speeding up combat

[papakee]

Any ideas to speed up combat with multiple monsters without getting rid of any of the basics in the MRQ rules?

For example, 3 characters vs. 10 trollkin.

I'm toying with grouping like-monsters' parry and dodge rolls together for the round.

Another idea I'm thinking about is pre-determining the number of actions inactive and round of unconsciousness for a monster once he hits negative. ie. in this encounter the monsters go unconscious on the 2nd round and cannot act for 1 action, in the next encounter...unconscious the first round.

 

[Rurik]

Assuming you are rolling Strike rank once for all the trollkin or even rolling strike rank once per combat the only other suggestion I have is one I made to someone looking for 'mook' rules - just assume they fail all resilience rolls. If a location goes to -1 drop the little f**kers (sorry - I got a thing against Trollkin). If it becomes important afterwards randomly or arbitrarily decide which ones are alive. If the characters are not going to check or just finish off the incapacitated after the combat who cares as to the specifics of what happens to them when they go down.

If for example there is a Dark Troll or two leading the little runty freaks by all means treat them as 'full' characters and make their resistence rolls and such, while treating the fodder as described above. This will also help the combat feel more 'normal' and less stripped down than if you use mook rules for all.

 

[atgxtg]

If you don't want to change anything at all, I7d suggest using a leader & follower type sheet to make it easy to track damage for the monsters. The old sqaud sheets help a lot.

If you are open to making a few slight adjustments to the rules to make it easier to run....




If you just want to speed things up, you can bend the rules a bit by having things like "one hit" ,"two hit" or "three hit" monsters. Instead of tracking HP and damage, just assume that the monsters drop after taking a number of decent hits (something that does at least 3 points past armor) they are rated for. This elemites a lot of bookeeping whle still giving the "full rules" feel.

Note that if you just uses Total HP for grunts and other secondary opponents you can do the same thing.


Aother possiblity is to allow the group to combine for one attack, with an outnumbered bonus. The idea being that onely one guy makes the attack, but the others maneuver to help set it up. Something like one attack at +20% per addional attacker (this helps to offset the CA advanve mutliple foes would normally have). Then just appply all the damage inflicted to one monster until he drops and then go on to the next one.

If you combine this with the "two hit" idea or the total HP idea, then you can have PCs fight a "mob" fairly easily with little bookkeeping.

 

[RosenMcStern]

In fact it is very very easy to handle this for Trollkin. If they are hit hard they either a) die or b) flee. Roll who is alive and who is fleeing (only to be served as the main course later) after the combat.

 

[Grrrr]

If you REALLY want to speed up combat you could pilfer the Pendragon rules. Of course you might feel that this would loose too much RQ flavour but I am sure that you could add in your faavourite RQ bits.

Optionally a Major Wound (1/2 hits or more) could then lead to a roll for location


Grrrr

 

[weasel_fierce]

use total hit points or some variation thereof (once you've taken hp equal to average of con and siz, you're done)

Roll initiative once only. Let PC's (only) spend an action to reroll their initiative if they wish

 

[Ari]

Any ideas to speed up combat with multiple monsters without getting rid of any of the basics in the MRQ rules?

Unfortunately I can't help much since I ended up bending the rules somewhat. Playing with kids the combats have to move and be exciting, especially once there are 4 or more kids involved. So I ended up:

- only determining initiative once for the whole combat, so can quickly go from one combat to the next, and I typically lump multiple minions into a single initiative order location.

- I don't do multiple actions at all, i.e. every character/monster only has a single action per turn, I modify movement speed instead.

- If the melee has seperated into individual combats I'll often do 2-3 rounds of combat for each character and their enemies before going onto the next character, which gives it that slash - parry - stab - ouch, feel.

cheers, Ari

 

[soltakss]

Don't tailor stats - use indentikit trollkin/soldiers/squaddies with the same stats and skills.

Mark everything down on paper beforehand, it saves time.

If someone goes down without healing available, cross them off as they roll around on the floor or ask for surrender. It's quicker and easier.

Have strict SRs. Count down with counts one second apart. If someone misses a SR then tough, they can act on the current SR.

Make all the NPC squaddies act on the same SR.

