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<blockquote data-quote="Sanglorian" data-source="post: 9285288" data-attributes="member: 83822">Thanks for your thoughts, darkbard. You're right that I have competing gamist and simulationist priorities for Orcus (I think all tabletop RPGs do), but I don't think they're at loggerheads here. Introducing morale both makes the game run faster and simulates courage and fear in battle. At times it prefers simulationism to gamism (e.g. with the mindless undead, as you note) - but that's a price I'm willing to pay. It also gives a distinctive quality to encounters with mindless undead ... which may compensate for those encounters running longer than others.&nbsp;Thanks bert1001. I'm reasonably confident on the &quot;reactive challenge&quot; numbers, but it's definitely worth running them again and with a few different level ranges in mind. I have been thinking again about how clever the Mentzer reaction roll rules are. PCs not only choose how they approach negotiating with the monsters, but also (implicitly) have the option to flee or be the first to attack. Both of these are often viable alternatives to pushing one's luck and risking the monster(s) being the first to attack. So maybe reactive challenges need to have: <ul>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">A risky way of exiting the challenge altogether and</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">A &quot;mitigated failure&quot; option that can be chosen over the &quot;total disaster&quot; option if they keep trying their luck.</li>
</ul>More to ponder and playtest!Thanks for this generous offer, Stalker0. Have gotten in touch directly to discuss details.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Sanglorian, post: 9285288, member: 83822"] Thanks for your thoughts, darkbard. You're right that I have competing gamist and simulationist priorities for Orcus (I think all tabletop RPGs do), but I don't think they're at loggerheads here. Introducing morale both makes the game run faster and simulates courage and fear in battle. At times it prefers simulationism to gamism (e.g. with the mindless undead, as you note) - but that's a price I'm willing to pay. It also gives a distinctive quality to encounters with mindless undead ... which may compensate for those encounters running longer than others. Thanks bert1001. I'm reasonably confident on the "reactive challenge" numbers, but it's definitely worth running them again and with a few different level ranges in mind. I have been thinking again about how clever the Mentzer reaction roll rules are. PCs not only choose how they approach negotiating with the monsters, but also (implicitly) have the option to flee or be the first to attack. Both of these are often viable alternatives to pushing one's luck and risking the monster(s) being the first to attack. So maybe reactive challenges need to have: [LIST] [*]A risky way of exiting the challenge altogether and [*]A "mitigated failure" option that can be chosen over the "total disaster" option if they keep trying their luck. [/LIST] More to ponder and playtest! Thanks for this generous offer, Stalker0. Have gotten in touch directly to discuss details. [/QUOTE]

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