The 30 Minute Skirmish
Rel
Liquid Awesome
See that Level 8 monster over there? He does (1/2 x 8) + 3 = 7 extra points of damage on every attack. So if his normal damage was 1d10 + 6 then he now does 1d10 +13.
Somebody fixin' to spend some healin' surges!
Firebeetle
Explorer
Here's my idea for Skirmish Rules:
Purpose: Combat scenarios that are light on combat to simulate incidental violent interactions such as bar room brawls and fighting off bandits, to show a sequence of possibly interrelated smaller encounters such as a section of a dungeon or wandering monsters, and combats where annihilating the enemy is not the goal. Skirmish combats should be quick to setup and run and should not interrupt the flow of the game.
Inspiration: Reexamining the Dungeon
Step 1: Setup
Incidental Violence: Stock your monsters or NPCs as normal, provide for non-violent resolutions to the combat. Possibilities include monsters retreat once all are down or bloodied, players have an escape option, or an interruptiong occurs after a number of rounds (the guard comes to break up a brawl, etc.) Include any circumstances that will affect the Stack (see Stack below.)
Interrelated Encounters/Wandering Monsters: Create a selection of monsters or NPCs to fill an area, or warbands of wandering monsters. Create a basic idea of how these monsters will be encountered and how they will interrelate.
You might select a section of a dungeon and populate with various different monsters without building a full-fledged encounter. You might create a wandering monster table and create a set of rules or circumstances under which they are encountered. Include any circumstances that will affect the Stack (see Stack below.)
Alternate Goal Encounter: Create a warband and circumstances under which the encounter will end. The players retrieve the magic amulet, or find the green door, or throw the evil scroll into the sacred whirlpool, or whatever. Create any warband of monsters that are obstacles, and any circumstances that will affect the stack.
For all setups: Provide a minimum number of rounds you think the combat should take (usually three or so.)
The Stack:
When a skirmish combat begins. put a stack of ten counters (I'll use poker chips) down.
Take the total possible XP for the encounter and divide by ten. That is how much each token in the stack is worth.
Reduce the stack for the following:
One for every round over the minimum that combat is still occurring.
One for any encounter ability used
Two for any daily ability used
At the end of the encounter, count the number of tokens in the stack. Multiply by ten and that is the percentage of the original XP that the players earn. The stack cannot be increased beyond ten.
Examples:
Bar Room Brawl
5 Drunken Brawlers (custom level 2 monsters)
2 Halfling Flingers (custom level 2 artillery)
2 Barroom Warriors (custom level 3 brutes)
A fight breaks out in a bar.
Victory circumstances: The PCs can attempt to leave at any time, but only earn XP for the NPCs they have defeated (modified by the Stack). The guard will come after the tenth round and end the encounter.
Minimum rounds: 3- reduce 1 for every round after
Additional Stack Rules:
Using deadly force- Reduce 1
Actually killing someon- Reduce 3
Dungeon Sector
4 orcs
8 stirges
1 Gelatinous Cube
The orcs man the sentry room, the stirges lair in the cave by the Ghoul Kings entrance, and the gelatinous cube is in a side passage. Players do not have to encounter all three, but they may attract the other monsters after X rounds of combat.
Victory: defeat or evade any immediate enemies.
Additional Stack rules:
Include markers for each area- Increase stack by one for each marker met.
Maze of the Dead
12+ Zombie Rotters
Players must move across catacombs in an ancient crypt, fighting or evading a horde of zombies, to the tomb on the far side.
Victory: defeat or evade any immediate enemies.
Purpose: Combat scenarios that are light on combat to simulate incidental violent interactions such as bar room brawls and fighting off bandits, to show a sequence of possibly interrelated smaller encounters such as a section of a dungeon or wandering monsters, and combats where annihilating the enemy is not the goal. Skirmish combats should be quick to setup and run and should not interrupt the flow of the game.
Inspiration: Reexamining the Dungeon
Step 1: Setup
Incidental Violence: Stock your monsters or NPCs as normal, provide for non-violent resolutions to the combat. Possibilities include monsters retreat once all are down or bloodied, players have an escape option, or an interruptiong occurs after a number of rounds (the guard comes to break up a brawl, etc.) Include any circumstances that will affect the Stack (see Stack below.)
Interrelated Encounters/Wandering Monsters: Create a selection of monsters or NPCs to fill an area, or warbands of wandering monsters. Create a basic idea of how these monsters will be encountered and how they will interrelate.
