Can your game of choice tell this story?

SavageCole

Punk Rock Warlord
Sure. Some sort of D&D/PF1.
Pre-combat rounds = 2?
Search/perception type check(s) - Deckard
Maybe some sort of stealth/deception check - Paris
Deckard fails his check

Yeah, I like the idea of one contested Perception vs. Stealth just to notice her. Then another Stealth vs. Deception (possibly w/Advantage) when he's examining her closely. I see his role on that check as a Fumble.

R1
Paris catches Deckard by surprise striking 1st & knocking him back.
Deckard takes some damage & fails a check, falling prone.
What mechanical effect tied to an attack produces a knock back / knock down in D&D? What sort of check is making not to be stunned/knocked out? This is the sort of thing where I think D&D tends to be abstract?


R2
Initiative is tied - Deckard rises, Paris grapples him.
Deckard takes some damage(?)
___
R3
Deckard wins initiative, fails to break grapple.
Deckard takes more damage & is stunned for a round or so.
___
R4
Paris moves away to set up killing charge.
*Deckard wins initiative, holds/readies action until Paris is close.
Paris charges.
*Deckard rolls away/5ft steps firing at point blank. Scores a crit knocking Paris to 0hp.
Paris fails charge & falls prone.
___
R5
Paris wins initiative - makes a death save (doesn't look like it was even close to successful)
Deckard finishes Paris off.

*Hold vs Ready & wether or not you can include a step with your attack depends upon your DM/edition/feats involved.

This would not play out in the 2:42 runtime of the clip. Or as smoothly.
It's 30 seconds of modern D&D action combat wise. Plus a round or two of Deckard looking around.
Two rounds of searching + 5 rounds with dice rolling, description, etc will likely take longer than the clip. The main culprit here is that here in the games we have to describe what Scott could simply show on screen.

Thanks for taking the time to do this. D&D tends to be the benchmark for any game, so having an example of this here will help it compare vs. other systems people write up.
 

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Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator
Staff member
Supporter
How would HERO tell the finer points about the knockmbacks, the stun, which specific skill checks? I'd love to see someone right it up as an example in play of the HERO system.
Knockback is built into HERO’s combat system- most attacks have the potential to do some- and there are ways to increase, decrease or even nullify it.

Ditto Stun.

The actual HTH & ranged attacks would be basic combat stuff, though individual characters might have additional bonuses from skill levels boosting their odds of success.

Pris’ acrobatics would be based on her acrobatics skill.

Early on, Deckard is trying to detect who is in the darkened room- another check.
 
