Swashbuckling help needed... my players stay out!

[Pielorinho]

Heh. From the third or fourth post in this thread, I was thinking, "Steam baths! Steam baths! Let the mansion have steam baths!"

So my major contribution to the thread isn't very necessary .

I know you're not looking for mechanics, but I'm gonna offer a pseudomechanic: let the PCs succeed. Don't go for the complicated skill checks; don't put a -4 penalty on improvised weapons. If a fighter has a greatsword strapped to her back, and if smashing someone over the head with a marble bust of the king is only going to do 1d6 damage, guess which weapon the fighter will use? But if you tell her that she can do her normal weapon damage with the marble bust, she'll probably go for it.

Consider allowing minor advantages to swashbuckling maneuvers. Whanging someone upside the head with the marble bust might daze them for a round. Swinging into someone on a chandelier rope can push them back 5', or maybe give a free trip attack against them. Throw a shovelful of coal at someone, and they make a reflex save or are blinded for a round. Little things, but effective.

Speaking of coal, the bathhouse fight can move into the boilerroom at some point, where big burly shirtless guys are feeding coal into the boilers, and don't take kindly at all to anyone messing up their equipment. Stick a strongman back there who's a grapple expert and who will throw people into the underground stream (from which the bathhouse draws water) or into the red-hot boiler, as appropriate.

Remember light sources, and fire. Someone may dodge around a ricepaper wall and extinguish the lights in their room, and then ready an action to stab someone through the wall. A person with darkvision might throw water at the party's lantern. Someone else might set the place alight as a distraction, enabling them to get away.

Sounds like a great session!
Daniel

 

[rkanodia]

Yes, absolutely. And maybe even screaming naked PCs...

This reminds me of a bit from Metal Gear Solid 2. You're escaping from the torture chamber stark naked - but it's a PG-13 game, so the main character has to keep covered in his, err, critical region. It cracked me up when the voice of the commander came in over the headset, saying something like, "Good job, Raiden! But be careful - you won't be able to grapple the enemy, use weapons, or climb ladders or pipes until you find something to wear!"

Not sure if there's any relevance to the situation at hand, but I can see it being an issue for PCs. And it's an excuse to divert them to the locker room!

 

[Desdichado]

Well, just played the "swasbuckling combat" at the Steams. It went very well. One PC leaped off the top of the staircase leading with his rapier, skewering a "ninja." Another one was swinging on bannisters and plowing through rice paper walls. One got a face full of steam, another got a face full of hot sauna rocks, dang, it was fun! Probably the best combat we've had this entire campaign, just because I put some thought into making the environment part of the combat and utilizing it with crazy stunts.