Hi all, I have just started a new campaign with Blades and need some advice with combat. I love the game but the examples are a little wooly. Lets say the pcs (Tier 0) are facing a larger group of Red Sashes. Owing to their opponents scale and tier, perhaps each pc may have to roll with Desperate and Limited, as its going to be pretty tough. i may create a 6 segment clock to represent the groups morale and health.
Q1 :Now, if the players decide to take a group action, would that effect the position or effect? Or is the fact they are more likely to succeed, and so take less harm each, a compensation for the fact they only roll once?
Q2: Also with group actions, if a player decides to take 2 stress to increase their effect, is that added to the overall result? Could several players decide to do that and so gain several levels of effect?
Q3: Another Group action question: If players have differing effect levels, say from using fine weapons, how is this reflected in the final outcome? Do you use the highest effect from everyone involved in the group action?
K so if a player helps another player the effect is +1 rolling player. If another player helps the effect is+2 and so on.
For q2 the answer is yes as above.
Only fine bonus from the rolling player counts.
Nice questions hope I helped
Q1: the second one. Taking a group action typically changes the number of dice rolled (all participants roll once, and the highest result among them counts for them all, with the leader taking stress for each low result)
Q2: each PC participating rolls at the same time, but their increased effect due to pushing would be considered individually, and the best of these would apply to the group.
For what you described, you want a setup action; multiple of those could be used to boost the effect of a follow up action multiple times.
Q3: see above.
Hi, this is how I would handle it:
Q1 – I don’t think ut woun’t affect position/effect (thats a set up action), just a higher chance of success. A 6 would make sure noone takes harm in most cases.
Q2 – I think that anyone can choose to push yourself for +1d, as its the highest roll that will count. But I would not allow more than one character increase the effect with push yourself.
Q3 – In most cases I’d use the one with highes quality, but would judge it case-by-case asking the players for comments.
NB: For fighting crowds I’d recommend using a set up action to increase effect or better position, like a volley of shots or wave of thugs before the main group. 😉
Thanks guys. Thats really helped me get my head around things.
Q1 I like the risk reduction effects of group attacks. Yes you could inflict more ticks with individual attacks, but fighting as a group keeps your back protected. And taking the Synchronize ability actually increases your chance of a critical hit, normally unlikely to happen.
Q2 I can see increased effect being more useful as a lone attacker, than a group but I am cool with that. More risk, greater potential rewards.
Q3 thinking about it, I would think about the average effect level for such tests. So If most fighters in a group had a greater effect from using certain weapons, then the group attack would also be increased. Makes sense to look at the situation with the players and discuss things on a case by case situation.
It sounds like the party is going to get their asses handed to them.
well part of understanding how these rules work hopefully avoids that. I started with one of the missions from the corebook, steal the war treasury, which suited the crew of shadows.There was a fight between a group of red sashes and the players were grateful for their armour which prevented a bloodbath. What I have learnt is that being outclassed and outnumbered can be brutal on players, so i will scale up the opposition gradually. Unfortunately there is zero advice on setting the opposition for this mission in the book, which would have been extremely useful.
Justin Wyatt
“Unfortunately there is zero advice on setting the opposition for this mission in the book”
Use the ‘NPC Threat Levels’ advice (on page 167) for all missions.
well thats useful once you have an idea of the threat level, but it would have been good, as a first scenario, to spell things out a little clearer with examples, such as “Sneak into the compound will require completing a 4 segment clock,” or ” overcoming the patrol guards requires completing a 6 segment clock and should be considered a Desperate, Limited action unless the players are particularly clever”.
I am getting to grips with things now, but since clocks are pretty important with Blades, it would have been nice to have a scenario with some present obstacles, just so new gms could learn how to do things.
Justin Wyatt
The issue with that is that it’s perfectly viable to do all those things you mentioned without using a single clock.
Clocks are not a default mechanic for every obstacle. I’m not sure what the line is between provide robust examples for new GMs and endorsing one style of play over another…
I just think giving at least one example, with a clock example, and say one without, would be a great way of introducing the mechanic. Gms could then think about how they wanted to run things. Instead i had to watch about 5 hours of podcasts before i even understand how a combat may play using such clocks, before i could decide if or how I wanted to use them.