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Bilharzia

Fish Priest
Mythras/RQ6

GM
you hear footsteps on the stairs approaching the flat.
Daryl is it the cop who called earlier?
GM you guess so, the steps are heavy, he's clumsy and not being too careful.
Daryl ok, I'll stay where I am, you said I could use Deceit as a disguise?
GM yeah, you don't have the Disguise professional skill, but Deceit is close enough here.
GM the cop enters and moves through the room, he's looking through all the automata ...
Daryl does he spot me?
GM he's stopped in front of you and pulls your veil off, he's holding a pistol, pointed at you ...
Daryl oh crap, should I roll my Deceit?
GM go for it, let's do an opposed roll, I will roll for his Insight against your Deceit roll.
Daryl rolls 1d100 <43>
Daryl my Deceit is 56%, I succeeded, do I beat the cop?
GM rolls 1d100 <03>
GM woah, his Insight is 70%, he's easily criticaled his Insight! His eyes widen in recognition!
Daryl omg you have to be kidding, ok, could I spend a Luck Point to make you re-roll?
GM sure if you want to...
Daryl well, he's looking at me and he has a gun pointed at me! I think he has the drop on me.
GM I would say he does.
Daryl oh hang on, don't re-roll, reverse your roll to <30> please.
GM sure, ok since this is an opposed roll, your Deceit roll of <43> beats his roll of <30>
GM instead of recognising you, he just looks confused
Daryl great, so he does not recognise me and I have surprise?
GM correct, roll initiative.
Daryl rolls 1d10 <5> plus my Dex of 22, Initiative 27
GM 22? Pris has a Dex of 22?
Daryl yep, Enhanced Reactions remember?
GM rolls 1d10 <6> plus the cop's Dex of 14, Initiative 19
Daryl what's the effect of surprise?
GM the cop gets a -10 to initiative, he can't defend your attack, and you get an extra special effect if you succeed.
Daryl wow ... ok
GM surprise is nasty, you go first
Daryl rolls 1d100 <55> Pris' Unarmed skill is 75%, a successful hit, he can't defend so that's one special effect, plus one more for surprise?
GM correct
Daryl ok, I choose Disarm Opponent and Bash
GM
roll damage and location
Daryl rolls d20 and 1d4+1d4, Location <11> Pris hits his chest for <3+2> 5 points of damage
GM ok, that's a strong hit, he is winded but not knocked out yet. <minor wound to chest, 7hp -5 dmg = 2 hp left>
GM the cop attempts to resist your Disarm, his Blade Runner combat style is 73%, he rolls 1d100 <98>, fail, the pistol goes flying 1d4 metres, <3> metres away.
GM now for the Bash effect - you hit for 5 points of damage, that's 1 metre for every 2 points of damage, you knock him back 3 metres, testing to see if he falls, he needs to pass an Athletics check, he has a skill of 60% rolls 1d100 <89>, 89? -ffs I hope he doesn't have to do any jumping- he fails to stay on his feet and falls prone.
GM the cop uses his action to stand up from prone, now we move into Cycle 2, your turn
Daryl I will engage using my Unarmed combat style, trying to grapple, I roll 1d100 <20>, success.
GM the cop is resisting with his Unarmed skill, 40%, he rolls 1d100 <41> ... fail, you got him.
Daryl I get one special effect, I will Choose Location - head - I've grappled his head between my legs...
GM ok! roll damage, it's just damage bonus for a grapple.
Daryl damage bonus is 1d4, <1>, oh wow, one point of damage to his head.
GM the cop's turn, since his head is Grappled he gets a Hard penalty, and we're still in the first Round so the surprise effect means he can't attack this Round, but he will attempt to break free. His Unarmed skill is 40%, at a Hard penalty that's 27% 1d100 roll <49> great, he fails. That's it, we are into Cycle 3, your turn.
Daryl alright! I punch him! Unarmed skill 75%, rolling 1d100 <63>
GM cop tries to defend, Unarmed skill 40%, Hard penalty, 27%, rolling 1d100 <82> ... good grief, he fails
Daryl Pris chooses Stun Location as her special effect, can we say she automatically hits his head given the situation?
GM I wouldn't say automatic, let's say there's a good chance, you still might hit his chest or arms, roll the location on a d20+10, anything 19 or above hits the head.
Daryl ok, location is, rolls 1d20 <13> plus 10, 23, so that's the head, damage is fist 1d3, plus 1d4 damage bonus rolls 1d3+1d4 <1+2> 3 points of damage, he is stunned for 3 turns unless he makes his resist.
GM the cop has to beat your punch attack roll of 63, his Endurance is 65%, rolls 1d100 <20>, nope he does not beat your punch! he's briefly insensible... <the cop still has 1hp left in his head, still a minor wound> that's the end of Round 1, Round 2 begins.
Daryl Wow! he's going to be out a whole Round! I'm going to sprint off, I want to do a charging attack to increase my damage, don't forget because of my Unarmed Combat Style trait I get an extra damage modifier on a charge attack, that takes my damage bonus from +1d4 to +1d8...
GM sure, I remember that, take your time. The cop took a beating and he will be out all of Round 2, but you will need to spend Round 3 getting distance and then the following round making your charge attack.
Daryl Pris will spin off getting some distance while the cop is out.
GM for this Round the cop stays knocked out by the Stun. Pris is spinning away getting some distance.
GM Round 3 begins. Pris has to spend the whole of this Round running into attack to get the benefit from the charge.
Daryl she's running in ...
GM Cycle 1 the cop has come out of the Stun, he looks for his gun, he moves and picks it up and readies it, Pris is still running in...
Daryl ready or not, here I come
GM Cycle 2 cop takes aim, shoots, his Blade Runner combat style is 73%, rolling 1d100 <03>, he crits!
Daryl you have to be kidding, ok can I spend a luck point to reverse that?
GM sure, but a <30> will still hit
Daryl does he not get any penalties for distance or movement?
GM oh fair point, I missed that, Pris is running so that's a penalty of Hard that brings the crit chance down to <05>, it's still a success, and a crit at that. As far as distance goes, no penalties, she is now less than 10metres away.
Daryl what about Evading the attack?
GM you can't Evade firearms, and you can't defend when you are charging in any case.
Daryl ok, I'll spend a luck point and get you to re-roll that.
GM sure, rolling 1d100 <01> ... erm another crit
Daryl you can't be serious.
GM afraid so, it's a crit, the cop chooses maximise damage and choose location Abdomen. The gun is a Steyr Pflager Katsumata Series-D Blaster 1d10 damage, so that's 10 points of damage to Pris' abdomen.
Daryl that's a serious wound I'm down to -4, two points away from a Major Wound.
GM test your Endurance against the cop's roll of <01>
Daryl what? and beat a crit of 01? how is that possible?
GM if you crit and get higher than 01, you beat it.
Daryl great odds, Pris' Endurance is 80%, rolling 1d100, <60>, nope, that's doesn't beat it, so I roll on that custom table?
GM yep, roll on the Replicant Major Malfunction table.
Daryl rolling 1d6, <3>, Abdomen hit, it says "you fall prone and thrash around for a number of turns you took damage for unable to take any actions" that's 10 turns?
GM afraid so, I thought it had more flavour than just falling unconscious.
GM Cycle 3 the cop takes aim, rolling 1d100 <93> he misses the shot, plaster sprays above Pris.
Daryl oh great so I just have to hope he misses nine more times?
GM it could happen, the cop takes aim again, rolling 1d100 <58>, a hit, he chooses the special effect Choose Location - Abdomen
Daryl oh I didn't expect that, due process much?
GM damage is, rolling 1d10, <5> 5 damage to the abdomen.
Daryl she's now at -6 in the abdomen, that's a Major Wound now.
GM make an Endurance check against that attack of 58
Daryl her Endurance is 80%, rolling 1d100, <37>, that doesn't beat 58, she's gone.
Gm wait, can't you spend a luck point to downgrade the Major Wound?
Daryl I'm out of luck points, I spent the last one on that critical hit.
GM ok, I'm afraid Pris is out, she takes a fatal wound to the abdomen.
...
Rutger hey guys, sorry I'm late I had to drop Seb off, did you start without me?
Daryl ...
Rutger never split the party?



