Smaller creatures, hexes, and close combat (spoilers)

Dalin · 10-20-2017, 07:31 PM

Spoiler Warning: Some details from "I Smell a Rat" are mentioned below.

Played my second session of I Smell a Rat today. It continues to be very compelling. Favorite scene was when the party foolishly split up in the sewer as they backed away from a roiling swimming horde of giant rats. I had boards going across the water, so most of the characters backed into the S hallway while the lead warrior, who had just bashed in the concealed door, backed up the stairs past the door, while preparing to engage the rats. The rats split, going into both passages. The lone warrior doesn't see the runes behind him (at the top of the stairs) because he's backing up and has continual light on his helmet. The rats are fodder for him, so he's not too worried. But as he steps back at the top step, he is nearly dropped by 10 hp of dehydration damage. He thought he was being attacked from the rear by an evil wizard and completely freaked out. Loved it!

I've been combing through the rules and am not sure I quite know how to handle smaller creatures like giant rates or big spider (both SM -1). Can more than one of them fit in a hex? If the party is in a one hex wide corridor, do the rats have to stay in single file, or can more than one swarm onto the front PC? I chose to allow two of them, which worked great and felt believable, but I wasn't sure if this was officially correct.

Then there's close combat. A rat enters the character's hex in order to attack (bite). If the character wants to counterattack with a reach 1 weapon on their next turn, they need to step back a hex, right? If they can't step back (maybe other PCs behind them, or, say, an evil runic hallway), then they can't attack with their swords. So let's say they want to punch the rat. Can they do that without dropping the sword? Or do they have to drop the sword (free action) and then start swinging their fists? (Nobody thought about kicking, which would have worked without dropping a weapon.)

Finally, the rats and big spiders can't get through much DR. I had the spiders attack a character's face, which was awesomely scary and everybody thought it was plausible because spiders are climbers and can jump. (Spider died before it succeeded, but it definitely spooked the player.) What about rats? Plausible to have them leap onto characters, climbing up to their faces? I mean, I know it's always the GM's call, but just curious how other people play this sort of thing out.

10-20-2017, 07:31 PM	#1
Dalin Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Saint Paul, MN	Smaller creatures, hexes, and close combat (spoilers) Spoiler Warning: Some details from "I Smell a Rat" are mentioned below. Played my second session of I Smell a Rat today. It continues to be very compelling. Favorite scene was when the party foolishly split up in the sewer as they backed away from a roiling swimming horde of giant rats. I had boards going across the water, so most of the characters backed into the S hallway while the lead warrior, who had just bashed in the concealed door, backed up the stairs past the door, while preparing to engage the rats. The rats split, going into both passages. The lone warrior doesn't see the runes behind him (at the top of the stairs) because he's backing up and has continual light on his helmet. The rats are fodder for him, so he's not too worried. But as he steps back at the top step, he is nearly dropped by 10 hp of dehydration damage. He thought he was being attacked from the rear by an evil wizard and completely freaked out. Loved it! I've been combing through the rules and am not sure I quite know how to handle smaller creatures like giant rates or big spider (both SM -1). Can more than one of them fit in a hex? If the party is in a one hex wide corridor, do the rats have to stay in single file, or can more than one swarm onto the front PC? I chose to allow two of them, which worked great and felt believable, but I wasn't sure if this was officially correct. Then there's close combat. A rat enters the character's hex in order to attack (bite). If the character wants to counterattack with a reach 1 weapon on their next turn, they need to step back a hex, right? If they can't step back (maybe other PCs behind them, or, say, an evil runic hallway), then they can't attack with their swords. So let's say they want to punch the rat. Can they do that without dropping the sword? Or do they have to drop the sword (free action) and then start swinging their fists? (Nobody thought about kicking, which would have worked without dropping a weapon.) Finally, the rats and big spiders can't get through much DR. I had the spiders attack a character's face, which was awesomely scary and everybody thought it was plausible because spiders are climbers and can jump. (Spider died before it succeeded, but it definitely spooked the player.) What about rats? Plausible to have them leap onto characters, climbing up to their faces? I mean, I know it's always the GM's call, but just curious how other people play this sort of thing out.