Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander
what traits do those who keep their cool when they are ambushed buy to distinguish themselves from the ones who freeze?
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One thing that I really need to fix about my GMing style is asking for too many Per rolls (or their equivalents in other systems) , so my players have quickly learned to put a few points in there, which tends to cut down on the surprise on the player's side.
And for their enemies, I try to avoid too many rolls in that regard. They have different morale levels and behave accordingly. The margin of the players surprise attempt (Tactics, Stealth, Camouflage...) often modify this. It's icky to tell the players exactly what their characters are doing, so "mental stun" is a useful concept there, but for opponents you've got more room between freezing, running for cover/the hills etc.
If push comes to shove, I don't see this substantially different from a regular Fright Check (with one result only, and ignoring the Rule of 13). Which also means that you've got some modifiers to play with, many of which sound like they should apply anyway.
That also means no total immunity to Total Surprise, but that's fine by me. As a general rule, I don't like absolutes.
Also another good application for familiarity penalties.