How many hits can a mook take?
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
My answer is "variable enough to make me not skip the combat rules". Even a 6 h.p. mook against a decent warrior can take a while to put down if said warrior keeps rolling pathetic on the damage die.
Never mind that any combat risks long-term consequences* for the PCs including being clobbered if the mook gets lucky on crits, loss or breakage of items on fumbles, and so forth.
* - the risk is not high, but that it's not zero means IMO it has to be played out.
Never mind that any combat risks long-term consequences* for the PCs including being clobbered if the mook gets lucky on crits, loss or breakage of items on fumbles, and so forth.
* - the risk is not high, but that it's not zero means IMO it has to be played out.
Nytmare
David Jose
Torchbearer is also one of those "one roll" kind of games. Not every fight, but a mook-ey one would probably forgo hitpoints of any kind and would be described by a single roll made by one party member who gets an extra die added into their pool from every other player who describes how they are helping.
"Easy" is going to adjust based off of party level but in general I'd consider a mook fight one where the party needs about one success per mook.
Even if they don't make the roll, they might still succeed by GM fiat. Failure is met by the GM either giving them a win and a "condition", a kind of death spiral flag that chips away at their ability to do things, "You easily dispatch the goblins but you're left feeling Exhausted." Or a failure and introducing a story twist of some kind "The bar brawl spills out into the street where it eventually draws the attention of the town guard. All of you are put into the stocks for the rest of the week."
"Easy" is going to adjust based off of party level but in general I'd consider a mook fight one where the party needs about one success per mook.
Even if they don't make the roll, they might still succeed by GM fiat. Failure is met by the GM either giving them a win and a "condition", a kind of death spiral flag that chips away at their ability to do things, "You easily dispatch the goblins but you're left feeling Exhausted." Or a failure and introducing a story twist of some kind "The bar brawl spills out into the street where it eventually draws the attention of the town guard. All of you are put into the stocks for the rest of the week."
Jd Smith1
Hero
If you're skipping the combat system, you're leaving RPGs and drifting into story-telling. Which can be done.
But fights that can't be lost, and PCs who die because of a GM's whim are not acceptable to all. As so much in this hobby, it boils down to managing expectations.
But fights that can't be lost, and PCs who die because of a GM's whim are not acceptable to all. As so much in this hobby, it boils down to managing expectations.
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Baron Opal II
Hero
Mook --> One hit at 50%+ damage, two hits otherwise.
If base damage is at or near the mook's otherwise typical hit points, then it is one hit regardless.
If base damage is at or near the mook's otherwise typical hit points, then it is one hit regardless.
Lidgar
Gongfarmer
Does the mook have a tootsie roll at its center? Then three.
aramis erak
Legend
Most of the systems I've seen with mooks have one of three modes:
1. Fully functional monster/character, but any damage takes them out.
2. Fully functional monster/character, but with 1/3 to 1/5 normal HP; groups may act using the help rules
3. only groups functional, usually low HP as per type 2, but ability to function degrades as individuals dropped,
Mode 4 I've never seen alone, but it's a special case in a few:
4. Any crit takes out the NPC, as does sufficient cumulative.
FFG Star Wars is group 3&4 for minions, but group 4 for rivals. Nemeses function exactly like PCs.
FFG L5R is borderline group 2 and 3. It's also group 4. Minion types are unskilled, unless in groups. Rival level are taken out by any crit. Excess damage causes crits.
In both, minion groups take excess damage from one member to another member.
7th Sea is group 1.
D&D 4E is group 1; 5E has an option for group 1.
John Wick's Blood & Honor makes mooks type 3.
WFRP 1E has a sort of backdoor mook rule... The conversions to WFB 4e. If you run ordinaries using your WFB stats, and notables using WFRP stats, you get the one-hit wonders that still present a real threat. It's not the intent, but I've done it, and it works well enough. Mook vs PC uses WFB to hit, but then do the damage roll as WFRP. PC vs mook? Use conversion of PC's stat to WFB. (Given the high potential for 2 attacks, and the better hit chances, 4th career PCs are often +15 or better models...)
1. Fully functional monster/character, but any damage takes them out.
2. Fully functional monster/character, but with 1/3 to 1/5 normal HP; groups may act using the help rules
3. only groups functional, usually low HP as per type 2, but ability to function degrades as individuals dropped,
Mode 4 I've never seen alone, but it's a special case in a few:
4. Any crit takes out the NPC, as does sufficient cumulative.
FFG Star Wars is group 3&4 for minions, but group 4 for rivals. Nemeses function exactly like PCs.
FFG L5R is borderline group 2 and 3. It's also group 4. Minion types are unskilled, unless in groups. Rival level are taken out by any crit. Excess damage causes crits.
In both, minion groups take excess damage from one member to another member.
7th Sea is group 1.
D&D 4E is group 1; 5E has an option for group 1.
John Wick's Blood & Honor makes mooks type 3.
WFRP 1E has a sort of backdoor mook rule... The conversions to WFB 4e. If you run ordinaries using your WFB stats, and notables using WFRP stats, you get the one-hit wonders that still present a real threat. It's not the intent, but I've done it, and it works well enough. Mook vs PC uses WFB to hit, but then do the damage roll as WFRP. PC vs mook? Use conversion of PC's stat to WFB. (Given the high potential for 2 attacks, and the better hit chances, 4th career PCs are often +15 or better models...)
