Shock...

[Drew Stevens]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding how it's meant to work, or maybe the Quickstart rules don't explain it right, but Shock seemed to be Really Brutal, and Brawn seemed to make a character invulnerable.

Last night, myself and three friends created pure combat Hint at the Riddle characters- I had to virtually beg two of 'em, after they saw the Hit Location and Damage charts.  Things went fairly smoothly, and everyone was really happy with the system.

Two things stuck in my mind, however-

1) First hit wins.  Whoever got the first hit, due to the massive shock loss- it was tending to wipe out all of the character's remaining CP and a hair of their next one -would mean they couldn't defend themself from the finishing blow.  Which did encourage realistic combat (strikes at the legs were common to disable, then a headshot to kill), but it made the Pain and Blood loss seem somewhat pointless.

2) The High Brawn character (a Greatswordsman) was damn near invulnerable.  At one comical time, he and the Fencer were facing off.  Having already lost this fight before, the fencer threw down the red, fully knowing the Greatswordsman would too.  They both attack- the fencer's head lands a couple of yards away, while his own attack doesn't even do enough damage to hurt the unarmored Celt.  I mean, he rolled really badly (only one success on a thrust with a rapier, CP of 8), but even so...

[Valamir]

Rule number 1, don't get hit.

Rule number 2, especially don't get hit on the first exchange of the round.

Addendum to rules 1 & 2, especially especially by a Great Sword...ever.

Rule number 3, Initiative is your friend.  If you can't get it by throwing red, get it by winning defenses or out right purchase.

Rule number 4, If you get in trouble, full evasion is your friend.

[Drew Stevens]

*grin*

Rule 1 and 2 went into effect very quickly all on their own.  But whadya mean 'By outright purchase'?

[Valamir]

That's probably not an option in the quickstart rules.  Its presentation is fairly confusing in the full rules but basically its an option where you can try to take initiative by burning CP.

[Stephen]

*grin*

Rule 1 and 2 went into effect very quickly all on their own.  But whadya mean 'By outright purchase'?

You can buy initiative through the following procedure (this is from the QS rules, and it's a little different in the main book but not too much so):

1)  Spend CP dice equal to your opponent's Wits.

2)  Roll a Contest of your Presence vs. your opponent's Wits; the TN for each is the other's Coordination.  The one who gets more successes strikes first.

Given that fencers usually have higher Wits and Presence than Greatswordsmen, this often allows you to slip your blade in first.

Then, of course, there's the historical reality of it: there was a reason fencers didn't go up against greatswordsmen, which was that unless the greatswordsman was really incompetent and the fencer was really good (which seems to describe the duel in the end of Rob Roy, for example), the heavier weapon and the stronger fighter tended to carry the day.  The best way to deal with a greatswordsman is with arrows from a safe distance.

[Drew Stevens]

Or a Pikeman.  The Greatswordsman really didn't like trying to get through that sharp pokey thing of poking, and the Pikeman would just break off combat when he got close.  They tended to run about 2 to 1.

Also, mindless combat was enough fun to suck away about two hours of time.  I fear the full version of the game, being run as a campaign- I might cease existing.  That, and one of my friends and I are probally gonna have a fencing match (with actual foils and the like :) to see who gets to run it. ;)

[Mike Holmes]

To finish up Ralph's list:

Rule number 5, don't get hit.

Rule number 7, if you do get hit, and are not dead, plead for your life like a crack whore who hasn't had a fix in 48 hours.

Rule number 8, don't get hit.

Rule number 9, if full evasion won't work, just run, and hope you're faster.

Rule number 10, don't get hit.

Rule number 11, if you want to be able to get hit, and still fight like nothing happened, play D&D.

Rule number 12, you guessed it.

Have you ever been injured badly? Think back to what that was like. Did you feel like you were ready to do anything at all? Only in some RPGs and action films is being hit squarely by a large object wielded by a primate something that you shrug off without consequence.

BTW, if you want "Cinematic" just narrate any zero level success, or even -1 misses, as serious blows that the character is just shrugging off. And remember that any blow that's stopped by TO can certainly be described as near fatal (if it weren't for the "heroic" nature of the combatant).

Mike

[Callan S.]

Or a Pikeman.  The Greatswordsman really didn't like trying to get through that sharp pokey thing of poking, and the Pikeman would just break off combat when he got close.  They tended to run about 2 to 1.

Also, mindless combat was enough fun to suck away about two hours of time.  I fear the full version of the game, being run as a campaign- I might cease existing.  That, and one of my friends and I are probally gonna have a fencing match (with actual foils and the like :) to see who gets to run it. ;)

Remember that even a kid with a knife is potentially lethal in TROS. So don't bother having opponents who are as good as the players, to use in fights...they don't need to be to present a threat. And the weaker they are, the quicker the combat goes. By the way, I think the quick start has limmits on starting attribute purchase, how high you can buy it. Did your players keep to this?

[Mike Holmes]

Remember that even a kid with a knife is potentially lethal in TROS

Or a stick for that matter. Right Ralph? Well, lethal to the pride, at least.  :-)

Mike

[Bankuei]

Hell, my character was trying not to kill people and snapped someone's neck by slamming a door in his face(hoping to stun him, not just closing the door, thank you)...

Chris

[Callan S.]

Hell, my character was trying not to kill people and snapped someone's neck by slamming a door in his face(hoping to stun him, not just closing the door, thank you)...

Chris

Let's not even talk about when he tried to become a hair dresser...

[Bankuei]

Actually I was playing a character that I modeled after Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven.  An ex-soldier who did something horribly bad, that he wouldn't talk about, but basically vowed to not kill people anymore(although he'd still happily break your leg...).

Some smarmy thug wants him to "step outside" and so he does.  And takes his staff and smacks the door, hoping to surprise the bastard and stun him, perhaps catch his leg or arm in the door.  

GM(Hi Clinton!) rules that he is, in fact, REALLY surprised, and can't even muster a dice in defense.  Apply damage as per club.  One dead thug later, my character is in shock over the fact that he killed someone who wasn't really a threat to him...

Chris

[Mike Holmes]

Hell, my character was trying not to kill people and snapped someone's neck by slamming a door in his face(hoping to stun him, not just closing the door, thank you)...

Reminds me of how a friend of mine once described Rolemaster. "The game where Barmaids accidentally kill fresh adventurers by backhanding them." Or something to that effect.

TROS is potentially lethal, but with more realistic probabilities.

Mike