Re: Draft: First Across the Walls...

[Ser Walton Dulver]

Skills contest seems unsuitable here, in my opinion. I always thought it was finally something for fighters. With skills test it may shortly become another event suitable for anyone who runs and climbs fast, with no real threat to participants. Reward acts, not rolls. Rewarding who was first on walls, if so many Players want to go there, seems a little unfair for me- they all actually put more at stake than in any other event until now. Yes, they get +2 Glory and IC notification for being there, so any additional form of 'race' between them seems a little strange for me, especially that we agreed on how dangerous that event is. Wouldn't it be better to give +1 in Black/Green score to side (if any), which had more fighters on walls instead who climbed first? Do You really imagine PCs racing to the walls in heat of battle (and only there was mentioned anything about being first on walls, I don't believe there was something like that in Reader's draft)? It had some sense on big scale battlefield, but as individual go?

[Theomore Tullison]

Hmm, when you get 1 glory for defeating a KoQ (maybe with +1 to some ability or with a tourney knight add-on) in single combat, I'd say getting shot at, having to dodge hot nasty stuff, possibly suffering fatigue in the process due to botched rolls, and then you'll have to fight a KoQ+some guardsmen, I don't neccesarily see the issue of granting 2 glory to everyone who can overcome that. If all our fighting types tries that, and doesn't decide to abort the attempt before getting to the combat in the end, I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing some defeated PC's and/or burned DP.

G/B points I'd reserve to whoever manages to get through fastest, maybe DoS on the warfare test minus number of rounds required to end the combat.

[Baelon Drakeson]

Oh, yeah, I'd say there should be a "consolation prize" for those that succeed it but aren't fastest. Any risks should carry commensurate rewards... those are the "carrots" I talked about in my previous post.

The trick is having the "consolation prize" be good enough that even if there is a success already, another PC or two might try it... but not so good that the risks are worth the consolation prize alone. Like I said, it is a balancing act - and likely one that will not be gotten right the first couple of times.

[Jon Templeton]

I figured it'd be the gauntlet up the wall followed by a personal combat scene for those that get to the top. There could always be multiple PCs per scene too. I imagine Triston would be with Jon up the walls. Maybe one makes it ahead of the other so he is on his own for the first dyz rounds of combat before the other guy makes it.

As for being first there will be accolades. Getting up there and winning your combat will see a reward of pussy/pay/play. The 3 P's of motivating all soldiers.

[Loreia]

More than one PC in one combat instance against all the enemy knights, plus the guards? Why not? As long as they all saw who got there first.

I like the "at least 2-3 PCs participating or you're competing with an NC" path. Provides opportunities for NCs to win some glory in battle, not to mention incentive to nudge away NCs from taking any points toward their chosen faction.

[Ser Walton Dulver]

It can be even run separately for every PC for first few rounds to speed it up, as each one is on his own surrounded by enemies, without possibility to move. So for first 3-4 rounds there is no chance for teaming up really. After 3-4 rounds it could change to waiting with moving to next round until all other are done with their round.

[Baelon Drakeson]

I believe the design intent was for a solo participant. It's a design issue, really. Getting help from a friend is flavorful and interesting, but affects the difficulty. Even having each character face the challenges leading up to the fight separately and then doubling the foes at the end would not quite be the same.

Remember too that mechanics are necessarily an abstraction from narration. The narration can be two friends helping each other even if the mechanics are the two characters running it independently.

I could see an argument made for cohorts being allowed to assist, but of course cohorts are much more fragile than PCs, so it also carries much more risk.

[Nathaniel Mason]

I could see an argument made for cohorts being allowed to assist, but of course cohorts are much more fragile than PCs, so it also carries much more risk.

I would agree that Cohorts could assist. I would also agree it's probably not advisable. The Archer Volley should be considered an area effect and rolls would be made against both the PC and the Cohort. An armoured human Cohort might survive, an animal Cohort would probably be pin-cushioned.

[Baelon Drakeson]

I was thinking their own set of rolls as they would be being shot at too (was picturing it as sharpshooters, not a volley), but that works too.

Either way, cohorts (animal or otherwise) are at a significant risk, and do not have the same DP/plot armor that PCs have. Realistically in a war scenario, many opponents would be choosing death as an outcome, not ransom. Tempers are high, it's hard to take prisoners in a pitched battle, the use of Vicious weapons, etc.

They would also need to face the Death from Above attack, which as has been noted can be a real killer, depending on what is dropped.

[Nathaniel Mason]

They would also need to face the Death from Above attack, which as has been noted can be a real killer, depending on what is dropped.

In single or small group combat, ransom or some other defeat event might be possible.  If you are getting rained on by a few hundred arrows, death is really the only reasonable conclusion.  Same with Death from above I would say, since the defenders are basically chucking stuff over the wall and hoping for the best.

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