 


GMMichael

Guide of Modos
My game of choice would go like this (fluff trimmed for brevity):

GM: You enter a dark chamber filled with dolls and mannequins.

PC: She's probably hiding. My pistol's drawn - I look around for the replicant.

GM: Roll mental. (PC rolls vs. difficulty, too low). You can't tell if she's in there, but some of the mannequins are the right size. One of these is wearing a veil and makeup.

PC: Am I sure it's her?

GM: Like I said, you can't tell.

PC: I lift the veil up - is there any movement?

GM: Yeah, the mannequin kicks you across the room!

PC: I shoot her!

GM: Roll physical. (PC rolls against NPC, too low). That's a Con. Does her foot go through your ribcage?

PC: No! My ribcage is intact, but I missed because I dropped my weapon.

GM: She's super-strong, so you fell down when she tossed you back 20 feet. What do you do?

PC: Get up and grab my pistol!

GM: She's doing backflips toward you! Roll physical. (PC rolls against NPC, too low). Another Con. You're not doing so hot, here. The replicant lands, straddling your head, and starts choking you with its thighs. Roll physical! (PC rolls against NPC, wins contest). Pro. What do you do?

PC: Get out of her grasp!

GM: Okay. She beats you until you look like you're going to pass out, and then runs off.

PC: Good lord. I breathe! Then grab my pistol.

GM: Make it fast - she's flipping towards you again!

PC: Shoot! (Rolls physical vs. NPC, wins contest).

GM: She's about to latch onto your head as you turn to shoot - roll against that last roll. (PC rolls against self, wins again). Pro. What happens?

PC: I shoot her dead-center!

GM: She twitches a bit. It's pretty ugly.

PC: I put her out of her misery...
 

SavageCole

Punk Rock Warlord
Thanks for sharing, very little in the neighborhood of mechanics support for the action. The rules get out of the way and allow you to just storytell.
 

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