06-17-2019, 05:44 PM | #21 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Why adventuring parties?
There's no edition where the first level followers won't die like flies. The situation for 62 point minions in GURPS is rather more favorable, mostly because they won't die as collateral damage to AoEs, though you'll pay a lot if you want to give them good gear.
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06-17-2019, 06:23 PM | #22 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Why adventuring parties?
Some approaches to mix and match:
* Embrace the military! Assume that armies, mercenary bands, mundane men-at-arms, etc. do get mixed up with dungeons and monsters – where it makes some sense. That generally means above-ground encampments of goblin-kin armies, or monster infestations (band of ogres, etc.) treatable with pikes and crossbows - mundane physical battles that aren't typical adventure material for PCs anyway. * Soldiers do not have the training, specialized skills, magical protections, or slightest desire to deal with the weird stuff. Possessing spirits, exploding demons, plague carriers. . . these things just terrify grunts. They're willing to face honest death on a battlefield, but not disappearing down the maw of some pit worm. (Soldiers don't even like fighting at night; pitch-dark caverns are out of the question). * Many soldiers are horribly superstitious about crypts and old temples and what not. They don't want to come within a mile of a lich's tomb, and eagerly swap tales and rumors of grunts who stumble out of dungeons possessed and cursed, who limp back home only to drop dead of some ghastly plague, or who die in a tomb and then shamble back home. The superstitions carry over to their view of delvers: awesome monster-killers, but also demon-touched weirdos who probably carry and spread soul-corrupting curses like normal people spread colds. (Soldiers know that messing with undead and cursed ruins means they'll be seen as delvers, earning that superstitious stink-eye from people back in the home village.) * Delvers aren't too fond of soldiers, either. Grunts are loud, ill-equipped for delves, and apt to bolt at the sight of a simple flaming skull. They spring traps (sometimes a help, admittedly) and alert monsters. They know nothing of tunnel-fighting tactics or fae etiquette. Soldiers do not gracefully take orders from druids and bards and the like, and army commanders too often spring their own surprises. ("We're going to collapse this mine so whatever's inside never gets out. We have orders.") * Sending soldiers on delves isn't just expensive; it's complicated. Soldiers belong to some unit, commander, fiefdom, etc. with its own agenda; they can never truly be under the command of the PCs. Nobody commits men to a weird quest just for a bit of silver; they task the spear carriers with secret side missions, or with reporting back on whatever interests the soldiers' superiors – information on delvers, on outside quest-givers, on big treasures, etc. Survivors of quests are not happy to collect their handful of silver and watch delvers cart off a chest of gold, original agreement be damned. Non-survivors don't get brushed off; commanders demand explanations and compensation. (Any such disputes quickly escalate from "delvers vs a few disgruntled grunts" to "delvers vs an angry army".) * Soldiers appreciate coin as much as anyone, but don't do well with other treasures. They don't have the eye or the contacts to evaluate luxury goods, monster parts, tomes, and the like. They couldn't tell a Fire Resistance Potion from a vial of mud, and are terrified by obviously magical artifacts. Treasures that aren't easily divided, like a big gem, are a pain to deal with. When it comes to creepy underground crawls, soldiers just don't see the rewards as worth it. That's why PC delvers exist!
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06-17-2019, 09:29 PM | #23 | |||
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
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Re: Why adventuring parties?
"Why adventuring parties?"
Because adventuring office work isn't as much fun. Quote:
And pay them some portion (usually half) in advance! Where as those 4-6 seedy looking types will just hie off on yonder quest for a promise of reward. Quote:
* Occasionally 15 due to an inconsistent Quote:
62 point speed bumps don't last long against things a 250 point Knight is meant to find challenging. But that's why you only pay them once you've returned from the mission... |
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06-17-2019, 09:35 PM | #24 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Why adventuring parties?
Oh, they can be killed plenty fast, but you don't run into 'I was fireballing the fighter and I got a dozen mooks for free'.
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06-18-2019, 04:06 AM | #25 | |
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
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Re: Why adventuring parties?
Quote:
* Replace with Stench and Steam (which I've also seen) for identical effects (ie death) of hirelings without damaging equipment. |
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06-18-2019, 09:00 AM | #26 | |||||
Join Date: May 2010
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Re: Why adventuring parties?
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06-18-2019, 09:01 AM | #27 | |
GURPS Line Editor
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
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Re: Why adventuring parties?
Quote:
In GURPS (rather than the DFRPG, which doesn't have the Reputation mechanic), it boils down to "Did anybody bother to pay points for Reputation?" My experience is that delvers generally prefer to use those points for more attributes, combat skills, spells, and power-ups.
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Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch <kromm@sjgames.com> GURPS Line Editor, Steve Jackson Games My DreamWidth [Just GURPS News] |
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06-18-2019, 09:13 AM | #28 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Why adventuring parties?
Well, what I meant by "approaches to mix and match" is that they're only ideas (as the OP requests) for explaining why delvers and the armies/soldiers might keep to pretty separate paths. As in, they might hold for some times and places, in some campaigns, if the GM likes.
I don't suggest that the ideas necessarily represent soldiers (or delvers) acting with full rationality. : )
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T Bone GURPS stuff and more at the Games Diner: http://www.gamesdiner.com Twitter: @Gamesdiner | RSS: here ⬅︎ Updated RSS link | This forum: Site updates thread (occasionally updated) (Latest goods on site: GLAIVE Mini levels up to v2.4. Update to melee weapon design tool, with more example weapons and commentary.) |
06-18-2019, 10:19 AM | #29 | |
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Ottawa, ON, CA
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Re: Why adventuring parties?
Quote:
"...you need adventurers for this?" "Here's the address." "1201 Mount Doom Cresc-- okay, yeah, you need adventurers for this."
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M2: Everything is true. GP: Even false things? M2: Even false things are true. GP: How can that be? M2: I don't know man, I didn't do it. |
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06-18-2019, 10:30 AM | #30 | |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Why adventuring parties?
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