Don't use complex movements/tactics, keep it simple.

Don't all gang up on one PC, unless it's in the plot.

Get specific statements on intent from everyone first.

Don't let anyone faff about - if the player doesn't know what to do then the PC runs around in a circle waving his hand in the air saying "I don't know what I'm doing".

Keep it quick.

Don't let people spend two minutes shaking their dice before rolling. If they do, stab them with a pencil.

Make people work out their skills while other people are engaged in action. There's nothing worse than getting to someone's turn and hearing "Oh, right, it's me. I'm using my sword, what's my chance? 50%, but have I got Bladesharp cast? Let's see, where is my character sheet? Oh yes, Bladesharp 4, how much does that give me? 20%, are you sure? How about attacking from behind? Aren't I? Sorry. Now, what was my skill again? 50% + 20% = 70%. OK, I hit him. Oh, no I can't, I fell over last round. I'll get up instead ....." Aaaaaaargh!

If people faff about too much then make them lose their combat action.

Be tough. Be mean. Be a GM.

 

[RosenMcStern]

Get specific statements on intent from everyone first.

Nay. This happened in RQ3. Now you can change your intent between combat actions.

 

[soltakss]

Nay. This happened in RQ3. Now you can change your intent between combat actions.

But if you have players who faff about and can't make a decision, then letting them change their minds after each action is a recipe for disaster, it really is.

If your players know their best tactics and are are capable of making a decision without going to committee for 10 minutes first, then fine.

Unfortunately, mine aren't as was proven during yesterday's game :roll:

 

[Rurik]

One of the major pieces of "streamlining" combat in MRQ is that there is no statement of intent. RQ2/3 had a clear statement of intent at the beginning of the round, MRQ does not, nor would it work with the multiple actions in a round. Too much happens in an MRQ round to force someone to declare their actions at the beginning, and it would slow down play IMHO.

I can see making characters forfeit their actions if they don't decide on them promptly when their SR comes up - we after all talking about 2-4 CA's and reactions to a 5 second round, so each probably represents most a couple of seconds, if not even less than one.

 

[zozotroll]

I have in more than one game used a watch on players. 10 seconds, skip that round, or in this case action. Really helps them make up thier mind.

I never once in a bvoxing match or fencing match got to take a time out and discuss with anybody what the next blow should be. I see no reason to give players an eternity to decide.

 

[papakee]

So far, I've not had any problems with the players making up their minds. Its mostly book-keeping issues with multiple hit locations and going unconscious. I'm planning to take the advice from several here and have 'common foes' drop unconscious automatically if they reach a negative hp.

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[duncan_disorderly]

I never once in a bvoxing match or fencing match got to take a time out and discuss with anybody what the next blow should be. I see no reason to give players an eternity to decide.

To be a minor dissenting voice (although I do generally agree that you should keep things moving and not allow players to spend forever changing their minds about what to do...) Highly experienced participants in a boxing or fencing match are exactly that. They have had months or years of training and experience to enable them to make snap decisions as to the appropriate action to take to exploit opportunities as they present themselves. Characters with high skills are similarly blessed, while the players may have only the vaugest grasp of actual combat, and how the various options provided by the rules interact. They are also reliant on the GM's description of events, and possibly the positioning of miniatures to see what openings and risks their are which the character "on the ground" would be able to take in at a glance.

 

[papakee]

Taking the mooks out when they reached a negative HP in any location worked wonderfully last night. Play went alot smoother that way.

 

[Rurik]

To be a minor dissenting voice (although I do generally agree that you should keep things moving and not allow players to spend forever changing their minds about what to do...) Highly experienced participants in a boxing or fencing match are exactly that. They have had months or years of training and experience to enable them to make snap decisions as to the appropriate action to take to exploit opportunities as they present themselves. Characters with high skills are similarly blessed, while the players may have only the vaugest grasp of actual combat, and how the various options provided by the rules interact. They are also reliant on the GM's description of events, and possibly the positioning of miniatures to see what openings and risks their are which the character "on the ground" would be able to take in at a glance.

So you are proposing a rule where characters have skill/10 in seconds to decide their action? - doesn't that seem a bit rules heavy? :lol: