04-28-2020, 12:07 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
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Combat in Single-Player Campaigns
Does anyone have advice for creating combat encounters for a single player?
I'm GM'ing a Conan campaign for a friend of mine, but he ends up recovering from wounds after each session. Even the weakest opponents injure him enough to require a period of bed rest. How to Be a GURPS GM recommends making the enemies attacks roughly equal to the PCs' DR, but even a large knife exceeds the average DR of leather (+1). He has decent weapon skills (14?), but he took the Struggling disadvantage, so he doesn't have great armor--only on his torso and groin. Still, I've presented opponents with no armor, and they still hurt him.
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04-28-2020, 12:47 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY
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Re: Combat in Single-Player Campaigns
Conan has cinematic endurance. Be sure to get related traits in outrageous amounts. The various cinematic combat options are probably also suitable for this kind of game.
Although Conan famously loses his armor a lot, there's no reason he can't find or earn armor even if he's got Struggling wealth. This doesn't control how much stuff you have. |
04-28-2020, 12:56 PM | #3 |
GURPS Line Editor
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
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Re: Combat in Single-Player Campaigns
I've run a couple of mini-campaigns like this, as well as single-character adventures during downtime periods of multi-character campaigns. A few things I found useful:
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Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch <kromm@sjgames.com> GURPS Line Editor, Steve Jackson Games My DreamWidth [Just GURPS News] |
04-28-2020, 01:46 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
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Re: Combat in Single-Player Campaigns
These are good ideas.
I avoided some of the more cinematic advantages when I set up the campaign, but that might have been a mistake. I always allow my players to take a level of Luck, but often they don't avail themselves. Still, I need to start reminding him that he can buy successes. Luckily, I have GURPS Action 2: Exploits. I just haven't explored all of it, so I will check out p. 38 for minor injuries. I don't have Power-Ups 5, but I can pick it up. I need to re-acquaint myself with the Flesh Wounds and Second Wind mechanics. Thanks again, Kromm and Stormcrow. This is helpful! 🙂
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04-28-2020, 03:06 PM | #5 |
GURPS Line Editor
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
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Re: Combat in Single-Player Campaigns
I've been known to make Luck mandatory . . . I've run more campaigns where I've done that than ones where I haven't. People who want to play the "lucky guy" just take more than the baseline Luck level.
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Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch <kromm@sjgames.com> GURPS Line Editor, Steve Jackson Games My DreamWidth [Just GURPS News] |
04-28-2020, 03:24 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Sep 2018
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Re: Combat in Single-Player Campaigns
I'd suggest more NPC allies. Ultimately no matter what you do to toughen the character he'll face things that are dangerous and will be injured. Even if they're not combatnats, just having someone who's hiding during the fight and lures the enemy off so you can be rescued after you fall is a win.
Also expect that Conan will take a sword to the chest and it will take him out of the fight. Lots of Conan books had sections where he was recovering from an injury and dealing with more subtle intrigue. Have downtime stuff ready for when he's resting up to get back into the fight. |
04-28-2020, 03:34 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
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Re: Combat in Single-Player Campaigns
I need to start doing that. For some reason, my players avoid it otherwise.
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04-29-2020, 05:21 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: Combat in Single-Player Campaigns
It's very interesting topic. Are there any chances of any possibility of something like "How to be GURPS GM: Solo Campaigns" to be published in the future? Not only for combat encounters, but generally about playing like that. It's somewhat hard "style" of gaming, requiring more effort from both GM and Player.
Last edited by GWJ; 04-29-2020 at 05:25 AM. |
04-29-2020, 07:31 AM | #9 | |
GURPS Line Editor
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
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Re: Combat in Single-Player Campaigns
Quote:
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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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04-29-2020, 07:31 AM | #10 |
Hero of Democracy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: far from the ocean
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Re: Combat in Single-Player Campaigns
Realistically, fights result in injuries and injuries result in lots of down time. I don't think the problem is actually about single-player games, its about play style and genre.
Most combat heavy games either need "partial failure" conditions other than wounded, access to rapid healing tech, or to mostly be about fights you have good odds to win. I don't think that changing the number of characters in a party actually fullfills any of those, unless the enemies aren't scaled as well. But if you have 5 close fights in a row, you'll probably come out of it all banged up.
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combat, gamemastering, solo play |
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