You might select a section of a dungeon and populate with various different monsters without building a full-fledged encounter. You might create a wandering monster table and create a set of rules or circumstances under which they are encountered. Include any circumstances that will affect the Stack (see Stack below.)
Alternate Goal Encounter: Create a warband and circumstances under which the encounter will end. The players retrieve the magic amulet, or find the green door, or throw the evil scroll into the sacred whirlpool, or whatever. Create any warband of monsters that are obstacles, and any circumstances that will affect the stack.
For all setups: Provide a minimum number of rounds you think the combat should take (usually three or so.)
The Stack:
When a skirmish combat begins. put a stack of ten counters (I'll use poker chips) down.
Take the total possible XP for the encounter and divide by ten. That is how much each token in the stack is worth.
Reduce the stack for the following:
One for every round over the minimum that combat is still occurring.
One for any encounter ability used
Two for any daily ability used
At the end of the encounter, count the number of tokens in the stack. Multiply by ten and that is the percentage of the original XP that the players earn. The stack cannot be increased beyond ten.
Examples:
Bar Room Brawl
5 Drunken Brawlers (custom level 2 monsters)
2 Halfling Flingers (custom level 2 artillery)
2 Barroom Warriors (custom level 3 brutes)
A fight breaks out in a bar.
Victory circumstances: The PCs can attempt to leave at any time, but only earn XP for the NPCs they have defeated (modified by the Stack). The guard will come after the tenth round and end the encounter.
Minimum rounds: 3- reduce 1 for every round after
Additional Stack Rules:
Using deadly force- Reduce 1
Actually killing someon- Reduce 3
Dungeon Sector
4 orcs
8 stirges
1 Gelatinous Cube
The orcs man the sentry room, the stirges lair in the cave by the Ghoul Kings entrance, and the gelatinous cube is in a side passage. Players do not have to encounter all three, but they may attract the other monsters after X rounds of combat.
Victory: defeat or evade any immediate enemies.
Additional Stack rules:
Include markers for each area- Increase stack by one for each marker met.
Maze of the Dead
12+ Zombie Rotters
Players must move across catacombs in an ancient crypt, fighting or evading a horde of zombies, to the tomb on the far side.
Victory: defeat or evade any immediate enemies.
I really like this idea. Just a couple off weeks ago i had my ever first DM experience. In my story there was an encounter with two cave bears lvl 6 against 4 lvl 4 PC's. At the end of the evening this was the only encounter we played (2,5 - 3 hours!!). The next morning i figured out that it wasn't the higher level of the two bears, because they where hitting the bears, but more the very hight HP value of 170 each.
So the next time i at higher lvl monsters to an encouner i'll check the HP first and then apply your theorie, thx for this.
btw, maybe its better if you at up all HP of the monsters in the encounter. After a couple off fights you begin to notice what is the best cumulative value to play faster encounters.
Rel
Liquid Awesome
It may not work for everybody but it worked for the particular style of game I was running. It also lessens the gap between Minions and other monsters.
We're playing a RAW 4e game now run by another guy in our group and we're having fun. But when there are minions we blow through them by round 2 and then take a deep breath and settle into the lengthy business of killing the "real" monsters. We're still having fun but it takes a while.
With the "real" monsters at 60% HP then it means that there is a meaningful choice to be made between attacking them and clearing off the minions.
TarionzCousin
Second Most Angelic Devil Ever
Thanks, Rel. Barbie and I owe you three XP.
I stole Rel's general idea for the game I'm running. I did tone down the damage (just added another 1/2 level) since all of my players are a bit new. Overall, I have the cut down monster HP, a 1 minute egg timer, and generally, a round limit for minor fights. If someone runs down the egg timer (It's happened once), they just delay an init count. Intelligent monsters/humans tend to break and run like mad once it turns into a rout as well.
Firebeetle
Explorer
Nobody has anything to say about my skirmish rules suggestion? Nobody?
I'd like some feedback.
I'd like some feedback.
Rel
Liquid Awesome
I don't mean to be overly negative and can appreciate the work you've put into the concept. But as I stated earlier in the thread, I prefer not adding subsystems to the game if I can help it.
Is there a particular goal you had in mind for your rules beyond reducing the total amount of time it takes to resolve an encounter?
Firebeetle
Explorer
The stack provides an element that players can effect, and provides motivation to end things quickly. The DM can add elements he wants to increase the stack, which can be as simple as opening a door (and thus exploring more), interacting with a battlefield element, or saving a prisoner, making it to some line or portion of the dungeon, or whatever fits the scenario.
It's a subsystem, if you don't like that then you won't like this. I personally find it engaging and I am heavily influenced by Amagi Games
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