Combat

[coryblack_666]

I STILL don't have the book, and i don't got the money to get it right now either.  I was wondering about some combat stuff.

When i played with some of my friends we just exchanged blows, we used the red and white dice and reflex for who went first and stuff, but we never played where you were circling eachother or standing on tables, and moving around like that.  Could someone show me a good example of a good fight like this?

[Brian Leybourne]

That kind of stuff is mostly roleplayed out through description rather than really hard and fast rules. In general, the attacker moves forward and the defender moves backward or circles. Jumping up on tables would involve a terrain roll to succeed (but then gives a height advantage and alters available targets for both parties, perhaps), and so on.

In fact, the terrain roll is kind of the catch-all for combat maneuvers. Want to force your opponent back toward the blazing fireplace? Probably a terrain roll. Want to maneuver so your two opponents foul each other? Definately a terrain roll. Want to... well, you get the idea.

Brian.

[coryblack_666]

oh ok, that makes sense, thanks.

[Russell Hoyle]

while we're talking about Terrain Rolls....

Is anyone actually able to explain how they are used, in-game?

I mean, is the TN set by that chartin the book? If so, which line does one use, for example when trying to cause 2 opponents to foul eachother, or when you're trying to use, say, some trees to duck behind...?

And is it the case that the player spends dice from his dice pool to generate successes that his opponent(s) must overcome to be successful in avoiding the consequences of the terrain roll?

How are the results of the successful terrain roll applied?

Apologies if this is in the book or on the forge, but I havent been able to find it!

Cheers
Rusty

[Brian Leybourne]

Uh, OK, I'll jump in. Guess that's kind of why I'm here. :-)

while we're talking about Terrain Rolls....

I mean, is the TN set by that chartin the book? If so, which line does one use, for example when trying to cause 2 opponents to foul eachother, or when you're trying to use, say, some trees to duck behind...?

Well, a lot of the time it comes down to GM fiat, to be honest. However, the chart in the book (which I don't have in front of me, sorry) does list most of the common Terrian roll TN's. If you're trying to maneuver during combat on a slippery wall, it's on that chart. If you're trying to avoid fighting more than one guy at a time, it's also on the chart depending on how fast you're running around (what it doesn't say, and what I usually apply at that point, is that running about in combat increases fatigue more quickly). And so on. Jumping behind a tree might also be covered by a terrain roll, or the GM might rule that it constitutes a full evade.

And is it the case that the player spends dice from his dice pool to generate successes that his opponent(s) must overcome to be successful in avoiding the consequences of the terrain roll?

How are the results of the successful terrain roll applied?

That's correct. Lets say I'm fighting 3 guys and I'm sprinting around so that they get in each others way and (hopefully) only one will be able to face me each round.

I don't have the book to hand for the TN, but it's in there on page 50-something. Lets say it's 7. I now take as many dice from my CP as I like and roll against the TN of 7. I only need one success (but see below) to succeed in any terrain roll (unless it's opposed), so I choose how sure of that success I want to be: The fewer dice I use the better my CP is for the actual round, but the lower my chance of terrain roll success.

However, the complication when avoiding foes like this is that there's nothing stopping them from trying to outmaneuver my outmaneuver (opposed terrain rolls). In this case they would need to make terrain rolls of their own, and get more successes than me. Each one that gets more successes than me isn't fooled by my silly knees-bent running-about advancing behaviour and can attack me normally. As Seneschal I usually rule that if no opponents beat the characters terrain roll, the character gets to choose which one he fights; if one beats the character, that's the one the character has to fight; if two beat the character, he has to fight both of them; and so on (three being the maximum number you can face unless they're pack animals such as dogs or wolves, in which case it's four).

Clear as mud? :-) Feel free to let fly with any further questions.

(Edit: Another cool use of Terrain rolls that I meant to mention is that opponents can use them when ganged up on by PC's, and also when they're hurt to STOP fighting. Lets say a PC is facing three guys. He's making terrain rolls to face only one per round and is doing well. Now one of the opponents is injured and wants to drop out of the fight. The PC, however, doesn't want to let the injured guy drop back and recover while he has to face a fresh guy, so now we have a three-way opposed terrain roll: The injured guy is rolling terrain to try to NOT be attacked and fall back. The PC is trying to make sure he gets to attack the injured guy and nobody else can attack him. The uninjured guys are making terrain rolls to try to attack the PC. It all gets very interesting.)

Brian.