The Forge Archives

We're starting preliminary work on TFOB right now. Here's your chance to give a single post wish list of the things you do and don't want to see there, and why.

You can add additional items later, but you cannot comment on the wishlists of others.

Quote from: Jake NorwoodWe're starting preliminary work on TFOB right now. Here's your chance to give a single post wish list of the things you do and don't want to see there, and why.

You can add additional items later, but you cannot comment on the wishlists of others.

I'd like to see the real effects of the Tactics, Strategy and Leadership skills. I'm sure you've probably already got this on the list. I ask because my character is basically a former officer who's greatest strength is leading people in battle (well, that and Machiavellian politics, natch), and I'm not sure what those skills actually do. I'd love to have more details, especially for Strategy and Tactics.

hmmm

Mass Combat rules for marching armies and sieges, that ideally account for PC presence in some fashion (something along the lines of Pendragon)

Skirmish level resolution for your 7 PCs and the 50 villagers they are aiding agains the bandits.

A discussion on how to apply / alter the existing combat rules if you're a guy in the front line of a pole axe armed regiment rather than a 1 on 1 duel.

A chapter summarizing what you've learned about real fighting from the various manuals and how different manuals had different focii.  Games from Flashing Blades to 7th Sea have attempted to include the idea of "sword schools" I suspect, those applications aren't very close to reality.  What would REALLY distinguish 1 school from a rival across town in TROS terms besides the color of their tabards and name of their master?  Could there be school specific modifiers...like 1 school gets +3 dice to attack from an aggressive stance but only +1 to defend from a defensive stance due to the aggressive teachings of the master?  1 school that focuses heavily on counters gets to modify the random counter roll.  1 school has an activation cost for counters of 3 instead of 2, but gets 2 bonus dice on Full Evade?...that sort of thing...if it would be historical to invent such things.

A glossary of actual moves (like all of those German words you throw around) and what the move would look like in TROS terms.    i.e. "A powerful strike to area IV using at least half of the CP pool and employing the 1 die to increase damage by 1 rule."  Notes on when such a move is a good idea (what its used for) in reality, and when its effective in TROS terms.  This may include some advanced Stances.  Stance X is an aggressive stance that takes 2 Insight to learn from an appropriate school and gives +3 dice to red die cuts, but only +1 dice to red die beats, or binds...again if it would historical to map these out.  Clearly an "advanced" cool factor.

A description of what moves follow what moves well and what do not, possibly with penalty dice for launching a strike against an area following a strike against another area, when in reality such a move would be extremely difficult (but currently makes no difference).  Perhaps also some rules for discouraging attacks to the same area...something like sacrificing dice from the CP for guarenteed defense successes on a specific area...representing a combatant knowingly protecting his vulnerable legs.

Emphasize Europe.  Save the Asian stuff for a Riddle of Jade supplement.

Oh, and obviously rules for traps and poison...duh ;-)

Info on breakage of weapons and shields.  An option for a disarm attempt (if this isn't realistic for some reason, though, and the current way with counters is the most realistic solution, though, I understand).  Some thoughts on how weapons can be tailored specifically for a specific person and the benefits a custom weapon might provide, as well as the increased costs of obtaining such a weapon.  Same roughly for armor.

I'm pretty ignorant regarding real swordsmanship though, so if these ideas don't fit the TROS model I understand.  :)

possible more accurate rules for people running a more fantasy variety TROS, that answers things like:

how do you go about having 6 guys fight 1 large creature... stuff like that...


then again, maybe thats in OBAM

A list of counters with historical names or close to it. Things like "against oberhau's one can execute the Hangen counter- slash to zone 4 or the pressing the hands counter -slash to zone 3 automatically lower arms"

You could use more art straight from manuals like talhoffer for examples. Should be public domain.

Basically more and more detailed maneuvers would be great as would corrected stats and rules for armor.

I know most people are tired of charts.... but I would love to see more counters, not just for the heavier weapons, but also for rapiers. I don't mean just names and descriptions for counters, but also usable counters that don't result in a neligible damage.

Dueling protocols for different nations.

Also mass combat/ skirmish rules would be nice.

Chris' wish-list:

Abstraction is our friend:

One on one combat in TROS is somewhat abstracted with the Combat Pool.  Don't reinvent the wheel.  If you can find some way to utilize this mechanic on a larger scale, I will be a happy, happy man.

Armies are made of people! PEOPLE!:

As mentioned before, take into account fun stuff like morale(in general), and leadership in the sense of picking competant underlings, etc.  I've worked for almost 2 years in human resources...it makes all the difference.

"Fighting is part of the game, but not the WHOLE game"...

One on one fights don't eat up the whole session.  Please don't let mass combats do so either, otherwise I might as well grab Warhammer.  One viable option might be to scale the nature of mass combat, so that a single roll might determine the fate of a single squad in a skirmish, a single manuever in a battle, a whole battle, a week of manuevering and fighting, or a whole campaign.  Trollbabe and Hero Quest both do this, so you might want to look there.

Chris

Will post more later, but...

New wrestling rules!

yrs--
--Ben

Also, there is this old thread, possibly among many.

http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=2204&highlight=

Just to give people ideas of more to ask for.

yrs--
--Ben

Quote from: Ben LehmanWill post more later, but...

New wrestling rules!

yrs--
--Ben

Clarification:

What about the wrestling rules do you want to see changed?

Quote from: Jake Norwood
What about the wrestling rules do you want to see changed?

BL>  There is presently no way that a 130 pounder can outwrestle a 250 pounder in RoS rules.

This is not true.  I see this violated all the time.

Weight gives you an advantage in wrestling, but the advantage it gives you is not so dominant.

What I would really like is to see wrestling written up like the duelling system, with specialized maneuvers (choke, lock, submission hold, etc.) and everything...

yrs--
--Ben

I know I would like to see a detail description of weapons and especially armor. I had the hardest time trying to explain what pieces of armor cover what parts of the body/zones. I'd also like to see a greater variety of armor.

Quote from: MonkeyWrenchI know I would like to see a detail description of weapons and especially armor. I had the hardest time trying to explain what pieces of armor cover what parts of the body/zones. I'd also like to see a greater variety of armor.

YES, i second and third this one... more pictures... i dont care if they are just an appendix... but an accurate picture of what Jake plans on having for each weapon, and armor, would be a great benefit..

i can go looking for pictures all i want, but they might not be what jake had in mind... ya know?

I'd like to see

a)more variants on the counter maneuver. Defending yourself in such a fashion that you can immediately bring in a counterattack is, after all, a basic stake.

b)Perhaps a bit more sophistication on the unsophisticated act of bringing a solid object between yourself and the attack, i.e. shield use.