GURPS Assassin's Creed

[rosignol]

Originally Posted by Icelander

I really would like to fit Danger Sense and Peripheral Vision in there, though. See any potential for point savings of 30 points or so?

Enemy: street performers. :>

If your player is a fan of the game, he'll get the joke (and probably try to buy it off ASAP).

[Xplo]

I've been playing AC2 lately. IDHMBWM and I'm not especially familiar with some of the mechanics/new moves from MA but I can describe the fighting to the extent that my memory's not playing tricks on me.

Barehanded, Ezio can parry barehanded attacks automatically (you just have to hold down a button). Holding down that button and pushing the attack button as an armed enemy attacks will disarm that enemy and ready their weapon. He also has the ability to throw sand by targeting an enemyand holding down the attack button. I'd guess his unarmed skill is Brawling.

When armed, Ezio can parry most attacks automatically by holding down the same defense button; IIRC, there are certain enemies (the guys in plate with the big weapons) whose attacks can't be parried. By holding the defense button and pushing the attack button as an armed enemy attacks, Ezio will attempt to perform what I think is a riposte. Against about half of the enemies this is instantly fatal (Ezio goes into one of his kill animations); other enemies consistently defend against the riposte, which earns them a non-damaging punch from Ezio which drives them back and breaks contact. The riposte doesn't work against the enemies who can't be parried. (Interestingly, you can disarm those guys if you switch to fists, and this seems to be the best way to render them harmless.)

Ezio can also grapple while barehanded or armed, by pushing the grapple button. Some enemies will successfully avoid the grapple; others will be pulled into a "human shield" position. With about half of these enemies, it's possible to slit their throat by pushing the attack button; others will only be released and shoved. (Throwing people into breakable objects is supposedly fatal, but I haven't actually done this yet.)

Ezio has a "death from above" attack using the wrist blades that can be used on targeted enemies that are directly below him, and a similar move when hiding in a haystack that can be used to jump out, kill nearby enemies, and return to hiding. He can also grab unaware enemies above him (if they're standing on a roof edge that he's clinging to, for instance) and pull them off. At some point in AC2 Ezio receives a second wristblade which allows him to kill two enemies at once (from above or behind).

An armed attack from behind is nearly always fatal, whether the victim is aware of Ezio or not; the combat mechanics make runaround attacks difficult, but if Ezio has allies with him (such as hired mercenaries) it's a simple matter to walk up behind any enemy that's facing off with an ally and kill him. Armed attacks against unarmed targets are also fatal.

Ezio seems to be skilled with almost any one-handed weapon. He can also use large axes and spears once he takes them from guards, but they're comparitively slow and clumsy (if the PC's DX is high enough, this could actually be Telegraphic attacks at default skill).

Combat does appear staged. The enemies don't limit themselves to attacking one at a time, but they are extremely shy about attacking and often go several seconds between attacks, so it takes a large crowd of enemies and/or a bit of luck to be attacked by two or more at once. A fight generally consists of waiting for enemies to attack in order to disarm or fatally riposte them; if the waiting gets tedious, or ripostes don't work, go for grapples to speed things up. Once you have eliminated all the enemies who can be killed with grapples or ripostes, all that remains is to use standard attacks against the leftovers. (Enemies defend against standard attacks pretty well, so this is a process of wearing their HP down with repeated attacks, or forcing them off of roof edges where applicable.) Toward the end of a large battle, remaining enemies will often lose morale and run away.

Ultimately, combat with the GURPS PC is simply not going to resemble combat in AC2 unless you're willing to replicate all of AC2's cinematic quirks and assumptions. You would probably be well-served by explaining to the player that the two characters are by no means an exact match, and that when you would do X in AC2, you would want to do Y in GURPS.. of course you've probably already had this talk with him.

Aside from the fighting, Ezio can survive falls pretty well. He can make a "leap of faith" from certain marked spots in the world which allows him to jump from any height into a haystack (or something similar) and take no damage. When not making leaps of faith, Ezio can fall perhaps 20-25 feet without damage, and perhaps 40 feet without dying. The player can see when guards or people he's tailing are growing suspicious of him and which direction they're in, as well as being able to locate enemies, search radii, and hiding spots on the radar; this isn't explained as being part of any supernatural ability, which suggests Danger Sense and/or the Observation skill. He can climb almost any building in the game world, as long as there are awnings or protruding posts or stones to grab onto; doors and windows serve him almost as well as ladders. He can't climb featureless bare walls, unless they're short enough that he can jump and grab the top, and many of the tall towers in the game serve as simple "how do I get up there?" puzzles as the player looks for effective handholds leading upward.

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by rosignol

Oh, they do, it's just not at the frantic 'swing per second' that you would expect to happen in a GURPS game. If you were trying to simulate AC2 in GURPS, the mooks should spend a lot of time Evaluating before they take a swing, and might be mentally stunned every so often on account of failing a fright check after seeing Ezio brutally kill their buddies.

Meh, they frequently sit there and watch while I'm taking my time gutting one of their friends instead of shanking me in the back. It's not because they're afraid, it's because the game only has them attack every three seconds or so so that I can take on 10 guards at once and survive. I prefer the Thief approach.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by rosignol

Enemy: street performers. :>

If your player is a fan of the game, he'll get the joke (and probably try to buy it off ASAP).

