Fabula Ultima general thread [+]

[kenada]

Are those new to the Bestiary? Do you have some examples?

They’re new in the Bestiary (“Introduction”, p. 15). They’re meant to (summarizing the section):

• Give the NPCs personality and tell them a story through mechanics. A particular NPC might always (or never!) support allies, or they might make bad decisions when affected by a certain condition.
• Provide patterns the players can use to strategize. If they know an NPC is going to spend a round doing something that won’t directly harm them, they can spend time setting up their own big attack.
• Allow for tough but fair attacks. For example, if a boss’s big attack is telegraphed or set up, it would feel less bad to players than if the GM just did it.
• Make things easier on the GM (since you’re following a script instead of having to figure out the best possible move for every NPC on the enemy side.

The introduction gives this example (and explanation) of an NPC routine.

Example: In its champion 3 version, the Death Knight (page 129) has a relatively simple routine consisting of Frightful Swing → Death’s Bitter Embrace→ and Infernal Slash↺. Observing this routine, Players can assume they will have a moment of respite between Frightful Swing and Infernal Slash each round, since Death’s Bitter Embrace doesn’t deal damage or cause immediate negative effects.​

The sentinel role type gives this guidance on its routine.

Sentinels typically alternate between normal attacks and strong attacks, turn after turn. If they have acquired a support-oriented ability such as Barricade or Shell, they will perform it as soon as possible and then repeat it if the effect ends. Offensive options such as the Breath spell should become part of the action routine (such as normal attack → strong attack → Breath↺), and healing effects such as Lick Wounds should mostly be used when the sentinel is in Crisis.​

The introduction as a whole is really good. Aside from explaining how the game works and its assumptions, it’s got some good advice. I particularly like this question and answer in the troubleshooting section at the end.

One of the Players has access to effects that allow them to ask the Game Master questions and receive truthful answers, and keeps using them to ask things like “what is this enemy Vulnerable to?” or “what are this enemy’s special rules?”​

​

That is exactly how those effects work, and the Player is making good use of them to support the group. In general, you should focus on creating adversaries that are interesting to fight precisely because the group has understood their abilities.​

 

[zakael19]

They’re new in the Bestiary (“Introduction”, p. 15). They’re meant to (summarizing the section):

• Give the NPCs personality and tell them a story through mechanics. A particular NPC might always (or never!) support allies, or they might make bad decisions when affected by a certain condition.
• Provide patterns the players can use to strategize. If they know an NPC is going to spend a round doing something that won’t directly harm them, they can spend time setting up their own big attack.
• Allow for tough but fair attacks. For example, if a boss’s big attack is telegraphed or set up, it would feel less bad to players than if the GM just did it.
• Make things easier on the GM (since you’re following a script instead of having to figure out the best possible move for every NPC on the enemy side.

The introduction gives this example (and explanation) of an NPC routine.

Example: In its champion 3 version, the Death Knight (page 129) has a relatively simple routine consisting of Frightful Swing → Death’s Bitter Embrace→ and Infernal Slash↺. Observing this routine, Players can assume they will have a moment of respite between Frightful Swing and Infernal Slash each round, since Death’s Bitter Embrace doesn’t deal damage or cause immediate negative effects.​

The sentinel role type gives this guidance on its routine.

Sentinels typically alternate between normal attacks and strong attacks, turn after turn. If they have acquired a support-oriented ability such as Barricade or Shell, they will perform it as soon as possible and then repeat it if the effect ends. Offensive options such as the Breath spell should become part of the action routine (such as normal attack → strong attack → Breath↺), and healing effects such as Lick Wounds should mostly be used when the sentinel is in Crisis.​

The introduction as a whole is really good. Aside from explaining how the game works and its assumptions, it’s got some good advice. I particularly like this question and answer in the troubleshooting section at the end.

One of the Players has access to effects that allow them to ask the Game Master questions and receive truthful answers, and keeps using them to ask things like “what is this enemy Vulnerable to?” or “what are this enemy’s special rules?”​

​

That is exactly how those effects work, and the Player is making good use of them to support the group. In general, you should focus on creating adversaries that are interesting to fight precisely because the group has understood their abilities.​

Oh cool, mixing in some DS-esque pattern learning with making it easy for a GM to run. That’s real neat leaning into “this game is a game” for the combat conflicts.

 

[kenada]

There’s potential for non-combat conflicts, but there’s so little in the way of support for them in terms examples and quick build content. I can see NPCs having certain mannerisms reflected in the skills they use during a debate or an airship having a specific routine it follows while trying to chase down and catch the PCs. It’s something I’d really like to see in a Bestiary Vol. II.