ok so my group has run a few sessions and mini-sessions of urban shadows at this point and it’s great but there are some things we’re not sure how to handle. Our stubborn D&D brains just don’t know how to adapt. Most of us are new to the game and MCing in general (we switch off) so i’d like to ask the community for advice, ideally from Andrew Medeiros and Mark Diaz Truman. I know the game is really fluid, but having a base to think from would be helpful.
1.say you’ve got a wolf with a gang of werewolves she’s turned, what abilities should they have as individuals and/or a group? the same as the player? if she’s got regen should they have it too?
2.vamps and sunlight, sizzle or sparkle?
3.vamps vs wolves vs humans (players and npcs), how should they match up in terms of strength, speed, senses, durablity, reflexes.
4. say a player wants to go into battle dual-wielding like a maniac. what do? double damage? minuses?
5.say you’ve got a group of 5+ players going into battle like a squad, how to handle that? treat them as individuals or a group? when groups take 3-4 damage there’s supposed to be casualties, should the MC just randomly pick someone to die? doesn’t seem very nice
6.one of my group was asking how fighting from cover works and im not sure what to tell him. armour+1?
Yikes.
I’ve got thoughts! Want to hear them or do you want to wait for the Official Word?
discussion and collective brainstorming in is always helpful, your thoughts would be appreciated
Mostly responding to see the responses, but one thing came to mind (note: this is based on my experience with other Powered By the Apocalypse games, mostly Monster of the Week) – PBTA engine games are more abstracted than D&D when it comes to resolution of most actions. Maybe use Hold for their roll when in cover? Dual wielding could totally be a custom move.
1. Npcs don’t need stats in these kinds of games. Just kind of a consistent grasp of the mythology. Decide as a group, it’s fun.
2. Same as 1. In our game, we decided vamps could handle the sun but look extra creepy so they still prefer to hide.
3. Same as 1. What do you think? In my game, they’re narratively different: werewolves can shift at will and are brutally violent, and vampires are fast as hell and strong.
4. That’s total color imo. Unleash is unleash. But the narrative could be useful! Like, it’s harder to completely disarm them, but it’s also hard for them to do anything with their hands.
The whole fight should get worked out in a single roll, so really you’re just taking into account everyone’s fictional positioning when it comes to outcomes and complications.
5. Gang on gang violence…I feel like there’s an answer in the book. (Punting, sorry.)
6. Total color imo. Nice setup for distract/mislead/trick or an escape, though.
Basically it’s a lot less tactical, which mostly makes your job easier. When I have a player angling for an advantage, Let it Out is how I let them (try to) earn a +1.
1. I’d say the same unless your the alpha or special in some way, tho it could be argued that your a pc is enough of a reason to give you unique abilities
2. Up to the vamp, tho once decided it should become fact in the game.
3. Completely up to you, my prefernce would be werewolves are the strongest but i like werewolves the most so i’m baised
4. I’d do nothing different mechanically, i’d just describe it differently and misses or other results would follow from how the player attacked. The roll would be the same.
5. Working as a team… Hmm if your trying to abstract the fight to a roll or two maybe treat them as a gang, otherwise just play normally letting then describe there actions as a indavidual.
6. Again i think i’d just describe the situation differently if you had cover. No +1s but like others have said custom moves can be very cool.
Edit: in summary what Paul Beakley said.
Anything outside of the PCs, including NPCs, is left to the GM’s Moves which are all about building the narration in an interesting way. By doing so, the PCs should be compelled to make moves, and what moves they make and when will be influenced by the narration.
As such NPCs and various combat situations don’t require specific rules to give them effect.
The basic concept is that the fiction comes first and the mechanics adapt to fit the system.
To borrow from Worlds in Peril they separate powers into Simple, Difficult, Borderline, Possible and Impossible.
These aren’t really mechanical categorizations so much as they are ways to provide guidelines for the way the narrative works out. A failed roll on a Borderline power provides more justification for the GM to do terrible things while a failed roll on a Simple Power is likely to mean just a simple failure without too much disaster.
In your case, dual wielding and cover both work as guidelines on the overall result. Dual wielding can be an explanation for being able to do +1 harm on a 10+ roll or suffering less harm (one weapon blocking). Dual wielding could minimize the consequences of a failed roll or be the fictional explanation for just barely pulling out a partial success. Cover is the same. It generally has no impact on the mechanics. It’s flavor. On the other hand as a GM you could say that a player without cover can’t choose to suffer less harm from ranged attacks unless they also have supernatural reflexes or wearing armor. It provides a rationale.
As to the squad thing. I’d never force players to use group rules. Group rules are largely designed to represent large numbers of nameless fighters. Instead I’d let them each give their own actions. Some of those actions would be attacking, some would be aiding or protecting the attacker. Not all the actions would require rolls. If the Wolf has the demon busy, the Aware can get in essentially free damage.
As to the characteristics of various creatures that would depend entirely on the players and GMs decision as long as it is consistent.
If I were running Divine Blood, for instance, the difference between a werewolf, vampire and human is marginal at best. Simply different species (though vampire and werewolf represent layman’s terms that apply to any species, sorcerer or religion that follows the appropriate practices). But the difference between a civilian and someone with training is extreme. A human soldier would be able to tear apart a group of teenaged werewolves, for instance. Because my setting emphasizes training over innate abilities. The same human soldier would dominate a fight with civilian Gods and Demons as well. Throw in combat training on the supernaturals and it becomes more even.
I could chime in here but I feel like you’re already getting some rock solid input. ☺
yes it’s all been rather helpful