Monday, September 17, 2012

Blow by blow

Another day away from the pc, so its 'compensate with D'undred blog' time.
My homebrew rules have always been blow-by-blow rather than DnDs abstraction of 6 seconds combat time.
This has always made sense to me- after all, the challenging cry of the DM is '(insert threatening dramatic event) what do you do?'. Just replying 'I attack the (insert monster/gazebo)' seemed like a non decision to me.
I set the players challenges and puzzles, they come up with creative ways to solve them. Combat is no different.
My players are given the freedom to invent combat moves in response to slower or matched initiative NPC actions. I say what the enemy appears to be doing- the player says how they plan to counter the move.



DM: Rogue! The first Gnoll reached you, swinging its foul, dung smeared, jagged shortsword at your belly.

John: I rush at him, breaking left at the last moment and stabbing my dagger into the meat of neck!

[roll]

DM: you do! Yet your blade bites deep into the Gnolls shoulder as you rush past, tearing at the muscle! Free blow.

John: I drop down into a squat letting my full body weight tear the dagger downwards!

DM: Ouch. Bonus ten. Roll em

[rolls]

John: oh crap.

DM: the gnoll spins sharply, levering your blade out of your grip. It remains embedded in its thick muscle!

John: nuts.

DM: Callista, the female Bugbear charges at you, before you can react she....

[rolls]

....Shoulder smashes into you, lifting you up and slamming you against the wall.

Jane: so I am in the air?

DM: yes, pressed against the stone wall, feet off the ground by about two foot.

Jane: bitch! I ram my magic wand into her eye.

[rolls]

DM: ...gouging into her cheek, but causing her to wince. Free blow.

Jane: I grab the fur on her cheek with one hand to keep her face still and repeatedly stab at her eyes.

[rolls]

DM: The bugbear growls and pushes you upwards with both arms. Your back scrapes against the rough hewn wall. Your face comes within inches of a sharp stalactite.

Jane: aiiiieeee!!!!

DM: Mungor the Dwarf?

Bill: "Drop that Wizard! For a start you do not know where the dirty tyke has been!". I leap and bring my axe down onto the back of the bugbears legs.

[rolls]

DM: Slicing weakly at her thick hyde, that's unlike you! Blow 2?

Bill: I spin backwards, this time angling upwards into her spine. "I said drop the tome jockey!!!"

[rolls]

Bill: thats more like it!

DM: The heavy blow crumples the greasy armor plates on her back and sends the howling Bugbear reeling to... here. Callista still at arms length, her skirts flailing above your head.

Jane: "aaaaaaiiii!"



Combat continues in this manner, usually resulting in more baddies piling in as the players are having a ball.
The problem with this system is it does mean a lot of talking for the DM who has to set up and answer each attack. The benefit is players get super engaged, coming up with ways to hurt things- often using whatever is at hand.
In order to facilitate players responding to npc attack descriptions with their own counter moves, I use a reverse initiative system.
The slowest PC goes first, then we work upwards to the fastest. Players sit around my table clockwise in initiative order. At any time a player to the right can interrupt a player to his left and perform a reaction to their announced move or aid them.
Npcs and monsters slot in around the PCs that they are closest to- as I play them more as dramatic threats then as characters with a turn. This can often mean I forget to move some NPCs in the heat of battle, and players of other systems mention that its hard to judge the initiatives of enemies.
Because of the looseness of the system, I have been considering exploring a more rigid turn system for Dundred.
Someone (DnD with porn stars?) mooted an alternate system that sounded good. Leader rolls ini for pc team. Then team decides themselves which order they go, The game then alternates one pc, one NPC. Left overs move at the end.
Hmmm. Favorite systems anyone?

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