Lore: Military Tactics

[Khamulcalle]

How do you use Lore: Military Tactics ingame?

Why would you like to have it?
What does it do?
how does it benefit oneself or the party?

/K

 

[Deleriad]

In Blood of Orlanth I used it for:

Assessing fortification quality;
Looking for weak points (whether to defend or attack)
In a skirmish I used an opposed Lore Military Tactics with the winner's troops getting +10% and a nominal "initiative" while the loser's got the reverse.

You could also use at dinner parties to impress people with your knowledge of great battles or in a debate with other generals to persuade them that you have the best plans.

 

[Loz]

+1 to Deleriad's assessment, especially the impressing folks at dinner parties.

Use it also for:

• Assessing where would make a good ambush spot.
  What strengths a particular opponent might have in terms of likely, but hidden, support.
  How an opponent typically fights (do they tend to favour a particular Combat Manoeuvre, for instance).

 

[Dan True]

+1 to Deleriad.

I would also you use in case a player plays a character which is supposed to know something about tactics, but is himself (the player) knows squat... Then you can give him pointers in regard to his skill level.

Also, in Eberron I use it for accessing possible tactics employed by different branches or armies. For example a character can use it to asses - "They are wearing the uniforms of the First Aundairian Wands - so I can expect one of them to draw a magic item on me any minute..."

- Dan

 

[Khamulcalle]

Thanks guys!

 

[ThatGuy]

I also allow players to roll this skill when attempting some type of special situational maneuver- positive or negative. If the roll is made, I allow the skill to be used in a supportive sense, adding the critical value to a skill.

Example: Thak and Bek have been fighting. Bek manages to maneuver to a higher ground. Thak's player asks if he can make a tactics roll to simulate a familiarity with this disadvantage. The roll is successful and the player adds the critical range to his combat skill. Thak has experienced fighting in this situation before and practiced it, nullifying some of Bek's advantage.

That is one of the ways that I allow it to be used. Charges, ambushes, etc.- all decided by GM fiat.

 

[Mixster]

Also, if this skill has been gained through military service. I would allow rolls on it to remember his adversaries from military service.

"Having fought in the war, I know the halflings of X-topia, use boomerangs and nets which they throw from their flying mounts. Getting caught in one of those nets will never make you forget such things."

 

[Dan True]

"Having fought in the war, I know the halflings of X-topia, use boomerangs and nets which they throw from their flying mounts. Getting caught in one of those nets will never make you forget such things."

It's called the Talenta Plains

And it's precisely this type of thing I meant also.

- Dan

 

[Mixster]

"Having fought in the war, I know the halflings of X-topia, use boomerangs and nets which they throw from their flying mounts. Getting caught in one of those nets will never make you forget such things."

It's called the Talenta Plains

And it's precisely this type of thing I meant also.

- Dan

IIRC There are Faerunian bat-riding halflings with nets as well. I wonder where they got that net fetish.