Gaming Ballistic - GURPS Content Posts

[DouglasCole]

Today is the day!

Today is the second online convention hosted by Steve Jackson Games, FnordCon 2.3

In addition to nifty panel discussions (and I’ll be on a few of them) there’s also a Dealer Room.

FnordCon2.3 Dealer Room Preview


Folks are reminded that the Gaming Ballistic stuff is here at the store, including the die-cut counters available for the first time since the Five Perilous Journeys TFT kickstarter.

Also, in case you missed the More Perilous Journeys Kickstarter for The Fantasty Trip, you can still pre-order books here!

[DouglasCole]

I got an excellent question on Facebook about the surprise in Hall of Judgment. The adventure’s been out there a while, but I’m going to put the question and the answer “below the fold,” in case there are folks out there who want to keep all the surprises surprises…and the question itself gives away the nature of said surprise.

Hall of Judgment: Tower Surprise Clarifications (spells)

[DouglasCole]

An idle, unfinished musing on how to make Surgery rolls in GURPS and the Dungeon Fantasy RPG a tetch more interesting.

"Do Less Harm" - Surgery rolls and rules

[DouglasCole]

Roleplay Rescue posted some thoughts on eschewing a hit roll entirely, and only making folks roll defenses while playing GURPS. I ponder.

Commentary: Che Webster's Defense Roll Reversal

[johndallman]

The thing that bothered me about defence roll reversal when I read the original article is that it increases the number of critical failures on defence rolls (p. B382), because you always roll defence, rather than only when when you've been hit. Mind you, I don't have a problem with the usual GURPS sequence, so I'm not the target audience.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by johndallman

The thing that bothered me about defence roll reversal when I read the original article is that it increases the number of critical failures on defence rolls (p. B382), because you always roll defence, rather than only when when you've been hit. Mind you, I don't have a problem with the usual GURPS sequence, so I'm not the target audience.

That one didn't occur to me, though I think it's true. It will also be true that the number of crit successes on the defense roll go up, for the same reason.

I think this is going to wind up coming down to a few things. If I have to sit there as an attacker and say "Hmmm. I'm going to do a deceptive attack, to the vitals, while slipping in from range 2 to 1 to the side hex, which is fiddle fiddle ... " before the defender does their thing, I don't know that rolling defense first speeds things up. It may be desirable to make the defender commit first, but that's really the same discussion as in TBone's DECIDE option, referenced in the post itself.

I do think there are some interesting ideas that emerge from prioritizing defense rolls first...but that's for another post!

I also note that in a twitter post, Che says he prefers the regular way as well...but wanted to try out the alternate rule at the table to see how it felt. Turns out it felt OK.

[Anthony]

There are lots of game systems where it's fine to have "only the attacker rolls", "only the defender rolls", or even "only the player rolls" -- for example, it's something I'd seriously consider for FATE. The difficulty for doing this with GURPS is that the standard rules are (a) not a contested roll, and (b) asymmetric. That's certainly something you can change (e.g. making combat a quick contest solves both), but is a dramatic change in combat balance.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Anthony

There are lots of game systems where it's fine to have "only the attacker rolls", "only the defender rolls", or even "only the player rolls" -- for example, it's something I'd seriously consider for FATE. The difficulty for doing this with GURPS is that the standard rules are (a) not a contested roll, and (b) asymmetric. That's certainly something you can change (e.g. making combat a quick contest solves both), but is a dramatic change in combat balance.

Yah. There's a reference in the tongue-in-cheek titled "homework" section that goes into all of that. I agree it would be a different flavor, maybe a different game. Might be OK if done well, can easily be awful done poorly.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

That one didn't occur to me, though I think it's true. It will also be true that the number of crit successes on the defense roll go up, for the same reason.

Indeed. I have more experience of critical failures of defence loosing fights than of critical successes of defence winning them, so that was what seemed most obvious.

[DouglasCole]

I have had the opportunity and the pleasure to both train with, and speak to, Roland on several occasions. He is an expert on the development and use of certain period swords (and axes) and shields, especially buckler-gripped sword.

In any case, the interaction is very much reflective of what one learns and experiences coming from the unarmed or sport-weaponry arts to more historically based training.

Anyway, the podcast is over an hour, so make some time for it…but it’s worth doing.

In a GURPS context, or RPG context in general, the key realization is how the shield is your primary attack weapon, and the other weapons are exploiting or finishing weapons.

Give a listen.

Roland Warzecha on Stickman Publications Martial Arts podcast