Black Company Why No defense bonus based on level ?

[Ace]

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I just read the review and noticed that just like the title says -- there is no defense bonus based on level !

It seems insane in a game like Black Company not to include a level based defense bonus. What this does is roughly double the number of hits taken per round! Combined with low armor availability + deadly combat mods = lots of dead player characters

This is fine in the right game but dammit Black Company is supposed to be about a mecenary troup and you know merc's fight ---

As interesting as the backgrounds are and the new classes seem between
the high cost (almost $50 bucks) and the bad editing I think I will pass for now or get it used --

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

It seems insane in a game like Black Company not to include a level based defense bonus.

It's not a generic heroic mercenary campaign, it's a Black Company campaign. In the books, lowly recruits could ambush the world-shaking, mountain-melting powerful people and kill them. Put in a level defense bonus, and whatever else, and suddenly... it's not a Black Company campaign anymore.

What is called for is a change of tactics using stealth, terrain for advantage, and researching the enemy soft spots... and THEN engaging with the enemy if you still need to. Drawn-out engagements almost always resulted in grevious injuries or death to the unlucky or unprepared in the books.

It's not everyone's play style, that's for certain. Level-based defense bonuses break the world's presentation... IMO.

 

[Tom Cashel]

oh SNAP

 

[Ace]

It's not a generic heroic mercenary campaign, it's a Black Company campaign. In the books, lowly recruits could ambush the world-shaking, mountain-melting powerful people and kill them. Put in a level defense bonus, and whatever else, and suddenly... it's not a Black Company campaign anymore.

What is called for is a change of tactics using stealth, terrain for advantage, and researching the enemy soft spots... and THEN engaging with the enemy if you still need to. Drawn-out engagements almost always resulted in grevious injuries or death to the unlucky or unprepared in the books.

It's not everyone's play style, that's for certain. Level-based defense bonuses break the world's presentation... IMO.

fair enough -- It has been a few years since I read the Black Company books -- as for the presentation stuff I thought the "flat foot insta kill" rules were for that though

I have to admit this was crankier than it need to be - I was in a BAD mood when I posted -- DOH

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

... -- as for the presentation stuff I thought the "flat foot insta kill" rules were for that though

They both are integral. If there were level-based defense bonuses, the higher level characters would have AC's that would make it incredibly unlikely low-level ambushers would ever land a hit in the surprise round.


Regards,
Eric Anondson

 

[coyote6]

Well, if the level-based defense bonuses were dodge bonuses, then they would go away when the characters were flatfooted, and the low-level ambushers would be perfectly capable of murdering 'em by surprise.

 

[Yuan-Ti]

The editing is really not bad... I'm not even sure the reviewer overstated it. There are a handful of editing issues but nothing serious whatsoever.

As for level-based AC bonuses. Well, I think there could have been a few meagre bonuses given out -- and yes, call them dodge bonuses so flatfooted characters lose them. But I have to agree that there should not be any level-based AC bonuses. The novels are about reality. If someone is a bad-assed fighter, that just means they crack heads well. When outnumbered, outfoxed, or simply outfought, they go down just as quickly as anyone else, however. To make high-level characters more difficult to hit would be contrary to the setting.

Also, when badasses fight in the novels, one of them wins quickly. Again, the rules as written preserve this idea.

 

[Christopher Lambert]

IMC (D20 Modern), when you attack a surprised foe, you get a +4 bonus to hit. It helps with the "can't ambush high-level characters" problem. This is in addition to denying the opponent their Dex bonus to Defense.

 

[Yuan-Ti]

IMC (D20 Modern), when you attack a surprised foe, you get a +4 bonus to hit. It helps with the "can't ambush high-level characters" problem. This is in addition to denying the opponent their Dex bonus to Defense.

Black Company has a mechanic called "advantage" which can give additional benefits to the surprisers.

 

[Ace]

The editing is really not bad... I'm not even sure the reviewer overstated it. There are a handful of editing issues but nothing serious whatsoever.

As for level-based AC bonuses. Well, I think there could have been a few meagre bonuses given out -- and yes, call them dodge bonuses so flatfooted characters lose them.


But I have to agree that there should not be any level-based AC bonuses. The novels are about reality. If someone is a bad-assed fighter, that just means they crack heads well. When outnumbered, outfoxed, or simply outfought, they go down just as quickly as anyone else, however. To make high-level characters more difficult to hit would be contrary to the setting.

Also, when badasses fight in the novels, one of them wins quickly. Again, the rules as written preserve this idea.

Ummph well sticking to the novels is a good thing -- as far as "reality" well more skilled people are much harder to hit without a defensive stance or the RL equvilant of a 13 INT and a feat

D&D deliberaly doesn't cover this facet but IRL that "AC" does go up with level --

Of course armor and shields are underpowered in D&D anyway -- but thats neither here nor there --