The setting does rather demand that there is some causal chain behind events. So, being hated by all street performers might be valid as a supernatural curse*, but I can't just throw it in without a reason.

Interestingly, though, the character is cursed. Whenever he uses magic to conceal himself or alter his appearance within a 100 miles of his home city**, orchestral music will sound and a disembodied hand will point at him while a exasperated voice exclaims: "Spy! Eavesdropper! Dissembler! Busybody! Pervert! Peeping Tom! Rogue! Blackguard!" and other things of a similar nature.

You see, he was shadowing certain girl for a jealous suitor when a gentleman caller who met with her turned out to be Alcides von Tighe, Archmage of the City. Our good Archmage did not take kindly to having his tête-à-tête spied upon.

I didn't give any points for it beyond noting the Archmage down as a Watcher-Enemy who doesn't give him much thought (6 or lower). I figured that the character would simply avoid that area of the campaign world.

On the other hand, it is a significant part of the world and the other PCs often go there.

Should it be worth some negative points to be pretty ineffective at your chosen pursuit in a large part of the campaign world?

*Though an awesomely powerful one.
**And the location of all his Contacts and Allies.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Meh, they frequently sit there and watch while I'm taking my time gutting one of their friends instead of shanking me in the back. It's not because they're afraid, it's because the game only has them attack every three seconds or so so that I can take on 10 guards at once and survive. I prefer the Thief approach.

Emulating this in GURPS terms, however, might be possible with a Follow-Through Perk.

Kill someone in a dramatic manner and have his friends hesitate because you just Intimidated them.

But poor Waelstar doesn't have the points for more Intimidate, for Follow-Through, for Danger Sense or for Peripheral Vision. Where do the points go? How do people create characters for 250 points without having them be simple one-trick wonders?

[rosignol]

Originally Posted by Icelander

The setting does rather demand that there is some causal chain behind events. So, being hated by all street performers might be valid as a supernatural curse*, but I can't just throw it in without a reason.

In AC2, the street performers are used as obstacles on stealth missions. They try to obstruct your path and refuse to get out of the way until you dispense some coin, knock the instrument out of their hands (my preferred option), or shank them.

Something along the lines of having a wandering minstrel wander over to the character when he's trying to be sneaky and performing loudly and conspicuously would be hugely inconvenient and entirely faithful to the source material... and it would be a moderately low-key supernatural curse.

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by Icelander

But poor Waelstar doesn't have the points for more Intimidate, for Follow-Through, for Danger Sense or for Peripheral Vision. Where do the points go? How do people create characters for 250 points without having them be simple one-trick wonders?

I'd drop the Enhanced Parry and Dodge. And people create 250 point characters by lowering expected competency levels, and pairing competencies that rely on the same attributes.

[rosignol]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Meh, they frequently sit there and watch while I'm taking my time gutting one of their friends instead of shanking me in the back. It's not because they're afraid, it's because the game only has them attack every three seconds or so so that I can take on 10 guards at once and survive. I prefer the Thief approach.

Sure, they're skill-10 mooks taking two seconds to evaluate before attacking (getting the roll up to 12) and having somewhat shaky morale as they don't regularly deal with vicious killers like Ezio and don't particularly want to be the next one to die.

Yeah, you can probably reproduce that feel in a GURPS game without too much trouble.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by rosignol

Oh, they do, it's just not at the frantic 'swing per second' that you would expect to happen in a GURPS game. If you were trying to simulate AC2 in GURPS, the mooks should spend a lot of time Evaluating before they take a swing, and might be mentally stunned every so often on account of failing a fright check after seeing Ezio brutally kill their buddies.

I've house-rules in effect that double the to hit bonus given by Evaluate, so enemies that circle you while looking for an opening are actually more dangerous than the ones who simple wade in swinging.

On the other hand, it is realistic to assume that normal people will spend seconds on Evaluate, on Intimidate skill rolls, on Leadership rolls (or asking a leader what to do) and on Observation rolls (Concentrate?) in combat. After all, how does a random city guard know that he's not being stalked by a second assassin while his friends are fighting that one? He looks around him. He nervously glances at that shadowy alcove behind him while trying to keep up his guard in front of him.

The choreography flaws in the Assassin's Creed games isn't that enemies attack too seldom, necessarily, it is that they fail to respond to clear openings while Ezio is showboating with his back or flanks to them.

Originally Posted by rosignol

You may want to go out and pick the game up. AC2 is pretty reasonably priced (~$30ish) now that AC2:B is out.

My cost estimate is considerably higher. Not only are games very expensive here (at least double your estimate), but I'd also have to buy a PS3. ;)

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

I'd drop the Enhanced Parry and Dodge.

But those are absolutely key to his fighting style and survivability. He wants to draw attacks to that he can Counterattack, Riposte or Stop Hit. To do that, he needs very good defences. Otherwise, he'll end up toast in his first few fights.

After all, it's not like he can use his huge HP total to soak damage. Nor does he have DR 10+ armour like some of his knightly allies. Or Injury Tolerance: Damage Reduction, like some powerful warriors in the setting can eventually develop.

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

And people create 250 point characters by lowering expected competency levels, and pairing competencies that rely on the same attributes.

I got the impression that Dungeon Fantasy characters are expected to be about this competent. At one small niche, at least. Certainly, skill 18-20 is not out of the Dungeon Fantasy competency range.