Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Mooks and Extras in Combats and Other Challenges

Kalzazz · 12-16-2016, 09:41 AM

I totally use them, and would use more if I could.

1 - they let the party be cool to take foes down by the bushel basket

2 - they also importantly help the party look less like bullies, N many party members dog piling a single named foe? They don't look very heroic. Give said for a few dozen spear carriers? Less of a problem

I would use more, except technical limitations interfere. Running a 100 on 1 fight becomes an exercise in tedium rather than heroics. I sometimes use mass combat or swarm rules to compensate.

When I once ran a higher powered campaign, I used mooks and swarm rules extensively. If you wanted to cook dinner, you didn't roll at all. If you had cooking on your sheet, you were rolling it to cook something grand, like a banquet to impress the Empress, or a feast before battle for a 100,000 strong army in the field, or Iron Chef Immortals etc. Things where your mook chef is in trouble.

Combat wise? Your garden variety soldier doesn't even get stats, and might not pose a threat until he's in a swarm representing him and his regiment of buddies. Elite Royal Guards or Martial Artists might get stats, and die quickly like stormtroopers fighting PCs, but contrast with named Champions and other worthy foes

One PC was a general, and the player enjoyed naming the various soldiers under his command and inventing details about them . . . so that it was more meaningful when said soldiers met an inglorious death in service to the Empress
So an example battle might feature the 6 PCs, a friendly NPC sidekick of a PC, 2 swarms representing Imperial regiments, and a swarm representing a squad of Imperial Royal Guards squaring off with 10 swarms representing regiments of rebel soldiers, 10 swarms representing rebellious peasants, the rebel champion, and a swarm.representing a circle of rebel wizards

The duke leading the rebellion won't need stats in combat, he will be splattered if attacked by a party member, as he isn't personally a great warrior, but he will have Tactics and Persuasion skills, and the party may talk to him. So he isn't a mook, even if he isn't able to cross swords with a higher powered PC

12-16-2016, 09:41 AM	#7
Kalzazz Join Date: Feb 2009	Re: Mooks and Extras in Combats and Other Challenges I totally use them, and would use more if I could. 1 - they let the party be cool to take foes down by the bushel basket 2 - they also importantly help the party look less like bullies, N many party members dog piling a single named foe? They don't look very heroic. Give said for a few dozen spear carriers? Less of a problem I would use more, except technical limitations interfere. Running a 100 on 1 fight becomes an exercise in tedium rather than heroics. I sometimes use mass combat or swarm rules to compensate. When I once ran a higher powered campaign, I used mooks and swarm rules extensively. If you wanted to cook dinner, you didn't roll at all. If you had cooking on your sheet, you were rolling it to cook something grand, like a banquet to impress the Empress, or a feast before battle for a 100,000 strong army in the field, or Iron Chef Immortals etc. Things where your mook chef is in trouble. Combat wise? Your garden variety soldier doesn't even get stats, and might not pose a threat until he's in a swarm representing him and his regiment of buddies. Elite Royal Guards or Martial Artists might get stats, and die quickly like stormtroopers fighting PCs, but contrast with named Champions and other worthy foes One PC was a general, and the player enjoyed naming the various soldiers under his command and inventing details about them . . . so that it was more meaningful when said soldiers met an inglorious death in service to the Empress So an example battle might feature the 6 PCs, a friendly NPC sidekick of a PC, 2 swarms representing Imperial regiments, and a swarm representing a squad of Imperial Royal Guards squaring off with 10 swarms representing regiments of rebel soldiers, 10 swarms representing rebellious peasants, the rebel champion, and a swarm.representing a circle of rebel wizards The duke leading the rebellion won't need stats in combat, he will be splattered if attacked by a party member, as he isn't personally a great warrior, but he will have Tactics and Persuasion skills, and the party may talk to him. So he isn't a mook, even if he isn't able to cross swords with a higher powered PC