Unfazeable and Leadership

Cid SilverWing · 11-14-2009, 03:20 PM

I'm in a dilemma here.

Are Fright Checks that much of a problem that players should buy Unfazeable [15] to dodge FC's as well as Rapier Wit?

Also, how useful is Leadership if you can't make your party members excel better at combat while you're standing there shouting appropriate encouragement to them with Leadership?

PK · 11-14-2009, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cid SilverWing

I'm in a dilemma here.

Are Fright Checks that much of a problem that players should buy Unfazeable [15] to dodge FC's as well as Rapier Wit?

Fright Checks are the main reason to buy Unfazeable. As to how much of a problem they are, that rather depends on the campaign. Some games will feature 3-10 Fright Checks per session, others may not have one pop up during the entire campaign.

Quote:

Also, how useful is Leadership if you can't make your party members excel better at combat while you're standing there shouting appropriate encouragement to them with Leadership?

I don't understand the question -- that's the sort of thing that Leadership does allow you to do. Are you proposing a variant of the skill that doesn't allow that?

Cid SilverWing · 11-14-2009, 03:42 PM

I've been given the impression - Many times over, I must add - that Leadership is practically useless except for giving party members a poultry +1 to FC's on success VS natural fears (not Supernatural). Situationally it gives a variable bonus to Reactions.

The few GM's I got to speak with, I poked them about using it to raise Striking ST/DX in battle so that my party members can hit more and harder (think of the WoW Warrior's "Battle Shout" which gives Attack Power and thus more damage), and they all told me no.

Extrarius · 11-14-2009, 04:20 PM

My understanding of Leadership is that it is the combat-neutral version (Tactics being the combat skill {esp w/ the rules in Martial Arts}, and Administration the non-combat skill). Long Tasks (B346) gives some uses for Leadership, as does Hiking (B351) and Convoys (B466).
Reading over the skill description, I can see they don't make it very clear what the skill does outside of combat, but the sections that reference the skill explain that aspect.

David Johnston2 · 11-14-2009, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cid SilverWing

I've been given the impression - Many times over, I must add - that Leadership is practically useless except for giving party members a poultry +1 to FC's on success VS natural fears (not Supernatural). Situationally it gives a variable bonus to Reactions.

The few GM's I got to speak with, I poked them about using it to raise Striking ST/DX in battle so that my party members can hit more and harder (think of the WoW Warrior's "Battle Shout" which gives Attack Power and thus more damage), and they all told me no.

Leadership isn't magic. Like any other interaction skill, it's most useful when dealing with NPCs.

Cid SilverWing · 11-14-2009, 05:17 PM

Battle Shout isn't magic either.

Has no one here ever observed war leaders shout inspiration to their troops?

David Johnston2 · 11-14-2009, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cid SilverWing

Battle Shout isn't magic either.

Has no one here ever observed war leaders shout inspiration to their troops?

Sure. And I've observed that it doesn't make them even a little bit stronger or faster. "Shouting inspiration to the troops" only makes it less likely they'll break.

Cid SilverWing · 11-14-2009, 05:25 PM

I'm talking psychological effects here. Motivation to push yourself past your limits.

David Johnston2 · 11-14-2009, 05:27 PM

Yeah. Doesn't happen. "Exceeding your limits" is a very fatiguing thing, in the game and in life. The key in battles is to pace yourself, not push yourself beyond your limits, and above all, not to break and run.

But there's no particular reason why you couldn't base a beneficial affliction on a Leadership roll.

Cid SilverWing · 11-14-2009, 05:42 PM

The idea is, as I've said, to give bonuses to hit and damage via Leadership as follows:

A party of 5, one's the Paladin leader, a samurai, a mage, a priest and a ninja. The enemy proves innumerable and serious about slaughter, so this has the party at reduced combat efficiency solely for being intimidated by the odds. Paladin rolls Leadership and goes, "To battle with courage! Victor favors the valorous!" This encourages the party members and so negates their initial intimidation, they receive +X to Striking ST and DX (they hit more often and damage harder)

11-14-2009, 03:20 PM	#1
Cid SilverWing Join Date: Jul 2008	Unfazeable and Leadership I'm in a dilemma here. Are Fright Checks that much of a problem that players should buy Unfazeable [15] to dodge FC's as well as Rapier Wit? Also, how useful is Leadership if you can't make your party members excel better at combat while you're standing there shouting appropriate encouragement to them with Leadership?

11-14-2009, 03:42 PM	#3
Cid SilverWing Join Date: Jul 2008	Re: Unfazeable and Leadership I've been given the impression - Many times over, I must add - that Leadership is practically useless except for giving party members a poultry +1 to FC's on success VS natural fears (not Supernatural). Situationally it gives a variable bonus to Reactions. The few GM's I got to speak with, I poked them about using it to raise Striking ST/DX in battle so that my party members can hit more and harder (think of the WoW Warrior's "Battle Shout" which gives Attack Power and thus more damage), and they all told me no.

11-14-2009, 04:20 PM	#4
Extrarius Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Psionic Ward	Re: Unfazeable and Leadership My understanding of Leadership is that it is the combat-neutral version (Tactics being the combat skill {esp w/ the rules in Martial Arts}, and Administration the non-combat skill). Long Tasks (B346) gives some uses for Leadership, as does Hiking (B351) and Convoys (B466). Reading over the skill description, I can see they don't make it very clear what the skill does outside of combat, but the sections that reference the skill explain that aspect.

11-14-2009, 05:17 PM	#6
Cid SilverWing Join Date: Jul 2008	Re: Unfazeable and Leadership Battle Shout isn't magic either. Has no one here ever observed war leaders shout inspiration to their troops?

11-14-2009, 05:25 PM	#8
Cid SilverWing Join Date: Jul 2008	Re: Unfazeable and Leadership I'm talking psychological effects here. Motivation to push yourself past your limits.

11-14-2009, 05:27 PM	#9
David Johnston2 Join Date: Dec 2007	Re: Unfazeable and Leadership Yeah. Doesn't happen. "Exceeding your limits" is a very fatiguing thing, in the game and in life. The key in battles is to pace yourself, not push yourself beyond your limits, and above all, not to break and run. But there's no particular reason why you couldn't base a beneficial affliction on a Leadership roll. Last edited by David Johnston2; 11-14-2009 at 05:31 PM.

11-14-2009, 05:42 PM	#10
Cid SilverWing Join Date: Jul 2008	Re: Unfazeable and Leadership The idea is, as I've said, to give bonuses to hit and damage via Leadership as follows: A party of 5, one's the Paladin leader, a samurai, a mage, a priest and a ninja. The enemy proves innumerable and serious about slaughter, so this has the party at reduced combat efficiency solely for being intimidated by the odds. Paladin rolls Leadership and goes, "To battle with courage! Victor favors the valorous!" This encourages the party members and so negates their initial intimidation, they receive +X to Striking ST and DX (they hit more often and damage harder)