offense dice (d8s)  from the powers listing to increase the chance for a higher attack roll but I think each weapon's dice are fixed. 

Let's say that I create a Minion. A pack of Wolves.
I spend 8 Strife for the first, then, since I want 10 minions, I spend 9 more. Right?

Right.

Then I want to create something different: Grey Wolves, with Ambush instead of Extra Offense power of the regular ones, because I want a fight with 10 aggressive Wolves and 6 ambushers, just to make it more complex. I'll spend 8 + 5 strife since this is a "new minion" ?

Right

Am I correct if I say that you pay Highest Hero Name Die Size +2 MAX for the FIRST minion (the Original, the Blueprint) then you can copy it for 1? 

Copies of the original minion definitely cost 1 strife.  The limit for the original minion is 1/2 of the strife limit for a single NPC--which works out to the same formula you're using, I just never thought of it that way.  Math is not my first language! 

Page 88: you say that GodS descend from Olympus, and that after the GodS have spoken, I should reveal the quest.
This implys that I must reveal 3 QUESTS togather? I prefer to reveal a quest, then put every other quest consequential (and everyone goes: yeah! oh S**t! and so on..) Is this correct?

I think it's fine to reveal one quest at a time.  At his website Ars Ludi [http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/101/advanced-agon-deeper-quests/]  (and here at the Forge) Ben Robbins talks about other ways to introduce quests to the heroes.  Mix and match, I say!

Secondary objectives are declared by Antagonist. Also the number of Secondary Objectives is made by the Antagonist.
Is this exploitable? I mean, if I want A LOT of strife, I can just add 1 little/silly secondary objective, or add a Secondary Objective that was merged into another one, and have 20 STRIFE! (with 4 heroes) ZOMG!
I'm not saying this is "imba" or something, just asking what's your opinion about this.

Well, if it feels 'bad' (wrong, not good, against the spirit of the rules or the group etc.,) then it probably is something the Antagonist shouldn't do.  I believe the rules talk in terms of 2-4 objectives per quest, but I could also see recreating the labors of Hecules as ten simple contests, or the voyage of Odysseus as a lengthy series of bigger and smaller contests and fights. 

Mel

[Rinello]

first of all, thanks.

About amount of strife.. The Book says "3-9 secondary objectives are fine" but I think that if a quest has more than 6, you should split that in half, or merge some objectives into a bigger one, maybe one that shares location, NPC or items (like: "take the Cornucopia, whippin' every satyr's ass while we chew bubblegum") or maybe... The Quest is so complicated, that understanding it is a Quest itself.

I personally like focused quests, so we can fluff a little more.
Plus I noticed that if a quest is too long, heroes just forget to MOVE ON and coplete it, they just settle down and relax (game experience goes watered).
4, 5 MAX secondary objectives for a long quest should, imho, provide 4 sessions of very good gameplay, rich, epic and FUN.
(if you play for 3 hours per session)

[Mel White]

Andrew,
I usually run Agon with ambiguous or uncertain quests--rather than having a god demand a certain mission, the heroes encounter a situation that must be resolved.  Only later do they learn how and why the gods are involved.  So I think whatever way you want to run the quests in terms of number of objectives and things like that is fine. 
I'm also going to check on the weapon damage question.  My initial thought was that weapon damage couldn't change, but I have a vague recollection of building an NPC with 2d8 for sword.  So either I decided to increase the weapon damage despite the rules, or there is some provision to do so. 
Mel 

[Mel White]

When I use javelins, can I make a double attack? I think that if I just use Javelin for the current exchange I can throw one with my right hand and one with my left hand (since I never run out of ammo) .. am I wrong? Can you make and example please?

Can I increase Weapon Dice Size for minions?

I've checked my answers and I was wrong about weapon dice.  You can increase them for NPCs.  See the Boar example on page 93, 2 strife are spent to raise Javelins two die sizes (from d6+1 to d10+1).

And thinking about the left-handed attack with the javelin, technically, the character would probably have had to start the round with a javelin die in both hands in order to attack with both the left and right hands.  But I would be willing to overlook that requirement as long as the character did not have some other weapon in the left hand and took the -2 penalty.  The player could even describe the attacks as both coming from the right hand--just 'reloading' quickly--if she liked that mental picture better. 

Mel

[Mel White]

I've checked my answers and I was wrong about weapon dice.  You can increase them for NPCs.  See the Boar example on page 93, 2 strife are spent to raise Javelins two die sizes (from d6+1 to d10+1).

But you're asking about minions, dangnabbit!  Umm...I don't know.  Reason says if you pay strife for it then anything is possible.  But minions shouldn't be too tough, and get their gang-up bonus anyway, as long as they are grouped, so big weapon dice plus the gang up bonus may be unbalancing.  I think the key wording is on page 96 "Minions wield weapons in combat just like a normal character."  To me, that means minions can not increase weapon dice size. 
Mel