danskmacabre
Mongoose
DamonJynx said:
Where did you get that scenario from?
Less Lethal Combat
- Thread starter Grimolde
- Start date
Where did you get that scenario from?
danskmacabre
Mongoose
PhilHibbs said:
Oh ok thanks, I dont have that.
Lethality is good, and I wouldn't like to see it less lethal. Adds a bit of spice knowing that a few bad hits can take you out. If you would like D&D style combat, then it may be better playing D&D. Besides, it is not too difficult to run through 15 enemies with a part without dyeing, provided the encounter is scaled correctly (using mook rules or having the enemies of sufficient strength in relation to combat actions and ability)
A character killed by a deer is clearly destined not to be a hero. Surviving despite the world being genuinely dangerous is what makes heroes what they are.Grimolde said:
Killed by a deer? What happened? Most injuries in MRQ2 are only lethal if the attacker pushes the point and finishes you off after combat is over. Even failing a Resilience on a major wound to a vital location only results in death after an average of 10 melee rounds, and most combats against animals won't last that long. Was he on his own, or with people that had no healing skills or magic?
As I mentioned above, my PCs, after about two years' play, have advanced from noobs who could have been taken out by a few trollkin, to the stage where they're invulnerable to most non-magical attacks as long as not inordinately surprised. They're on the verge of hero status.Grimolde said:
Of course, they're yet to face a Dragon or anything of that magnitude.
Ho ho...
Not knowing you guy's, I'd suggest Dan was more likely referring to PC power level rather than social outlook! :wink:Mixster said:Dan True said:
I wouldn't call us particularly heroic.
We lie and steal from eachother. And drink and fool around. Not heroic in any sense of the word to me.
Our main goal is to nick an airship. It's not like we are the nicest of people around.
Mongoose Pete
Mongoose
Funnily enough I think there was an amusing story here in Sweden a few years back about a hunter who shot and wounded an elk, then very foolishly didn't finish it off with a second shot. Instead he walked up to the rather upset beast which promptly regained its feet and charged the hunter, pinning him against a tree. Unfortunately for the hunter his rifle became caught up on the elk's antlers, and the beast managed to shoot the hunter with his own gun!Dan True said:
Irony aside, deer are not harmless and you are warned against approaching some species during the rutting season or when they have young fawns.
However, an important aspect of running RQ combat is that not all creatures try to kill opponents, rather they simply wound and/or flee. A deer wouldn't normally stick around to gore a person to death. They are not psychopathic and have nothing to gain from killing, except potentially risk their own lives. So after a foe is knocked down or stops acting aggressively they'll retreat. Most non-predators are the same, even humans.
Remember in RQ its the GM's responsibility to roleplay his creatures as well as his NPCs. The game is only as lethal as he wants to make it. Being torn apart by a savage rabbit is going to take some rationale unless you are running the MP quest for the holy grail...
Mongoose Pete said:
Sure, elks can be pretty wild. Deers can too, but against an opponent armed, armoured and trained? (he said he'd given them 100 extra skill points).
Of course, if the GM wants an encounter with a deer to be some dangerous, memorable hunting experience - he can make the encounter tough. My point is that I don't think the example really shines a light on the lethality/non-lethality of the combat system.
And yes, I agree fully - you really need to remember that killing or dying is a big deal to most people (and should be too for characters). Most people will not execute the enemy when he's been beaten down, and most people will not fight to the death when a chance to escape shows.
And that needs to be taken into account when judging the lethality of the system.
- Dan
To the PC's credit, it was a monstrous Stag. Huge really. And it surprised the PC that had just killed it's doe and was (unknowingly) threatening the Stags fawns and territory. And he only had thin leathers on, which didn't really help much. The Stag caught the leg, impaled, shook the scout off the antler...and that was it. The resilience roll was failed. The leg was gone.
BUT if the stag had hit the head or abdomen, he would have killed the PC. The scout isn't a big guy. I think the Stag did something like 14 or 15 points of damage before worrying the guy off the antler for additional damage. It was epic.
Stags can be lethal. They are quite large, and aggressive if cornered / confused / threatened / etc. There is the famous youtube video of the hunter who foolishly sprayed stag scent on himself and approached a confused Stag that subsequently reared up and clubbed the man near to death with it's hooves.
And they kill dogs from time to time.
The PC's got all aggressive with the Stag as well, attacking it, which didn't help a great deal.
The PC was saved by his fellow party members, thanks in large part to healing magic.
And they are all pretty heroic, though, and now- a lot more cautious,
Deleriad
Mongoose
ThatGuy said:
This looks to me like an epic and memorable thing rather than something to be designed out of the game. I'll avoid spoilers but will just say "A Game of Thrones."
The beauty of a system like RQ is that this can always happen. Then again, don't forget that if the scout PC had any hero points left he could have always spent one to turn the major wound into a serious wound.