Blow-by-blow Combat because combat... isn't important?

[simon_hibbs]

That said, the GM may elect to increase the player's margin of ultimate victory if he nixes the narration of a player's action or makes a minor rival's task succeed; the coverse is also true. Moreover, the difference can be modified if the player does something exceptionally clever or stupid. This would be how the player can win in a combat that she should have "lost" by the numbers. (Example: Dori versus seven Evil Witches and a Monkey: she misses the treshold by a few points, and is slated to lose. She then activates the water sprinkler system, and all the Witches are destroyed; the threshold is recalculated such that she is owed a very major victory against the poor l'il monkey.

Personaly I don't like the idea of arbitrarily changing the results of a roll
unless the game mechanics allow for it, such as with fate/hero points. If you don't want a roll to determine the outcome, don't roll.

However your general points is spot on. You don't need combat mechanics for turning on a sprinkler. Likewise you can narrate what would in most systems be a series of rolls and counter rolls (I attack, she dodges; she attacks, I pull down a statue between us and jump up on to the staircase... etc) untill the general tactics and options of the opponents have been determined and make a roll (or draw cards, or whatever mechanic you use) that bears all that into account. If an opponent clearly outclasses your character, ythis will become apparent in the narration and you might get a chance to switch approaches or try to get a different kind of advantage before the situation is finaly resolved.

Not having blow-by-blow rolls doesn't mean the blow-by-blow mutual narration of the contest, and any clever tricks you come up with, aren't important. They are, and can still be factored into the final outcome.

One problem I sometimes see with fate/hero point mechanics is that if a typical combat takes half a dozen dice rolls, but a typical non-combat situation only takes one roll, the points are better spent in non-combat situations. You generaly get more bang for your buck. I think the solution is not to make non-combat situations more complex, but to have combat situations involve just as much narration and action as before, but fewer dice rolls (or whatever else you use).


Simon Hibbs

[Mike Holmes]

I think the solution is not to make non-combat situations more complex, but to have combat situations involve just as much narration and action as before, but fewer dice rolls (or whatever else you use).

Ever play this game called Hero Wars, by any chance, Simon? Just kidding! ;-)

Mike