[RPG] Abstract Combat Example: Lammasu v. Hill Giant-

Lammasu v. Hill Giant-

I'm going to run this without the Condition Penalties, merely tracking the cumulative DP loss.
--In a future post I'll throw in the bells and whistles.

Lammasu 7+7 = 9
Hill Giant 8 + 1-2 = 8

The Lammasu has already depleted its combat-capable spells for the day, and the Hill Giant's five Dire Wolves have been slain prior to this fight.

FIRST SEQUENCE-

The Lammasu rolls his 9 Fight Dice: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 | 2 | 4, 4 | 6
The Hill Giant rolls his 8 Fight Dice: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4, 4 | 5, 5 | 6

Their highest Result Totals are:
* Lammasu: (4 + 4) 8
* Hill Giant: (5 + 5) 10
--The Lamassu loses by 2 points and this still places it in Condition 6: Fit

Their next highest Result Totals:
* Lammasu: 6
* Hill Giant: (4 + 4) 8
--The Lamassu again loses by 2 points, and this is still C6: Fit

Next Highest RTs:
* Lammasu: (1, 1, 1, 1, 1) 5
* Hill Giant: 6
--The Lammasu loses by 1. We'll say, just for variety, that this is enough to from him to C5: Able

Next RTs:
* Lammasu: 2
* Hill Giant: 3
--Lammasu loses by 1 point, still C5: Able

Next RTs:
* Lammasu: 0
* Hill Giant: 2
--Lammasu loses by 2 points again, knocking him down to C4: Pained

SECOND SEQUENCE-

Both opponents are still up in the fight, and so both refresh their FD pools.

The Lammasu decides to pull 1FD from his pool to keep in Contingency to block an unchallenged Effect.
--The Hill Giant taunts the lawful creature and sees no need to hedge his bets, going all-in.

The Lammasu rolls his 8 Fight Dice: 2, 2, 2 | 5 | 6, 6, 6, 6
The Hill Giant rolls his 8 Fight Dice: 1 | 2 | 3, 3 | 4, 4 | 5, 5

This Sequence's Highest RTs:
* Lammasu: (6, 6, 6, 6) 24
* Hill Giant: (5, 5) 10
--The Hill Giant is surprised by the ferocious paw attacks his bloodied foe has delivered, losing by 14 points, dropping him directly to Condition 2: Heavy Bleeding

Next Highest RTs:
* Lammasu: (2, 2, 2) 6
* Hill Giant: (4, 4) 8
--This would normally be a loss by the Lammasu of 2 DPs, but he expends his one Contingency Die to entirely negate the 2 points, suffering no damage this exchange.

Next Highest RTs:
* Lammasu: 5
* Hill Giant: (3, 3) 6
--The already injured, but still very capable Lammasu takes another DP difference, still Pained.

Next Highest RTs:
* Lammasu: 0
* Hill Giant: 2
--The Lammasu drops to Bleeding

Next Highest:
* Lammasu: 0
* Hill Giant: 1
--Lammasu still Bleeding

SEQUENCE THREE-

Keenly aware of how things could go wrong again, as well as how close to death his foe is, the Lammasu makes the daring decision to put 2FD in Contingency.
--The Hill Giant amazingly rolls well enough to realise how close he is to losing, and saves 1FD in Contingency.

The Lammasu rolls his 7 Fight Dice: 1, 1 | 2, 2 | 4 | 5 | 6
The Hill Giant rolls his 7 Fight Dice: 2 | 3 | 4, 4, 4 | 5 | 6

This Sequence's Highest RTs:
* Lammasu: 6
* Hill Giant: 12
--The Lammasu cashes-in one Contingency Die to negate the 6 DP difference he would have suffered.

Next Highest:
* Lammasu: 5
* Hill Giant: 6
--The Lammasu decides to risk the 1 DP difference, and drops to Heavy Bleeding.

Next Highest RTs:
* Lammasu: 4
* Hill Giant: 5
--The Lammasu sucks up the 1 DP difference, still Heavy Bleeding

Next RTs:
* Lammasu: (2, 2) 4
* Hill Giant: 3
--The Hill Giant rolls to see if he is smart enough to use his Contingency Die and fails to use it, suffering 1 DP and on the cusp of Unconsciousness.

Next RTs:
* Lammasu: (1, 1) 2
* Hill Giant: 2
= 0 Draw

SEQUENCE FOUR-

The Lammasu holds 1FD in Contingency.
--The Hill Giant goes all-in.

