Just a few questions about Band of Blades and how it is intended to be played, mostly surrounding ‘NPC’ rookies.
Do all rookies in a squad have their own character sheets (irrespective of whether they are NPCs or Pc controlled). Can uncontrolled rookies still pursue and help on actions autonomously or do they require a ‘player character’ to lead a group action or spur them to action through a command etc?
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I asked a somewhat similar question previously. The answer was that uncontrolled rookies do not have sheets, don’t gain XP, have only standard gear and cannot be harmed (they simply alive or dead).
The rest of your question I don’t have official answers for, but as a GM I would allow NPC rookies to take actions, but they wouldn’t roll many dice and would have a very harsh penalty for failure. Basically, the players should be leading the rookies and leaving them to their own devices is dangerous.
Here is a link to the thread where I asked that question (and many others), if you’d like to see the official responses.
plus.google.com – As requested, I’m going to put my reply from the previous Band of Blades thre…
Mark Griffin Thanks Mark.Think that helped clear up a few things
1. No. You don’t make a sheet for any rookie that isn’t being played (that’s way too much bookkeeping).
2. Rookies CAN pursue actions autonomously (say running away from a scary undead unless disciplined by a PC), but their success is basically a fortune roll (1d). Remember also that often consequences of rookie actions are death for the rookie (So on a 4-5 they might do a thing, but take a terrible wound and die if someone doesn’t go fetch them).
Help is a weird word. You can order/ask a rookie or a whole squad of them to act with you (the whole rookie squad is either represented by a corporal – a player rookie standing in for their team who rolls instead of the others, or just roll 1d for them in a group action).
If what you’re asking is if NPC rookies are free stress tracks for assists then no, obviously not.