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Combat Guide Discussion
Topic Started: Mar 26 2015, 07:37 PM (202 Views)
Mouse
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O.G. Nos
I've been thinking about writing a guideline (completely optional) to help new players with questions about combat and conflict resolution on Gehenna By Night. I don't get asked it as commonly as the territory question (and I'm still thinking about that. If you have ideas, please share. XD), but it comes up frequently enough to warrant consideration.

The key points I wanted to stress in it are:
  • Consent and mutual participation
  • Dice Rolls versus Rule of Cool, why and why not for each
  • Flow of combat/conflict scenes, points to consider
  • General tips for writing combat/conflict
  • God-modding, munchkins, and how it doesn't really matter
  • Some examples of combat/conflict encounters in the past


Before I put this up, though, I'd appreciate if anyone has feedback they could share (because we know I'm a noob and don't know what I'm doing). Also, if you would like to contribute to the guide by adding your own experience or opinions, that would be great, too. I'm sure I've missed stuff, so please let me know.

I'll be posting it tomorrow, but if you get a response in after that it's no problem to edit it after the fact! Thanks
-Mouse
Edited by Mouse, Mar 26 2015, 07:38 PM.
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Cyrus
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I've been in a lot of forum RP's that run off rule of cool before, not so many that use dice, but some of the same principles apply. Calling on said experience, I'd definitely urge people involved in combat to try and be as descriptive as possible, both to make the scene seem more real/fun, and also to give whoever you're fighting a better idea of how to respond.

Just saying you throw a punch is a lot less helpful than, say, mentioning how your Brujah Anarch takes up a stance he learned in his mortal boxing days and starts to throw a handful of quick jabs at the ghoul's face. Not only does this explain what you're doing, but where you're aiming, and it'd help the ghoul's player to articulate his own responses better without risking god modding or taking liberties that'll later require editing because a lot of things were left unsaid, etc. You can't easily duck under a gut strike, for instance.
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Sera Andreas
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T'is only a flesh wound!
I'll add a few comments to the main points

Consent and mutual participation
This one's big to me. Although I would encourage players to consider the possibility of their character meeting final death down the road, that should still only be done once players have had their fun and gotten to see their character do what they want, hopefully.


Dice Rolls versus Rule of Cool, why and why not for each
Dice rolls add tension through unpredictability. It adds dramatic tension. Rule of cool is good for when you want that one moment to go a certain way, though in my opinion best used sparingly or when the stakes aren't that high.

Flow of combat/conflict scenes, points to consider
First off, STs should consider who they are pitting characters against, especially if the PCs aren't combat oriented. My opinion is one post per turn to keep things running smoothly.

General tips for writing combat/conflict
I usually try to keep it simple but engaging. Add small details here and there.

God-modding, munchkins, and how it doesn't really matter
World of Darkness is not fair. Not in the metaplot, not in the game mechanics, not in the dice. Munchkins in my experience tend to do poorly in games because they think they can take on anything and get proven wrong. Whereas the socialite might be smart and run away from the pack of werewolves the munchkin thinks that fortitude and celerity will save- *sound of vampire being torn to shreads*.

Don't do god-modding.

Some examples of combat/conflict encounters in the past
Tete and Sera is a good example of a cooperative conflict. We didn't need to roll dice. I didn't mind when Tete shriveled Sera's arms. Mouse didn't mind when Sera still tried to keep fighting and bit off Tete's nose.

Combat advice
I can put in a few tips and tricks I've learned about combat. No weird discipline combination or anything, just things that tend to work and not from experience.
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