Rules and hints for improvisation and creativity in combat situations - Page 2

OldSam · 10-23-2016, 06:13 AM

Everyone knows a lot of scenes in movies and novels where the heroes have trouble or even no chance defeating an opponent in a "normal" combat, using the typical fighting skills, weapons etc. - At that point very often they improvise somehow, using the environment or finding a creative solution...

One example - Conan in 'The Hall of the Dead':
He confronts a monster in the form of a giant slug, fifty feet long with the ability to spit a corrosive acid with deadly accuracy. The slug chases Conan throughout the city until he climbs up to the roof of a decaying temple and manages to knock over some gargoyle statuary, one after the other, crushing the monster to death...

>> Now the question: What are good ways, hints etc. to realize something like that in GURPS? How to encourage players to try these approaches and how to 'help' them succeed doing that? <<

Note: All ways of improvisations are meant here, realistic and cinematic (though plausible) alike.

The background issue:
Classical roleplaying systems - including GURPS - often lead players (and the GM) to think 'inside the system box', that is thinking about the options your character(s) normally have and which options are explicitly stated in the rules, e.g. all-out-attack, feint, target a hit location etc. - Often this can lead to a little 'blindness', so I seek ideas and maybe references to rules or house rules to encourage these more creative ways.
(And I'm not talking about 'stupid' fun improvisation for beer & bretzel games, this should be more something 'doable' ;-))

10-23-2016, 06:13 AM	#1
OldSam Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Göttingen, Germany	Rules and hints for improvisation and creativity in combat situations Everyone knows a lot of scenes in movies and novels where the heroes have trouble or even no chance defeating an opponent in a "normal" combat, using the typical fighting skills, weapons etc. - At that point very often they improvise somehow, using the environment or finding a creative solution... One example - Conan in 'The Hall of the Dead': He confronts a monster in the form of a giant slug, fifty feet long with the ability to spit a corrosive acid with deadly accuracy. The slug chases Conan throughout the city until he climbs up to the roof of a decaying temple and manages to knock over some gargoyle statuary, one after the other, crushing the monster to death... >> Now the question: What are good ways, hints etc. to realize something like that in GURPS? How to encourage players to try these approaches and how to 'help' them succeed doing that? << Note: All ways of improvisations are meant here, realistic and cinematic (though plausible) alike. The background issue: Classical roleplaying systems - including GURPS - often lead players (and the GM) to think 'inside the system box', that is thinking about the options your character(s) normally have and which options are explicitly stated in the rules, e.g. all-out-attack, feint, target a hit location etc. - Often this can lead to a little 'blindness', so I seek ideas and maybe references to rules or house rules to encourage these more creative ways. (And I'm not talking about 'stupid' fun improvisation for beer & bretzel games, this should be more something 'doable' ;-)) Last edited by OldSam; 10-23-2016 at 06:55 AM.