I'm very curious to see how people have played out fights using PTA. Mainly I'm interested in the narration leading up to a conflict roll, the aftermath, and how the group liked it.

I ask because I want to try PTA with a group, and one of the guys really likes games with combat. I'd like to see examples of cool fight scenes so I can throw in a cool fight scene. (It won't be cool fight scene for the sake of cool fight scene; I just know that this guy will really work for one, and that whatever series we come up with it won't be out of place in.)

I'm sensing a potential problem here. That is, are you experiencing some apprehension that the player won't buy into PTA because of how it handles "combat"?

Because the only way to answer a question about how to make a good fight scene in PTA is to answer how to make a good scene. The fight has to have stakes, etc. If you play by the rules, you'll get a "good" fight. At least in PTA terms.

Now whether or not that'll be good for your pal is completely a matter of whether or not he can get into the PTA mode of play. Which he probably can, BTW, it's not all that esoteric or anything. But if what "games with combat" means is games with a lot of mechanical combat detail or strategy, then obviously if that's what he's expecting then PTA will fail miserably. That's not what it's for.

In the short amount of PTA that I've played, there was one (well two sorta) fight, and it was very fun to play. But it was no different than setting up any of the other cool and fun scenes.

Mike

A nice way to add a little edge to action sequences in PtA is through different stakes for multiple protagonists. That makes for a nice variety of possible outcomes and makes the narration more interesting, since you have to fit the outcomes of the different single conflicts together into a big whole.

What you can do as well is describe a little fighting before you roll the dice, just for show. Of course Mike is right about PtA not providing any tactical options for combat.

- Frank