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Old 11-17-2019, 12:08 PM   #1
Saint
 
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Default Rules for Minions/Mooks

I'd like to pick the collective brain of the forum.

Seems like the trend in rpg systems is to make minions, mooks, henchman, and other lower tier npc's easier to eliminate in combat than the more important adversaries.

I'm trying to nail down just when this started. My question is: what's the earliest set of rules you can remember that advocated this approach?

Thanks in advance.
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Old 11-17-2019, 02:26 PM   #2
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Default Re: Rules for Minions/Mooks

I remember seeing it in The Lord of the Rings RPG, circa 2001.
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Old 11-17-2019, 03:28 PM   #3
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Default Re: Rules for Minions/Mooks

I'm not sure, but I think I remember such rules from the original Feng Shui game back in the nineties.
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Old 11-18-2019, 12:35 AM   #4
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Default Re: Rules for Minions/Mooks

7th Sea had Brute Squads in 99, but i remember seeing the concept somewhere earlier. Just can't remember where.
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Old 11-18-2019, 01:39 AM   #5
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Default Re: Rules for Minions/Mooks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Apollonian View Post
I'm not sure, but I think I remember such rules from the original Feng Shui game back in the nineties.
Yup, that in 1996 was the first game I saw (a) to have such rules as a standard part of the system and (b) to mention "mooks" by name.

GURPS cinematic rules ("Cannon Fodder") probably pre-date it, but I'm not going to dig through my 3e books to find out. Compendium II "Silly Combat Rules" may be a good starting point for someone who wants to.
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Old 11-18-2019, 02:05 AM   #6
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Default Re: Rules for Minions/Mooks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Saint View Post
I'd like to pick the collective brain of the forum.

Seems like the trend in rpg systems is to make minions, mooks, henchman, and other lower tier npc's easier to eliminate in combat than the more important adversaries.

I'm trying to nail down just when this started. My question is: what's the earliest set of rules you can remember that advocated this approach?
FGU's Bushido, by Bob Charette and Paul Hume, was published in 1981. It had "rabble", who had reduced skills and saving throws and only 1d10 hit points regardless of class and level, and "extras" who had further reduced saving throws and were taken out of any fight by any hit (i.e. they effectively had only one hit point).[Rule section 2012.3, on p. 3 of Book II]
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Last edited by Agemegos; 11-18-2019 at 02:22 AM. Reason: citation
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Old 11-18-2019, 10:21 AM   #7
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Default Re: Rules for Minions/Mooks

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Originally Posted by Agemegos View Post
FGU's Bushido, by Bob Charette and Paul Hume, was published in 1981. It had "rabble", who had reduced skills and saving throws and only 1d10 hit points regardless of class and level, and "extras" who had further reduced saving throws and were taken out of any fight by any hit (i.e. they effectively had only one hit point).[Rule section 2012.3, on p. 3 of Book II]
Well found sir!
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Old 11-18-2019, 11:07 AM   #8
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Default Re: Rules for Minions/Mooks

I got into RPGs in the late 70's and it was accepted encounters always had a powerful enemy with a number of weaker minions (Or else it was a single large monster). I don't know where the concept was published or if it was just passed on as tribal knowledge.
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Old 11-18-2019, 11:18 AM   #9
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Default Re: Rules for Minions/Mooks

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Originally Posted by Black Leviathan View Post
I got into RPGs in the late 70's and it was accepted encounters always had a powerful enemy with a number of weaker minions (Or else it was a single large monster). I don't know where the concept was published or if it was just passed on as tribal knowledge.
I did that in some of the scenarios in my second Champions campaign. But the lesser foes weren't what I think "mooks" usually means. They were played by the same rules as the major foes. If they lost quickly, or abandoned the fight, it wasn't because they were designated pushovers; it was because they were built on fewer points. I think those two concepts need to be distinguished.
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Old 11-18-2019, 08:53 PM   #10
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Default Re: Rules for Minions/Mooks

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Originally Posted by Apollonian View Post
I'm not sure, but I think I remember such rules from the original Feng Shui game back in the nineties.
PDF version lists 1996.
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