Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Bae'zel" data-source="post: 9654009" data-attributes="member: 7048197">Reading through the Outgunned Action Flicks book on running a Western campaign, I came across rules for running Duels. Basically it was its own system outside of usual combat and the normal way of running opposed skill tests. Spoiler: the loser of a duel loses all HP and is helpless if not dead.Coupled with the guidance in the new DMG guide about how many of the rules are for combat against GM-run antagonists, it got me thinking about how I will start to change the framing of scenes in RPGs.Like a show down, or the bad guy points a poisoned hand crossbow at the heroes. By the combat rules, depending character level, such scenes would be laughably meaningless and totally stripped of dramatic tension.If I frame the scene as “not combat, stakes are higher, if you get hit by that bolt, your 100HP will not count” I may get what I’m looking for (disclaimer about session zero expectations etc etc).It would go both ways though: if the PCs threaten an antagonist, even though they have 200hp, if the framing of the scene makes this an out of combat dramatic moment, all bets are off.Not for everyone, but it’s something I’m working on figuring out.</blockquote>