Hey all.
Hey all. I've just sort of gotten my first solo campaign going and I've already hit a bit of a snag, and I was hoping that maybe a few people could throw some ideas at me and see what sticks.
My character is in something of a tight spot; he and the woman he's sworn to guide somewhere are facing off against a small band of Fomors (eventually I'm going to submit my truths worksheet and some encounters I've worked up; for now just picture Warhammer beastmen). He's not a combat monster to begin with and is already pretty badly wounded, but the one thing he has in his favor is a talisman that gives its user berserker powers, which he has activated. Because apparently nothing can ever go to plan in this game, he is not fully in control of the talisman, but it is definitely active.
My question is how would you suggest this be handled mechanically? Is it in the spirit of the game to just give him a straight up +2 to Iron while it's active? If he goes that route there should definitely be some kind of price to pay for the power, but what? I'd love to hear some other people's ideas.
My character is in something of a tight spot; he and the woman he's sworn to guide somewhere are facing off against a small band of Fomors (eventually I'm going to submit my truths worksheet and some encounters I've worked up; for now just picture Warhammer beastmen). He's not a combat monster to begin with and is already pretty badly wounded, but the one thing he has in his favor is a talisman that gives its user berserker powers, which he has activated. Because apparently nothing can ever go to plan in this game, he is not fully in control of the talisman, but it is definitely active.
My question is how would you suggest this be handled mechanically? Is it in the spirit of the game to just give him a straight up +2 to Iron while it's active? If he goes that route there should definitely be some kind of price to pay for the power, but what? I'd love to hear some other people's ideas.
Berzerking does suggest increased Iron. I can't think of anything else ATM. Maybe someone else can.
ReplyDeleteAs for a price: the obvious thing is that in their blind rage your PC kills the woman they're sworn to protect. For a mixed result maybe he just injures her, or she gets scared of the PC and runs away so he'll need to chase her and persuade her.
If you want a mechanical downside, something along the lines of turning weak hits into misses might work. Fluff it as blind rage letting you fight brutally and shrug off pain, but fighting without regard for yourself or others turning near-things into catastrophes.
ReplyDeleteAlice Southey has a good idea there, you could make it mechanically similar to Thunder-Bringer from the new Asset Pack, which allows you a bonus to Turn the Tide but makes a weak hit into a miss.
ReplyDeleteSeems like you should make that pendant an Asset.
ReplyDeleteAs most Assets seems to be giving +1 to a roll and +1 momentum on a hit, I'd go that way.
Rolling matches while Enraged would give you the thumbs up to add complications due to seeing red. :)
Richard Smithson The thought of killing or injuring his patron had occurred to me as well. Also I sort of like the idea of maybe not outright possession by the spirit that powers the amulet, but some sort of addictive/co-dependent thing (which kind of suits the character, being more inclined to mysticism than straight up combat).
ReplyDeleteAlice Southey I like that, but given my luck with the dice, he'd never hit anything! If it wasnt for weak hits and a particularly bad miss on an Undertake a Journey roll (he's a Wayfinder with +3 wits and still managed to miss!) he wouldn't even be in this predicament in the first place. Still I may go with that.
ReplyDeleteConclusion (to this part, anyway): I decided to play it as allowing the character to use a Battle move rather than a drawn out combat (because if being under the influence of berserker magic doesn't qualify as "when you fight a battle and it happens in a blur," nothing does) with the understanding that even with a strong hit he'd have to Pay The Price. Wasted a bunch of momentum by burning it on a roll that would have been a strong hit anyway. Now it's several hours later and he's woken up aching and in unfamiliar territory, covered in blood, surrounded by 5 dead Fomors, with his charge and her horse nowhere to be seen. And he's hungry! But it's a different kind of hunger than he's ever known...
ReplyDeleteGlop Demon sounds like you had a good time! Just remember that you don't need narrative permission for Battle. It exists as an alternative move for when you don't want to do a whole combat.
ReplyDelete