The Lammasu rolls his 8 Fight Dice: 1 | 2 | 4, 4 | 5, 5 | 6, 6
The Hill Giant rolls his 8 Fight Dice: 2, 2 | 3 | 4, 4 | 6, 6, 6

Sequence Highest RTs:
* Lammasu: 12
* Hill Giant: 18
--The Lammasu uses his 1 Contingency Die to negate the 6 DP difference.

Next:
* Lammasu: (5, 5) 10
* Hill Giant: (4, 4) 8
--The Hill Giant loses by 2 DP, going Unconscious. With No Contingency Dice, he cannot effect wakefullness and is helpless.

Next:
* The extremely Lawful Lammasu does not dispatch his foe, but does use his remaining heal spells to heal himself, and moves off just far enough and waits the rest of the day and night for the hyenas, jackals, and vultures to finish-off his opponent before flying away to nurse his remaining injuries, thanking the forces of Law for his victory.

[RPG] Optional Abstract ('Indie') Combat-

Copyright (c) 2010 Kyrinn S. Eis

ABSTRACT COMBAT-

:: This is a purely optional, 'Indie', method of resolving combat that involves a higher degree of Player Skill than the traditional 'Strike and Effect' tactical method standard to most RPGs (including UWoM).


Fight Dice & The Quality Roll-

At the start of any conflict (the beginning of a Fight Sequence), regardless of sort (Psychic, Authority, Unarmed, Melee, Ranged, etc.), roll any Fight Dice your character possesses and wishes to use in the Fight, and pool them by Result (all 1's, all 2's, all 3's, etc.).

Compare your highest Result Total to that of your opponent.

:: Your opponent takes the difference in Effect, off of either Alertness (Some Psychic, all Authority, some Unarmed or Melee, and some Magic), or Performance (anything not listed under Alertness).
:: Any Fight Dice not used (Contingency Dice) by your opponent (or vice-versa) in the Fight can be expended (whole die) to entirely negate any Effect you may have won over them.
:: Once Penalties accrue, they are applied directly to the Results of rolled dice (not your Contingency dice held in reserve), sometimes eliminating your ability to Fight at all. These penalties affect all remaining Result Dice, so it is possible for a Condition Penalty to end a fight while the opponent is still conscious, for instance. The Fight has simply left them/you,. etc.

If you or your opponent are eliminated from the Fight (Condition One or Zed), make your Quality Roll (2d12).

:: On a White Result: No further action is possible, and your sequence ends.
:: On a Black Result: You are prevented from any action, but your sequence isn't yet complete.
:: Red (or better): Locus may be consumed to act on a 1:1 ratio.
:: Orange: Regain up to 1d -- You've still got a bit of Fight left in you after all
:: Yellow: Regain up to 2d
:: Green: Regain up to 3d
:: Blue: Regain up to 4d
:: Violet: Regain up to 5d, and one Locus point -- 'Fool! You thought you could defeat me?!'

If you are still active at the end of a Fight (even in lousy shape), you regain all of your Fight Dice and can/may enter another Fight Scene.

Any unused Contingency Dice may be used to recover one Condition Level, per die.
:: Saving even only one Fight Die may just save your character's life.

Update 19th, March-

This Week's Top 5 List of Stuff-

* Intro/Overview of the game, Die-Rolling Conventions, and the obligatory What is a RolePlaying Game?

* Putting the Fight in Fight Dice

* Duty, Glory, and Honour as the social-currency of the system (Playtest starts this session).

* M. Thomas' Aroshi critter write-up

* I am currently working on the South East section of the map of the Marnharnnan continent, as that is the section most applicable to my Playtest Campaign.


Tandoor lunch planned for the game. :)

[RPG][General] A brief aside, and More on Fight Dice-

With too few players available this past Friday, there was no game.
--Instead, after the SO got off work, we played Guillotine, which I greatly enjoy.

This morning, after breakfast, I had her roll up a Villains & Vigilantes character, and I then rolled one up for a silly, 'stop the super crooks' fighting scenario.
--I think she was more entertained by my character illustrations and the 'funny voices' than anything inherent about Powered individuals, anti-heroes or villains.
---The duo are the Frienemiests! -- Friend/Enemy Feminists:

* Danger Jane: 'Like the Punisher, but a chick.' -- her quote.
* Chequer: My Woman of Colour super-charisma, street-fighter with her own brand of energy-drink-soda. 'Chequer Cola, I love it!' -- With a Charisma 37 selling it, you'll love it too. ;)
---

Okay, that silliness aside, let's get back to Fight Dice that do the fighting.

I'm still too heavily invested in my 2d12 action mechanism to abandon it, but I've thought about rolling the Fight Dice alongside them, taking the highest roller of the FD to add to the 2d12s. This would make their inclusion of immediate value not only in the Strike, but also in the Damage, as every block of 5 greater than what necessary to Strike results in a Critical iteration:

1st +5: Maximum damage
2nd: Maximum + 1 rolled
3rd: Max. + 2x rolled
4th: Max. + 3x rolled
etc.

So, rolling a 5 or 6 on the highest Fight Die will generate a base-level Crit on an average roll of 13 versus a non-combatant-type (an unarmoured individual [AC10] in d&dish terms), and it only increases from there, with a rolled 30 (24 from the 2d12 + 6 from the highest d6 FD*) is looking like 17 over the non-combatant-type 'to-hit', resulting in Max. + 2x rolled damage. Ouch.

So, if I were to adopt this routine, multiple FD would nudge the Strike results ever closer toward Crits, without adding a lot of maths, as only the highest FD result would be added.
--I like this idea, as it plays with the positive probabilities without assuring high-FD creatures/characters vicious Strikes and Damage, meaning that a 0- or low-FD creature could still theoretically hold their own against a brute -- but not making this 'likely'.

Using this method would replace the FD# as a flat addition to Strikes, although Ability Score (and other) mods would still factor.

* = Shrimpy critters would be rolling d4s, Humanoids rolling d8's, and truly monstrous things would be rolling d10's or higher.

Thoughts?

[RPG] Musings on Fight Dice and 'Alternate-Alternate Combat Systems'-

'Like minds' and all that... ;)

I went to bed thinking of Brian Penn's surprise that Fight Dice didn't actually do the Fighting.
I woke up thinking that they very well could, and then:

* A Paladin in Citadel's blog
* Carl Nash's Other Blog
* Stuart Robertson's Robertson Games blog


Musing on What Fight Dice Could Actually Do-

What if Fight Dice (or Hit Dice) were instead actually rolled (akin to T&T), but with each die operating solo in comparison to another, opposed die from the opponent?


Let's start simply: 1d6 v. 1d6-

In a simple 'high-roll-wins' contest two 1FD combatants roll off:

OA: 3
OB: 5

Opponent B wins the contest and that die difference inflicts 2 DP (or HP). Ouch.


2FD Fight-

OC: 3, 4
OD: 1, 6

Opponent C wins two DP against opponent D, but D returns the favour.


Mismatch-

2FD v. 3FD:

OE: 2, 5
OF: 3, 3, 2

Opponent F inflicts a total of three (3) DP against E, but E inflicts 2 on F.


Getting Fancy-

If in the above mismatch, what if F's unopposed 2 could be used instead to block E's two DP reprisal?

Thoughts?

[RPG] Experience Points by Fight Dice/Special Ability-

(c) Copyright 2009 Kyrinn S. Eis All Rights Reserved

Determining Experience Points (XP)-

The meaning of an asterisk after the Fight Dice listing indicates a Special Ability, and adds a bonus once per *.

--Example: a creature with a Fight Dice of 2** is worth 105 XP.

For monsters with more than 19 Fight Dice, add 300 XP to the listed XP Value (2,325), and +20 XP per Special Ability for each additional Fight Die.

• FD |XP |Bonus

• 1-1|10 |5
  

• 01 |30 |10

• 02 |75 |15

• 03 |150 |20

• 04 |225 |25

• 05 |300 |30

• 06 |375 |35

• 07 |450 |40

• 08 |525 |45

• 09 |600 |50

• 10 |675 |60

• 11 |825 |70

• 12 |975 |80

• 13 |1,125 |90

• 14 |1,275 |105

• 15 |1,425 |120

• 16 |1,650 |135

• 17 |1,875 |150

• 18 |2,100 |165

• 19 |2,325 |180

Another Public Production Post-It Note-

* Spent part of yesterday creating a very quick, random creature generator table that tackles (so far) eight of the ten headings in my critter-data-block format, but need to finish that and polish it for the beta .pdf.

* The other part was refining the XP/Bonus dole-chart for said creatures based upon Fight Dice and Special Ability. That is complete.

* Today I hope to 'round the edges' of the character Pacing-Level XP chart from it current, 'pre-production' raw-median values from the source data it is derived.

* Also need to put effort into descriptions/notes for interior illos.